Hello, Adventure-Raisers, Happy Weekend! I’ve been seeing r/gencon just explode, no surprise there, about advice for the Con. Now, I don’t want everyone to think that the advice I give is solely for GenCon, it just happens to be the only Con I make it to every year: based on my limited experience with other Cons, what I talk about can be easily applied to others. Or, heck, you could even use it for a Nat20 roll just to take your little dragons to the grocery store.
Anyhoo, pursuing that subreddit has given me more ideas on what to advise you all on how to prep. This week’s topic is just going to be a nice easy list of things to keep in your backpack.
The Parent’s Backpack:
1) First Aid box. Nothing too heavy, but definitely something comprehensive. (link)
2) Neosporin
3) Multivitamins and tea bags
4) IcyHot
4) Hand sanitizer (please pick a nice scent… speaking for myself, nothing makes me gag quite like the odor of all powerful sanitizer)
5) Trail mix, granola bars, favorite dry snack
6) Water bottle with filter (idea curtesy of r/gencon). You could buy the souvenir cup which comes with free refills, Orin does every year, but that’s up to you
7) Sweatshirt or cloak – just enough to keep the breeze off of you. You can also buy one in the dealer’s hall for less than $50
8) Planner and pen (or use an app) to keep you on schedule and to fill out any new character sheets you find.
9) Bring pens/pencils anyway, in case the event you attend runs out
10)Charging cords
11) Spare hair ties on your wrists
12) Ear plugs or noise-canceling headphones for your “recharge” moments
13) Your life savings
14) Dice
15) Rolling matt
16) Life counters
17) MTG, Magic eth Gathering, deck boxes (maybe bring an empty one….)
If attending with small children, add:
18) Diaper bag fixings
a) Diapers
b) Wipes
c) Baby snacks
d) Powdered formula or a cooler with several ice packs and milk (I recommend formula or breastfeeding
for Cons, see why below)
e) A foldable changing station (link)
19) Some kind of towel for privacy when changing
20) The stroller, and don’t worry about making it collapsible
21) Small, less noisy toys for the munchkin
22) Baby multivitamins and baby cough syrup (consult your pediatrician about which brand is right for you, and note that you can find a lot of them right at CVS or Wallgreens)
23) At least 2 extra changes of clothes
24) Some way to comfortably carry the little dragon outside of the stroller – sash, harness, etc
25) Favorite blanket
26) Travel bottle of dish soap (link)
I’m making this whole concept sound so appealing, aren’t I? You see why I recommend bringing the little dragon’s stroller???? Lol. Trying carrying all this AND your swag for 10+ hours. But, hey, I just tell myself that this is probably about as much as Frodo and Sam had to carry across all of Middle Earth, so… if a hobbit can do it….
In all seriousness, that IcyHot does come in handy after the first day, but you could leave that in your hotel room. A lot of it just comes from common sense. If you know you’ll be able to run back to your vehicle frequently, then leave a lot of stuff there. If you don’t have that option, then plan what you can carry for several hours.
Packing for the little dragon is the hardest part, but these were a few tricks that really helped me. At GenCon 2023 my Little Dragon was 6 months old, almost to the day. I had stopped breastfeeding a month before so he was already used to formula. I started packing the power separately from the water to avoid keeping a cooler of 24 hours worth of formula cold as I walked the Con. Then, to make it even more streamlined, I carried the little bottle of dish soap and only 2 or three formula bottles, just taking little breaks to wash them once in a while. Finally, having a wrap-up/ folding travel changing station was an absolute MUST, and it got used many times. Nat20 on that one.
I’ll admit, I am worried about this year simply because Little Dragon is heavier AND walking everywhere. Carrying him or keeping him in the stroller is going to be hard, so I’m looking at the best solutions for letting him walk. I’m currently forcing him to hold my hand whenever we walk in the store or outdoors, so hopefully he’ll be in the habit of holding my hand by August. I don’t much like the child leash idea, personally; I’m sure that if I let him wander that far from me, he’ll be stepped on by a fellow attendee. One idea I’m playing with, besides him holding my hand for dear life, is to also tie a balloon to his belt. That was an old trick my mom used on me., since I was given to running off in the store. That will give me something to grab quickly if his hand ever slips out of mine, and it’s certainly easy to spot in the crowd.
Last note… I am sorry for any pet parents, but I don’t believe any of our furry familiars are allowed to accompany us to Genevie’s Domain (nickname for GenCon). There are probably other venues and other conventions which will let them in, but I’ve only personally seen service dogs in attendance. But to be fair, I am not sure it sis the type of place for a dog or cat. A bird may have fun, but nothing with fur, lol. Where kids can spark their imaginations and begin interacting with the world, a pet will probably be overwhelmed and scared.
Of course I’ll let everyone know how it ultimately goes! I’m excited and nervous, but I’m sure you all are, too! Remember, you’re not on this journey alone!
See you next week!
