What to take to Infest (for Hall Dwellers)
I know most of you are old hands at festivals but a few people have mentioned things that would be useful to take so I thought I'd botch up a bit of a list of personal things to take and take note of for those of you staying in halls this year.
What to take
Make a list of all the things you want to take.
Lay out your outfits for each day and evening and make sure you have critical accessories for each one. OK so you'll be shopping when you get there but it's a sin not to be able to wear an outfit just because you forgot the pants that stop you flashing your bits at everyone unintentionally (and I really don't want to see any intentional or unintentional flashing this year - my brain's still scared from previous events)
*extra pants/tights/socks - as many as you can stuff in spaces in the suitcase
*makeup
* Toiletries. Don't forget your toothbrush and comb, shower gel and a towel
If you want to use the gym bring second towel because there's no chance that you'll get the first one dry quick enough
Clean clothes are nice.
Assign someone to bring a hair dryer to share. (not me 'cos I'll have extensions in)
Use just enough deodorant and aftershave/perfume. People will love you for it. (Keep toiletries inside zip-lock bags incase they split open inside your luggage.)
*Comfy clothes / sleeping stuff, you don't want to be putting your corset and heels on when we're all still monged out in the kitchen - we'll laugh and no one will be in any fit state to help you into them. You'll probably also want to get into these clothes when we return from the uni and you've been sweating in rubber for 6 hours.
* Sleeping bag and pillow sack - you don't need a pillow, non-creasable clothes in a pillowcase will do just as well.
* Tweezers. Keep them in your shaving kit. This is one of those items that you never think about until you suddenly need it.
* Walkman /iPod + speakers as well as headphones for when your roommate wants to sleep.
* 2 Large plastic rubbish bags. One for keeping your dirty clothesseparate from your cleans, one for getting rid of all the vodka bottles at the end of the weekend.
*Medication: aspirin, neurofen,antacid, prescription meds. Medicines in pill form travelbetter than liquids. Keep your prescriptions with you. It's a good idea to let people know if you're on any specific medicines, diabetic, etc and if there are specific recovery strategies that work for you. Make sure you carry your ventolin with you.
* Lock box. Unlessyou can guarantee that nobody you don't know is coming into your room,it's best to make sure some things aren't open to the public.
* You might want to padlock a cupboard in the kitchen too, or your food might disappear.
* Flashlight. Power does go out sometimes, but even if it doesn't, not everyone in a room is always asleep at the same time. If you have to root through your stuff in the dark, turning on the table lamp just might get you dunked in the pool. Don't forget extra batteries.
* Extension cords and power strips. If you drag a VCR/TV/boombox/computer along with you, these are a must. There are never enough electrical outlets in a room, and they are never where you need them.
* Swimsuit. Hey, the pool is open.
* Paper cups, paper plates, eating utensils. You'd be surprised how hard these can be to procure when you really need them. And even if you aren't holding any parties, do you really want to be swigging your coke from the same bottle everyone else has been backwashing into?
*kettle - there will be kettles and cooking facilities in the kitchens but if you want a cup of tea without getting out of bed then stuff a travel kettle into the case.
*pots and pans and stuff - there are cookers and whatnot in the kitchens but no pots and pans - if you think you're going to eat a gourmet meal rather than live on fruitjuice and dodgy chips from the canteen then make sure you've got everything you need with you.
* Extra glasses. If they get broken or lost, what are you going to do? They can get sat on, stolen, or dropped off of balconies. Can you drive home without them? Same for contact lenses. At least bring a fixit kit that includes a small screwdriver.
* Earplugs. Being trapped in a room with someone from the Olympic snoring team will be agony unless you can block out the noise or listen to your Walkman
* I.D.
* Camera. No joke. Can you remember what you had for dinner last night? Then how are you going to remember everyone you met over an entire weekend? You'll be glad you took some shots later.
* Comfortable shoes. Even if only for mooching around in the halls
* Sewing kit. Useful for small emergencies such as buttonspopping off.
* Birth control. (At least the stuff you hope you're gonna need...)
* Wristwatch. Sounds obvious, I know, but watch the havoc begin if youforget it. You won't know when something's on without it.
* Checklist. Make several copies of your checklist of things to bring and take home, so all you'll have to do at convention time is check offthe items one by one. This eliminates having to think when you'repacking so you are less likely to forget something important
Other Things to Remember
When dealing with hall employees, always get their names. This helps track down and prevent communications problems, Be very polite if you bump up against a problem, and be persistent.
Write down on a stiff card the following information: your name, any medical information paramedics need to know, and whom to contact in case of an emergency. If you aren't wearing a medical bracelet, the next place the paramedics / first aiders will look is in your wallet or purse. Keep the card there and make sure your roommates know about it.
Have someone take care of the pets, the plants and the kids.
Put your name oneverything you can't afford to lose. Not everyone can recognize your handwriting or your possessions, and if I find someone else's stuff inmy suitcase when I get home, I need to know where to send it.
Check under the bed before you leave the room. The monsters that live there eat socks, shoes, etc.
Illness can spread quickly, because people come from allover, bringing regional diseases and sharing them. This is why you should bring your own medicines. Remember the last time you were sick, away from home?
You always return with more stuff than when you left, so bring an extra bag or make sure you've got some space.
Turn some of your money into small notes before you get to the market. You can't count on every stall being able to break a twenty. Try to use the cashmachine when everyone else isn't. - there are plenty around the campus as well as ones in town. Save a bit of cash for Sunday evening / Monday morning because the cash machines won't have been filled up.
If you plan to drive to the convention and your car needs servicing, don't wait until the last minute. Get it done at least two weeks in advance. This gives everything a chance to break in and you're less likely to end up stranded in the middle of nowhere. Give yourself and your car plenty of rest breaks during the trip. Do you know how to change a flat? Practice before you go.
Carry lots of water -- both foryourself and for the car.
If you're flying, keep your plane tickets in a safeplace. If you're flying with a group, appoint one person to be incharge of the tickets. Make certain that everyone knows where they are kept. Don't lose them! Keep airline tickets inside an envelope of an unusual color, so you can find it in a hurry inside a crowded folder or briefcase.
Like it or not, as soon as you set foot into the hall, you become an ambassador for all Infest goers. The hall management's impression of you and the way you treat their property could well form the basis of whether or not we're allowed back in halls next year.
This is based on an American list of what to take to a convention so I apologise for any inadvertant foxpaws.
What to take
Make a list of all the things you want to take.
Lay out your outfits for each day and evening and make sure you have critical accessories for each one. OK so you'll be shopping when you get there but it's a sin not to be able to wear an outfit just because you forgot the pants that stop you flashing your bits at everyone unintentionally (and I really don't want to see any intentional or unintentional flashing this year - my brain's still scared from previous events)
*extra pants/tights/socks - as many as you can stuff in spaces in the suitcase
*makeup
* Toiletries. Don't forget your toothbrush and comb, shower gel and a towel
If you want to use the gym bring second towel because there's no chance that you'll get the first one dry quick enough
Clean clothes are nice.
Assign someone to bring a hair dryer to share. (not me 'cos I'll have extensions in)
Use just enough deodorant and aftershave/perfume. People will love you for it. (Keep toiletries inside zip-lock bags incase they split open inside your luggage.)
*Comfy clothes / sleeping stuff, you don't want to be putting your corset and heels on when we're all still monged out in the kitchen - we'll laugh and no one will be in any fit state to help you into them. You'll probably also want to get into these clothes when we return from the uni and you've been sweating in rubber for 6 hours.
* Sleeping bag and pillow sack - you don't need a pillow, non-creasable clothes in a pillowcase will do just as well.
* Tweezers. Keep them in your shaving kit. This is one of those items that you never think about until you suddenly need it.
* Walkman /iPod + speakers as well as headphones for when your roommate wants to sleep.
* 2 Large plastic rubbish bags. One for keeping your dirty clothesseparate from your cleans, one for getting rid of all the vodka bottles at the end of the weekend.
*Medication: aspirin, neurofen,antacid, prescription meds. Medicines in pill form travelbetter than liquids. Keep your prescriptions with you. It's a good idea to let people know if you're on any specific medicines, diabetic, etc and if there are specific recovery strategies that work for you. Make sure you carry your ventolin with you.
* Lock box. Unlessyou can guarantee that nobody you don't know is coming into your room,it's best to make sure some things aren't open to the public.
* You might want to padlock a cupboard in the kitchen too, or your food might disappear.
* Flashlight. Power does go out sometimes, but even if it doesn't, not everyone in a room is always asleep at the same time. If you have to root through your stuff in the dark, turning on the table lamp just might get you dunked in the pool. Don't forget extra batteries.
* Extension cords and power strips. If you drag a VCR/TV/boombox/computer along with you, these are a must. There are never enough electrical outlets in a room, and they are never where you need them.
* Swimsuit. Hey, the pool is open.
* Paper cups, paper plates, eating utensils. You'd be surprised how hard these can be to procure when you really need them. And even if you aren't holding any parties, do you really want to be swigging your coke from the same bottle everyone else has been backwashing into?
*kettle - there will be kettles and cooking facilities in the kitchens but if you want a cup of tea without getting out of bed then stuff a travel kettle into the case.
*pots and pans and stuff - there are cookers and whatnot in the kitchens but no pots and pans - if you think you're going to eat a gourmet meal rather than live on fruitjuice and dodgy chips from the canteen then make sure you've got everything you need with you.
* Extra glasses. If they get broken or lost, what are you going to do? They can get sat on, stolen, or dropped off of balconies. Can you drive home without them? Same for contact lenses. At least bring a fixit kit that includes a small screwdriver.
* Earplugs. Being trapped in a room with someone from the Olympic snoring team will be agony unless you can block out the noise or listen to your Walkman
* I.D.
* Camera. No joke. Can you remember what you had for dinner last night? Then how are you going to remember everyone you met over an entire weekend? You'll be glad you took some shots later.
* Comfortable shoes. Even if only for mooching around in the halls
* Sewing kit. Useful for small emergencies such as buttonspopping off.
* Birth control. (At least the stuff you hope you're gonna need...)
* Wristwatch. Sounds obvious, I know, but watch the havoc begin if youforget it. You won't know when something's on without it.
* Checklist. Make several copies of your checklist of things to bring and take home, so all you'll have to do at convention time is check offthe items one by one. This eliminates having to think when you'repacking so you are less likely to forget something important
Other Things to Remember
When dealing with hall employees, always get their names. This helps track down and prevent communications problems, Be very polite if you bump up against a problem, and be persistent.
Write down on a stiff card the following information: your name, any medical information paramedics need to know, and whom to contact in case of an emergency. If you aren't wearing a medical bracelet, the next place the paramedics / first aiders will look is in your wallet or purse. Keep the card there and make sure your roommates know about it.
Have someone take care of the pets, the plants and the kids.
Put your name oneverything you can't afford to lose. Not everyone can recognize your handwriting or your possessions, and if I find someone else's stuff inmy suitcase when I get home, I need to know where to send it.
Check under the bed before you leave the room. The monsters that live there eat socks, shoes, etc.
Illness can spread quickly, because people come from allover, bringing regional diseases and sharing them. This is why you should bring your own medicines. Remember the last time you were sick, away from home?
You always return with more stuff than when you left, so bring an extra bag or make sure you've got some space.
Turn some of your money into small notes before you get to the market. You can't count on every stall being able to break a twenty. Try to use the cashmachine when everyone else isn't. - there are plenty around the campus as well as ones in town. Save a bit of cash for Sunday evening / Monday morning because the cash machines won't have been filled up.
If you plan to drive to the convention and your car needs servicing, don't wait until the last minute. Get it done at least two weeks in advance. This gives everything a chance to break in and you're less likely to end up stranded in the middle of nowhere. Give yourself and your car plenty of rest breaks during the trip. Do you know how to change a flat? Practice before you go.
Carry lots of water -- both foryourself and for the car.
If you're flying, keep your plane tickets in a safeplace. If you're flying with a group, appoint one person to be incharge of the tickets. Make certain that everyone knows where they are kept. Don't lose them! Keep airline tickets inside an envelope of an unusual color, so you can find it in a hurry inside a crowded folder or briefcase.
Like it or not, as soon as you set foot into the hall, you become an ambassador for all Infest goers. The hall management's impression of you and the way you treat their property could well form the basis of whether or not we're allowed back in halls next year.
This is based on an American list of what to take to a convention so I apologise for any inadvertant foxpaws.