robkelk Wrote:Sleep enough to be well-rested before the con; you'll probably end up missing sleep during the con. Don't go completely without sleep during the con - you won't enjoy the last few hours.Very much this. If it means not going all days, if it means missing morning or evening panels, do so. Don't count on catching a cat nap in a chair in the common areas, because they're too loud, and even if you manage to get that sleep, odds are you're going to oversleep in the process and miss something anyway.
Quote:Shower and scrub yourself every morning. Wear clean clothes every day - no wearing the same outfit twice. Don't bring smelly food. Don't wear cologne, perfume, or anything else with a scent. In short, don't add to the problem that you'll need that bottle of Febreeze to mitigate.And remember, you're in a place that's overloaded with bodies, so it's going to get warm, and stuffy, and everyone's going to be sweaty. Bad enough to rewear something coated liberally in your own sweat, anything you've worn probably now has everyone's sweat on it.
Quote:Go through the convention calendar very first thing - figure out where and when all the interesting stuff is taking place. You don't want to miss the only panel on your favourite part of the hobby because you were doing something else that you can do any time.Mark those, mark the ones that are particularly important (especially if you actually use the convention as an opportunity to network). And be sure to carve out blocks of time for self-maintenance, like eating.
Quote:Bring your own food if you can. (One of my friends makes a habit of stopping by the asian grocery the evening he arrives at a con, and buying a bag of stuffed bread when it's on clearance-sale. He'd rather spend $1 on a melon-pan or ham-pan and eat it later at the con, than spend $5 on a hot dog at the con that doesn't taste as good as that day-old bread.)One of my family's older tricks was to pack a cooler in the trunk of the car with sandwich fixings and drinks. Later, we've tended towards eating out at places close-in to the venue. If you must eat out, and can manage it, stake out the area to identify any potential eateries within walking distance.
Quote:Definitely bring a water bottle, and use it. It's going to get hot and humid in the popular panel rooms and the dealers' room; you'll need the water to keep yourself hydrated properly.I haven't had to do this since Denvention 3/WorldCon here (where part of the con swag was a "Fan Hydration Device" that I still use at work), and Mile Hi Con provides water stations in just about every room for the attendees to take care of their thirst without leaving a panel. If you're not sure of the local hydration solutions, take an empty bottle just in case.
Quote:If you're going to the dealers' room, bring your own bag. (A sturdy canvas bag, by preference; you don't want it breaking because it was poked by other shoppers' bags too many times.) Budget, and hold yourself to that budget. Part of bringing your own bag is to aid the budget - when the bag's full, stop buying stuff. Remember: You have to take your purchases home with you.Said bag can also serve when there's additional con swag or excellent stuff at the freebies table. But, again, especially if you're not going home, when the bag's full, stop buying acquiring stuff.
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"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor