So you’re headed off to your first board gaming convention, huh? Good for you! This is one of the absolute highlights of the hobby, and something that my family does at many different conventions throughout the country.
We’ve been to five different conventions, each multiple times over, so we’ve seen a lot, and we attend at least two annually. If there’s a mistake to be made, our family has made it, but in doing so, we’ve learned a LOT about how to prepare and pack for this incredible indoor adventure.
So with that said, here is the Ultimate Board Game Convention Packing List:
Overview:
- Backpack
- Sufficient clothes
- Badge
- Reusable water bottle
- Convention-ready essentials
- Emergency items
- Cash
- What not to bring
Bring a Good Backpack
You can always tell who the first-timers are at a convention – they didn’t bring a backpack.
Board gaming conventions, whether it’s Gen Con or a smaller local convention, are all-day experiences. They’re the kind of thing that you will get to early in the morning, and even though you planned on leaving by seven, you find that your family is still going strong at 10...or midnight...or maybe even 2AM.
(please don’t be the person gaming at 2AM. The convention is still happening the next day...or, well...later in the day. And you need sleep. Trust me)
The backpack is the ONLY good solution.
Don’t be one of those weirdos who packs a suitcase, or brings a stroller around with you (without your kid in it) just so you can stack games on top. Actually, most conventions have a rule against doing just that because they’ve seen people doing it.
You want a nice, quality, sensible backpack. The one I use is an Able Carry Daily Plus, which is a rather expensive backpack, but the perfect size for me. I think the key is the carrying capacity here – some gamers will show up to a convention hauling a massive hiking backpack, or a small Kallax on their back, and that basically guarantees that they’re taking up tons of room, and have no mobility. They’ll knock into everything, including people and small children, and just pose a huge hazard. And they’ll end their day twice as tired, and with a backache to boot.
Aim for a backpack that is less than 30L in size. I know you can’t bring your entire game library in that, but you can probably just borrow it from the game library anyways.
Pack Enough Clothes
Most board gaming conventions happen in the summer time. All are indoors. Most of those indoor places are going to be expecting a huge crush of people, all of whom are generating a nice warm 98.6°F.
So how do they compensate for all that body heat? They crank the AC. And ensure that their venues have really high ceilings, perfect for dissipating all the heat.
End result: it’s freaking cold in most conventions.
And that’s why it boggles my mind how many people are wearing shorts. I know it’s summer, but for at least half of the folks in this building, you stumbled across the skybridge in search for your morning coffee, and you won’t be touching grass for at least three days.
So what do you need shorts for?
Packing pants is one of the biggest tips I can give you. Especially for Gen Con, where the Lucas Oil Stadium (one of the absolute highlights of the show) typically sits at a cool 60 at night.
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Bring more shirts than you think you need, especially if you’re out of shape, or just generally sweaty. If it’s convenient, it often makes more sense to change your shirt at the end of the day before heading back down to the gaming hall for a five hour wargame.
And in that backpack, bring a flannel or a light hoodie, because your top half is more likely to be cold than warm.
Perhaps the most essential clothing item is your shoes though. Make sure they’re well broken-in (not brand new), and made for walking, not style. You don’t need heavy hiking boots, but you definitely don’t want to wear heels. Some mildly stylish sneakers that are made for walking are best.
Don’t forget your Badge!
Your badge is how you’re getting around. You’ll need it to get into the hall, and many conventions are using an electronic ticketing system for events that requires you to scan your badge to get in.
Tips for what to do with your badge are going to vary depending on which convention you attend. For example, if you go to Gen Con, it’s very recommended that you have your badge mailed to you pre-convention (yes, it costs extra, but it saves you a 4-hour wait in an extremely long line). For Origins, my #1 tip has previously been to invest a few bucks in a square badge holder you can wear around your neck – this would allow you to easily hold the long row of paper tickets they’re still using.
But the most important tip? Just make sure you have it with you when you leave your hotel room. They probably won’t give you a replacement, or if they do, it will be a unnecessary hassle.
Bring a Reusable Water Bottle
Let’s face it, board game conventions are expensive. One way to save a little money (and keep you healthy) is to avoid $7 water bottles and fill up for free. Every paid water bottle you skip gets you halfway to a small box game.
The hard part about carrying your water bottle around is remembering to pause to take a drink now and then. Good thing you have your backpack to make carrying easy. Set yourself a goal to fill up at least during lunch and dinner so you can stay hydrated.
Convention-Ready Essentials
If water bottles cost $7, you can bet that a small bag of chips is about the same price.
Some gamers will attend the con and eat on a strict schedule. Which is great, except that you burn more calories walking the hall than you probably do at home, and you’re lugging a heavy load with you everywhere you go. This means that you’re burning more calories than usual, and even if you don’t think you need extra fuel to compensate, the other gamers who have to put up with your hangry attitude are going to appreciate it if you fuel up.
Nobody wants a grumpy gamer. Pack your own snacks, and after you eat them, you have more room for games.
Other essentials?
- A stick of deodorant in your backpack can save you a lot of embarrassment.
- A small bottle of hand sanitizer might help you avoid the dreaded “con crud” that often leaves con-goers sick a few days after they return.
- Your phone’s calendar or alarm system is an essential way to make sure you show up to events on time. Make sure to set the time zones local to the convention if you set it ahead of time (during the last con, I was late to every event one day because I didn’t account for the time change)
Pack a Small Emergency
A small emergency kit will provide you everything you’ll need, and ensure that you don’t need to leave the convention hall early.
A small first aid kit is a good idea - blisters are one of the most fearsome convention-killers. You don’t want to pack anything extreme – you do want to pack band-aids of many sizes (and a few extra large ones that could handle blisters), and some Cortizone or Neosporin. You don’t need gauze, wraps, knee braces or anything like that. If your first aid kit comes with scissors, remove those too – they’re likely to set off the metal detector.
I’d also recommend bringing some Advil and some allergy medicine as well. Not having that with you means a trip to the drug store, and that could be quite far away from the convention hall.
Pack more socks, underwear and shirts than you need. You never know. But you do know that you can likely wear pants a second day without washing them and get away with it. Even if you’re wearing shirts as good as ours, you can’t get away with two days in the same shirt.
Why I Recommend Carrying Cash
This might be a controversial one, but I strongly suggest carrying some cash. Three reasons why.
- Cash is the easiest way to budget, and gives you a sense of self-control in an environment where it can be very difficult to maintain.
- Cash is universal – while you can’t use it at every merchant (a number are moving towards cards only), you can use it in every single emergency situation you find yourself in. So if you lose your phone or wallet, or if you’re pickpocketed (a rarity, but it’s happened), you still have some ability to get yourself home in an emergency
- Cash can save you some money. Lots of merchants will exclude sales tax, or give you a slight discount to avoid dealing with change.
What NOT to Bring
Here are some common no-nos:
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Metal Anything – Most game conventions are moving towards having metal detectors. While metal detector technology is moving ahead, and it’s unlikely that your belt buckles or keys will set them off anymore, there’s no worse feeling than being asked to step aside and having your bags checked in line. So just do what you can to avoid it.
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Games – If your game convention has a lending library or a large dealer hall, it’s highly unlikely that you need to bring any of your own games. You’ll either buy some, sign up for a demo or two, or you can borrow them. Why overburden yourself, and why take up some of the precious cargo space in your luggage to bring something to and from the con. You have to save that room for new purchases!
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Messy snacks – I know you like Cheetoes. I do too. But Cheetoes leave residue everywhere, on everything, and washing your hands (while important) is not going to remove your Cheeto crud. Pretzels, cheese sticks, peanuts, granola bars...there are tons of options. Don’t make a wrong choice.
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A Stroller – If you have a small child, yes, you can bring a stroller, but most conventions have rules against bringing strollers into the hall. Especially if your child decides they’d like to get up, at which point you will have to retrace all your steps.
Conclusion
Pack light, wear comfortable shoes, bring more socks than you think you need, and save room for the games you inevitably buy. We'll see you at the tables.
Just remember that the goal of packing for a convention is similar to the goals of packing for a camping trip. You want to have everything you need, but nothing you don’t. So don’t bring everything, but definitely bring enough.
Ready for the convention?
You've got your badge, backpack, water bottle, snacks, emergency supplies, and enough clean socks to survive the weekend.
Now you just need something to wear.
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