#con tip

Now that we are starting to get cons again its time for some tips. One thing that is good to carry around a con is a small notebook. You can get them at any store or from a lot of different companies. I have used both a school notebook from Target to a Moleskin book from the book store. I recently did see a 3 pack of note books from Moleskin that would be perfect for a con. I know we all carry phones or have a tablet with us but I am not the quickest at typing. Plus it gives you a place to write down a schedule along with a place to write down thoughts you get during the con. 

I love NDK! I am so glad that you are getting to go to this convention. A lot of what SoDak does is based off of NDK, though there will be a lot of differences. The biggest being it's size. It is a 7,500+ attendee con, so it can be overwhelming at first.

So, my first tip is don't get overloaded. If you need to take a break, do it. I am serious about this, if you have a room at the con hotel, go to your room and rest. It is ok. Yes, you may miss some awesome stuff, but there is awesome stuff going on the whole weekend. If you don't have a room at the con hotel, there are some nice quiet nooks that you can escape into to breathe. 

The second is kinda on that same note. There is tons to do. Don't let how much is going on to overwhelm you. It's just like going to a Disney park, just accept that you won't see everything and plan to see what you miss this time, for next time. The program should be uploaded soonish on their website, download it or their Guidebook and preplan what you want to see and what would make your con amazing. It helps that overwhelming effect to bot be as bad. Also, reading the rules in there won't hurt.

The third tip is that all of the big panels, events and autograph sessions have huge lines. Unlike, Disney there is no fast pass and if you really want to see a certain event or panel expect to line up two hours in advance. Big events like the cosplay comp and AMV contest have lines that can extend to four hours in advance. If you have to go to that event, take this time to meet new people that like the same thing that you do. 

My fourth is since there is so many people, even if you don't make it to the big events there is tons going. Lots of cosplay, amazing people and great people watching. 

My fifth tip is taking care of yourself. I can't emphasize this one enough. Denver is in one of the highest elevations in America so you get dehydrated quickly and if you have asthma you might be short of breath. So, just make sure to eat, drink, sleep and bathe. On that note, make sure that you have enough of money on the side to make it home. I have seen and heard plenty of sob stories were an attendee blew all of their money in the Dealers and Artist Alley and then didn't have money to eat with or get home

My sixth tip is to act like a proper college student. What does that mean? Well, each hotel room has a coffee maker, if you bring ramen or things that just need hot water, you have an instant meal. All of the rooms in the con hotel have a refrigerator so you can store things and eat on a dime. I have brought a mini microwave every year so that I can save on money. The con hotel has a restaurant, a Starbucks, and a concession table but all are expensive and run out of food quickly. There is a Wendy's and a Chiptole on the same block as the con, but again they run out of food quickly and eat up your budget. So, again, think like a proper poor college student and you end up saving alot of money.  

What any cosplayer needs to survive a convention: 

No matter how prepared I think I am for a convention I always seem to leave something important at home. To fix this I keep a small bag packed with items I know I can't survive without in case I forget to pack them into my regular luggage.

Adhesives: Hot glue gun and glue sticks, super glue, packing take, masking tape (wonderful for fixing a ripped hem if you can't sew it).

Toiletries: Travel size tooth brush and toothpaste, ear plugs, and deodorant. (edit: I forgot to add disposable razer and travel size shaving cream)

First Aid: Mini first aid kit, band-aids, Advil, tissues and glucose tablets (good for people with low blood sugar) 

Wigs & Hair:  Comb, elastic bands, bobby pins, and a spare wig cap.

Cosmetics: Eye liner, lipstick, file, fingernail polish and fingernail clippers.

Sewing: Fabric scissors, paper scissors, pins & needles, white thread, black thread, seam ripper, fray check, and safety pins.

Costume Repair: X-acto knife, screw driver, pliers, black sharpy, and a pen.

Optional Custom Items: If you a have something that is painted bring paint and a brush for touch ups. If you have bad vision be sure to pack your spare glasses or backup contacts. A few granola bars never hurt to have handy. "Shout Wipes" are a life saver for cleaning spots or stains out of costumes. If you have a spare phone charger it's a good idea to keep it in the bag. A Travel size lint brush is also handy.

Is there anything that you think I should add ? If so, add a comment and I'll add it to the list.

1/7/14 http://rogha.tumblr.com/ : On you list, you definitely need to add more safety pins then you ever thought possible. Everyone loves the chick with the safety pins. Personally I recommend that stick on Velcro. I always bring some pads or tampons, and even if you're a manly man, because you never know, I've met girls crying in bathrooms because they don't have a euro or whatever. And be generous with your shit too.

1/7/14 Anonymous: Hey, on the "Con Survival Kit" post, I would just like to suggest adding water. I almost passed out from the heat at my very first con (I was in a heavy costume with a wig) and had to leave after about an hour.

1/7/14 http://okapirose.tumblr.com/: -Will second water, if you’re going in a group, have everyone contribute a couple bucks and buy a big thing of water bottles. Soda is NOT a substitute, if you’re thirsty, grab water, not Ramune. Also, if you spill it, less of a problem to clean up, especially if in cosplay.

-Bring more cash than you think you’ll need (and in small bills to avoid the need to try and break large bills). Keep a portion set aside for things like tipping.

-Multi-plug outlet. Hotel rooms have maybe two, if you’re lucky, three outlets total. Get yourself a multi-plug outlet and encourage roommates to do the same so that all gadgets can be charged overnight without outlet fighting or electronics going dead halfway through the day.

Check ahead of time to see if there’s a grocery/drug store within close proximity of your hotel or the con itself. This way in the event you do forget anything, you’ll know where to go quickly.

1/7/14 http://skullbunneh.tumblr.com/: Can I add that one should never use super glue on craft foam? Because it will eat away at the foam! Learned that the hard way when my friend had a cosplay emergency one year and when we went to the “cosplay first aid” area, they put super glue on her weapon when it was snapped off at one point and the super glue made it even worse!

1/8/14 http://annu-the-cat-girl.tumblr.com/ I got one of those cheap sewing kits from walmart and I brought it with me and it saved me before a contest. <3

1/8/14 http://haikujitsu.tumblr.com/ Very useful thing to have. Painkillers are especially important when you’re wearing a wig, prosthetics or heels. Also (and this is a tip I got from the OP), if you want to carry your kit around with you, try to find something that blends with your cosplay.

1/9/14http://baby-fear-the-reaper.tumblr.com/ Adding to this list- Hair spray and baby powder. If you’re a bigger girl like me, chafing sucks balls, and baby powder between the thighs can do a great deal. Also it’s good for your wig if you’ve got a little bit too much shine. Hair spray is good to prevent things from riding up or going where they anrt suppose to (believe it or not), it’s great to put on the bottom of shoes if they are feeling a little slick, and you never know when you might need a little extra to keep that curl in place.

1/9/14 http://projectcosplay.net/

I would add to the kit:

Double sided foam mounting tape - for those pesky costumes that just won’t stay put

Clear thread and needle - that way you won’t have to bring separate thread for every different fabric color

I would suggest duct tape over the masking tape.

1/9/14 http://anycakeyoulike.tumblr.com I’m also going to advise that people bring toupee tape because apparently this concept is not widely-known in the cosplay community from what I’ve seen, but I learned it from when I did competitive dance, and iIt’s literally the most useful thing ever: double-sided tape in nice wide, rectangular strips that will stay forever and can hold up anything. Heavy/long wig that keeps slipping? Slap a piece on your forehead and it won’t even move. Boob almost falling out of a low-cut top? Toupee tape your cosplay to your boob and it will stay all day. When I danced, we used it for arm or leg pieces that tended to slip a lot (so your thigh-highs that keep falling down? three pieces of toupee tape/leg and you won’t have to think about it all day). It won’t even hurt at all to remove (unless it’s along your hairline, then you might get some small hairs) and you can get a box of like 20-30 strips of it from most beauty stores (I go to Sally’s where I live, idk about y’all). And the box is small enough to just throw the entire thing in your bag and take it for the day!