Tips for a first timer @ Fabbulas?

How to Pack to Travel to a Convention



By: Shannon Fennell^©

www.shannonfennell.com



First of all you need to realize and accept these things as truths:



1. You are going to an event where what you are wearing is not important so take only essential clothing no one will care if you wear the same outfit everyday, they won’t even notice.

2. You are going to an event where you or others will be painting your face, arms, legs, entire body, whatever, repeatedly, so you don’t need to take your regular make-up.

3. You are going to an event where there will be lots of people in crowded spaces and many may have allergies so please do not wear perfumes, colognes, aftershaves, scented lotions, etc.

4. You’re at a convention – you won’t leave the hotel, probably.



Things you don’t need to pack and why:

- Toiletries like shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant – unless you need to use certain products for medical reasons, leave your stuff at home. Buy what you need in the smaller sizes when you get there. Most hotels stock the bathroom with essentials or often have small stores where you can buy these or you can stop at a drugstore on the way to the hotel, or get a friend who isn’t flying to bring you the items you want. I stopped packing any toiletries a few years ago. The security rules now limit you to “personal size’ containers of liquids, creams and gels and they all have to fit in a one-quart zip-loc bag. So why bother taking any, just buy them there, and use the room in your bag for other things.

- Multiple changes of clothes – most people over pack clothes. Can you honestly say that when you have traveled you have worn every single item you packed (including all socks, etc.)? Really? I still usually end up with something I didn’t wear, even packing as lightly as I do. A good sturdy pair of slacks can be worn for a week easily, without needing to be washed. And if you do spill something on them, spot clean it with bar soap and lay it on the air conditioner or hang them up overnight to dry. So what if you have some paint on one leg… you think anyone is going to notice? To extend the wear time for slacks, for women, use those tiny panty liners. A package of 20 is smaller than an apple, so you can toss those in your bag! Then your underwear will last longer too! Speaking of underwear – you only need to take two pair. You wash them, roll in a towel, twist them, then unroll and hang on the rail to dry… they’ll be dry in the morning. Wear one while one is drying out. As for socks, unless you have really sweaty feet, you only need a couple pair – wash like the underwear. Or, wear sandals and forget about the socks! For tops, sure take a couple extra, but lightweight shirts, t-shirts or tank tops – you’ll want your arms free for painting. Again, if you take lighter shirts you can spot clean them and they will dry overnight too. If you get cold in hotels take a long sleeved shirt or sweater to wear over top of the other tops.

- Changes of shoes – why? Wear a comfortable shoe to travel in and wear it all the time. Sandals or flip flops don’t take up that much room so it’s okay to take one pair of those, but no need to take anything more.

- Your entire kit – I’ve never seen the need to travel with my entire kit. There will be a vendors’ room or a retailer at any convention or workshop you might be planning to attend, so, you will be shopping – any one who says they won’t be buying anything is kidding themselves! So if you NEED something you can buy it. Sure, take some paints, a few sponges and a couple brushes… But you aren’t on a gig. You are there to learn and experiment with other things and others will share with you at the jams. Take the smallest palette of paints you can – I have the 24-colour Kryolan paint box. I also admit to packing a Wolfe Brothers black and white too. But, that’s all the paints I will normally pack. If I am doing something specific, i.e. body painting competition, and require products that might not be available for whatever reason, then I will pack what I need and deal with that as I need to, but for a normal event where I am simply participating or demonstrating I just take my basics. And note that all of my kit that I pack fits into one large zip-loc bag.



What to pack:

- For a 3-4 day convention or event I take (and this includes what I am wearing to get there in as well!): 1 pair of slacks, one long sleeve pullover, 2 t-shirts, 1 smock or aloha shirt to wear over t-shirts, 2 pairs of socks, 2 pair of underwear, 1 bra, my 3-in-1 jacket (remember I am leaving from the north), my pyjamas, and shoes – dark runners usually for me.

- Two small towels and washcloth – so as not to soil the hotel’s white ones with face paint.

- A large bar of soap – Ivory – I wash everything with this, me, my clothes and brushes and sponges. Note: I cut it in half: one is for me the other for washing!

- Toothbrush, comb, package of panty liners, emery board (you can’t take nail files!), travel alarm, lip balm, mints/gum, q-tips, power adapter/converter (if you are traveling to a different country the electric outlets and current may not work for your items – check before you go), digital camera/case/charger/extra memory stick, note book/journal, pens/pencil and business cards, sunglasses, pocket mirror.

- Also I take along milk of magnesia tablets, Tylenol, and my prescription meds in original containers.

- Travel documents – passport, tickets, hotel confirmations, registrations confirmations, schedules, travel insurance, list of phone numbers, etc. I take a file folder and a large manila envelope along to hold all my collected catalogues, receipts, etc. I take my Driver’s License to as you never know when you might need it. Cash and credit cards.

That’s it.



Extras:

- If there is a costume event then you need to consider what you are wearing and how much room it will take up. I solved this problem by offering myself up as a model to friends who were local – they created the costume to dress me in and brought it! The only drawback to this is that you have no control over what you end up dressed up as … but it is loads of fun!!

- Swimming gear if there is a pool and you think you will actually have time.

- Take a tote bag along that you can fold up flat, preferably one that has a zippered top. Then, if you have more stuff to bring home than will fit, you have another bag to carry it in.



Tips to make this easier:

- I purchased a Compressor Pack at one of those outdoor adventure stores. It’s a rectangular package that has four flaps that fold over each other and secure with Velcro. There is a plastic board that shows in diagrams how to fold your clothing over the board, then slide off and stack in the package. This thing is amazing. One time I got two pairs of slacks and six tops and pyjamas in this pack! And it was less than the size of a shoebox, heavier, but still smaller! It slides into my backpack’s main compartment and still leaves room for other items.

- Get a carry-on bag that has good wheels that pivot and a long handle! Try it out for size before buying. Nothing hurts worse that a bag that won’t roll easily and tips! Mine is very small but I prefer that. You can pack more in a larger bag – just be sure it is still within carry-on size guidelines. Be sure to check the regulations of the airports you will be going through and the airlines you are traveling on as they do vary. In the United Kingdom you are only allowed ONE item; in the United States you can take TWO.

- I use a rolling backpack – it was labeled as a laptop pack aimed at students. It is great. It has the extra padded compartment that is intended for the computer, which is where I put my little kit, meds and bulkier bits. The back has a zippered flap that hides the shoulder straps and is the perfect size to hold documents and folders. The main compartment has straps inside to hold items against the back, this holds the bulky clothes, towels, etc. with room on top for my camera and wallet when I need to pop them in there. The front flap zips open and has several zippered mesh pockets, pen holders, etc. This is where the travel alarm, gum, note book and all the little things go. The front has a zippered pocket on the outside and this is where I stick boarding passes and stuff that I need to get at often.

- Get a good money belt and store your cash, return ticket, credit cards, etc. in there. Get a good one as they are more comfortable to wear. If your hotel room does not have a lockable safe, wear your money belt all the time.

- Purses – you don’t need to take your regular purse to an event like this. Take only what you need and either carry in your money belt, and put in your pocket when you are going to use it, or, get one of those small travel wallets that you can wear around your neck or waist. Something that you will find comfortable to wear.

- Make sure your slacks or skirts have pockets to put your hotel key in.



Summary



I’ve taken a long time to get to this point… my very first trip when I was 17 I took a LARGE suitcase of clothes for a week in Hawaii… and ended up wearing the same outfit most of the trip. Over the years I have culled and eliminated a lot of things and just got really tired of standing around baggage claim areas waiting for luggage. The last straw was in 1995 when our luggage didn’t make it home with us from Lisbon. It eventually showed up and the airline delivered it to our house, but it made us finally decide that we did not need to have that much stuff on a trip. Since then we have only taken one carry-on bag per person on our travels – no matter how long we were going for and it has really made it so much more pleasant. We get off the plane and go!



I just got back from a three week trip around the UK where I also attended the FACE Conference and you know what? I had four items in my backpack that I never even took out. So even I still over pack!! But at least it was all in once piece of hand luggage.

Michelle Heffner wrote:

I also OBSESSIVELY label my crap with my name and phone #. Down to the paint pots themselves.
~Heff

Magic wrote:It's not theft - It's just a huge jam. I paint the tips of my brushes purple so everybody else please pick another color.