SXSW Packing Tips
SXSW 2009 packing tips and check list. Here is a summary of most of the things I recommend packing for SXSW.
the night before
pack and prepare
clothes to change into
set out the clothes you want to change into:
- underwear
- tshirt
- socks
- comfortable jeans
- belt
- long sleeve shirt
- hoodie
- jacket, waterproof (at least resistant)
- shoes by the door
stuff to put in clothes
backpack
In a sturdy backpack (like the Boblbee Megalopolis Executive Hardshell Backpack)
- small flashlight - like a mini maglite
- book to read on the plane, e.g. Getting Things Done (AKA GTD)
- pad of plain unruled paper - for sketching ideas
- sunglasses
- small DVD case of videos (e.g. exercise like yoga or pilates - Kristin McGee's MTV Yoga series is excellent, and maybe a movie or two)
- a couple of energy bars, e.g. Clif builder bars.
- simple hat/cap - for use in the cold, extreme sun, or if you happen to skip a shower (e.g. because the city turned off the water to your hotel, yes I've had this happen before).
- noise cancelling earphones/headphones - these really help on the flight.
handbag or small dufflebag or rollaway
In a small handback, small dufflebag, or rollaway (like the awesome ZÃœCA sport rollaway with aircraft aluminum frame)
- climbing shoes, tape. see http://geeksloveclimbing.pbwiki.com/
- small empty water bottle (e.g. 12oz Nalgene, or bottled water bottle)
- 6 sets of underwear + tshirts + socks. if you're staying for music, Wednesday morning after showering and changing, wash your dirty laundry in your hotel room sink and hang dry them on the shower curtain rod and towel rods.
- swimsuit - for hot tubbing of course
- compact umbrella - check weather, rain expected in Austin Fri Sat
- Apple Airport Express to create your own secure reliable wifi cloud from the Ethernet hardline in the hotel room
- thin black fleece sweatpants (American Apparel) - for sleeping in if it gets cold, doing yoga or pilates and just lounging around your hotel room
- bath kit: toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, contact lens fluids/case, shaver, fingernail clippers, perhaps some hair product (essential for music) and whatever else you would include in a larger bath kit. maybe some extra vitamin C and Advil
- extension cord and powerplug splitter (so you can share an outlet with someone else).
- power adapters/rechargers for your phone, camera battery.
- audio/video cables to connect your laptop to a stereo/tv/flatscreen/projector. Some hotels have the ability to connect to the in-room TV and use it as a second monitor. And if you have DVI/mini-DVI out rather than VGA (e.g. a Mac laptop), bring an adapter that will let you connect your laptop to VGA.
- swim suit. most hotels have pools, even hot tubs. put them to good use.
- thin compactable dufflebag. yes, pack a folded up bag inside your hand bag, as there's a good chance you'll acquire stuff (tshirts, guides, etc.) that you'll want to take home.
print your boarding pass
- Log on to your airline's website
- check-in online,
- print your boarding pass
- put it in your backpack.
get plenty of sleep
I seem to have trouble with this one, perhaps from procrastination, perhaps from all the anxious excitement of seeing friends I see perhaps once a year at SXSW. But still, try to
- get plenty of sleep. You'll need it!
the morning of
- shower and put on the clothes you put out last night
- pack your laptop(s) in your backpack, including
- their power cable(s) and supply(s),
- their video adapter(s) connected to your external monitors
- get to the airport 90 minutes in advance.
- get to your gate and look around for other folks also going to SXSW,
- your adventure has begun.
ship directly to your hotel
If you lack any of the above, call your hotel and ask them for their "shipping address" (typically it will be "Attention: Your Name" followed by name of hotel and their normal address). Then order whatever you need from Amazon.com and have it shipped overnight or second day air directly to you at your hotel.
Amazon aStore
I've curated an Amazon aStore with a bunch of the above items to pack for a trip. Might be helpful for quickly ordering things to ship directly to your destination:
See also: PackingTips for general tips.
Previously: parts out of date, but a good snapshot / starting point from last year. SXSW Tip #1 what to pack
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