Things you will need for surviving and conquering Comic Con.

1) Bag – As I can’t fit everything into a Utility Belt, I prefer a backpack to help get around without tripping folks up behind me. Your bag should be big enough to carry your gear and NYCC booty.

2) Gear – Lines are killer, and the first casualty will be your feet. Good socks and insoles will help. Also, layer up. It might be cold outside and an oven in, or the reverse, temperature is a wildcard. Layers will give you flexibility in your comfort.

3) Food/snacks – Javits is expensive, period. There are a few bargains to be found and then they tend to have long lines. Bring your own food and eat on-line while waiting to get into a room. Snacks are good too for keeping up your energy.

4) Water – Any Fremen will tell you “water is the key to life.” Again, Javits is expensive and the money you spend on drinks could go to that collectible you’ve been hunting for the last year.

5) Power – Tweeting, Periscoping or Instagram will drain your batteries, bring chargers or backup batteries. At previous Cons I’ve seen folks selling rechargeable packs, but think Green Lantern needing to stay charged.

6) Rubber Bands – Silly right, you won’t need them. Wrong, posters will be handed out and a rubber band is the difference between cramped fingers and a free hand.

7) Extra bag – Unless you have a Tardis nearby or can find Atlas in your family tree, an extra bag will save your back.

8) Boards/bags – There are a ton of free comic handouts and you will want the bags to protect that zero issue when you shove it in your bag. Trust me it hurts your soul when you get home and that signed copy you stood on-line for an hour is dinged or ripped.

9) Cash – This isn’t the Federation, you need money. There are cash machines on site and most of the vendors can take cards, but the ATM fees are killer and you might be able to make a deal with cash, especially on Sunday when they want to dump as much stuff as possible. Also if you’re on a budget it helps when you have a set limit going into the day.

10) Humanity – Everyone should be there for good time. When people are pushing, shoving, harassing and just being general douche bag, it takes away from the fun.

Remember it’s a marathon, plan and pace is the key to success. If you can’t make it, I will be live streaming with Periscope (GC003) and tweeting (GCarmona3). Look for me.