Making a Con Survival Kit
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!
3/16/14 http://carinthegarage6.tumblr.com/ added: Something that would be good for people wearing big skirts, especially ones with lots of layers (like with lots of tulle or something) is anti-static spray. Being a dancer I know how annoying having your costume stick to your legs is, and anti-static spray helps a lot.
