with Rufflecon only 29 (!) days away, many lolitas are scrambling to get their coordinates, suitcases, travel itineraries, and schedules together - myself included. i have traveled a handful of times with my lolita wardrobe, but i have never prepared for a full weekend convention dedicated to lolita and alternative fashion (the closest was Katsucon this year, with 4 lolita coords and 1 cosplay)!
i've put together some tips that have helped me while preparing for a vacation, a convention, or an event ♡ they are grouped together below. enjoy!
general advice
1. make sure you have your original hard copy of a government issued ID (like a driver's license or passport - make sure it's not expired), or a valid student ID.
2. have printed copies of important documents (boarding passes, train tickets, registration information, IDs) and have scanned versions at the ready on your phone (or tablet/laptop)
3. in addition to important documents, i like to keep a running list of everything i'm packing on either my phone or on a piece of paper (or both).
4. another important list is what you plan on purchasing! especially for lolitas, it can be difficult to stick to a budget or list when you are excited, but it helps you in the long run.
5. take a photo of the inside of your suitcase before leaving - this will be helpful when you go to repack your bags after the convention. you'll remember how you fit everything in there!
6. keep small important items organized in labeled ziploc bags. i normally separate my ziplocs by 'Travel Info' (all those printed documents, i'll throw my driver's license and a pen in there as well), accessories in separate bags for each coordinate, and hair elastics/bobbypins.
7. call your bank about marking your debit or credit card for travel, and call again before you make a purchase at the convention to make sure it went through.
8. make sure all your electronics are charged before your flight/train ride/drive, especially your phone in case of an emergency.
9. read up on your airline/train/bus luggage policies. even from airline to airline, they can vary ever so slightly.
10. don't assume your hotel will have everything you will need. call ahead to confirm they have a hairdryer, bathrobes, and so on. alternatively, if you are staying with friends in a hotel room, check to see what they are bringing so there's no overlap :)
11. protect liquid containers by putting them individually in a ziploc bag, and then altogether in a large ziploc bag. you can also open the bottle up, put a bag around the top, and then twist it shut.
12. when you have wifi, take a screenshot on your phone of directions to places you might want to visit near the convention area. this will save on data usage and your battery.
4. another important list is what you plan on purchasing! especially for lolitas, it can be difficult to stick to a budget or list when you are excited, but it helps you in the long run.
5. take a photo of the inside of your suitcase before leaving - this will be helpful when you go to repack your bags after the convention. you'll remember how you fit everything in there!
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| source unknown |
7. call your bank about marking your debit or credit card for travel, and call again before you make a purchase at the convention to make sure it went through.
8. make sure all your electronics are charged before your flight/train ride/drive, especially your phone in case of an emergency.
9. read up on your airline/train/bus luggage policies. even from airline to airline, they can vary ever so slightly.
10. don't assume your hotel will have everything you will need. call ahead to confirm they have a hairdryer, bathrobes, and so on. alternatively, if you are staying with friends in a hotel room, check to see what they are bringing so there's no overlap :)
11. protect liquid containers by putting them individually in a ziploc bag, and then altogether in a large ziploc bag. you can also open the bottle up, put a bag around the top, and then twist it shut.
12. when you have wifi, take a screenshot on your phone of directions to places you might want to visit near the convention area. this will save on data usage and your battery.
13. if you are flying, ask for a shopping bag at the airport gift shop before you board your plane. this is helpful for lugging around extra stuff. i try not to fill it tooooo much because then it looks blatantly suspicious; however for things that you'll need during a plane ride like your phone, a book, your DS, some snacks and water, it's a great extra bag to have with you.
lolita centric
14. when packing your coordinates, double check that you have everything packed by slowly going through each part of your outfit from top to bottom. for example, i normally start at my hair; "do i have my wig packed? wig cap. bobby pins. hair flower, crown, 2 red bows. makeup, eyelashes, contacts, earrings, necklaces, accessories, blouse. JSK/OP. petticoats, bloomers, hosiery, shoes"
15. try to center most outfits around 1 or 2 pairs of shoes, and if possible, wear 1 of the pairs of shoes on your way to the convention.16. when packing your shoes, put them in a shower cap so they don't get dirt on your clothing!
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| tip #17. photo source. |
18. check the weather a few days before for any last minute changes to coordinates.
19. pack full coordinates one by one so you don't miss anything! i find that when you try to do it all at once, you can easily forget something.
20. place a scented dryer sheet in your suitcase to keep your clothes smelling nice ♡
21. eyelash glue, contact solution and nail glue. pack it now, you're gonna forget it! :b
22. if you're bringing gifts for long-distance friends or for any guests, try to remember to pack those together.
23. store your calling cards neatly in a business card holder, or in a small box - i normally keep the box in my purse.
24. wear as many layers as possible to maximize your suitcase room - when i flew to San Francisco this past April, i wore a wig, one of my dresses, a sweater, a jacket, 2 petticoats, and a pair of tea party shoes, and that helped free up a lot of room in my bag!
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| stylin' |
miscellaneous
25. bring snacks! while there are sometimes meals available on board your plane/train, i wouldn't really recommend it. buying snacks before your trip are a great way to save money and eat healthier. you can also keep them with you during the convention for convenient snacking. here are some of my favorite products to bring along!- Fruit (apples and bananas especially)
- Granola or Trail Mix
- Protein Bars
- Bobo's Oat Bars
- packets of Justin's Peanut Butter
- Whole Foods Market Organic Fruit Strips
- Little Lad's Popcorn
- Rice Cakes
- Snap Pea Crisps
- Plentils Margherita Pizza crisps
- Seaweed Snacks
- SOME candy or chocolate, i try not to have too much sugar while travelling because it can make me feel very sluggish
26. download this photography cheat sheet if you need it from scissortailSILK:
- SafeTrek (incredibly useful app i recommend to everyone)
- Jetpac (and search for New Haven!)
- Rove or Heyday (helpful for blog posts later! ;)
28. consider purchasing these bags: [x] [x]
29. talk to your friends to finalize travel plans, meetup info, and so on. relax and breathe! it's almost here.
do you have any other suggestions to add to the list? good luck with Rufflecon planning everyone!
☆jessi
Hi Jessi! Great post - but don't search for New Haven - RuffleCon is in Stamford this year!! =D
ReplyDeletehey thanks Chelsea! this post was actually made last year though, i'll be making a part 2 tomorrow with information current to RC 2015 :)
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