SXSW Countdown: What to Pack

We are now less than 5 days out from the start of the South By Southwest Interactive Conference, and a mere 10 days out from the Music Conference!  With that in mind, we bring you this multi-part series "SXSW Countdown" to help you prepare in the last few days before South By Southwest. 

Today's topic?  Packing.  Packing for the South By Southwest Festival isn't the type of thing you can put off until an hour before you leave for the airport.  The range of activities offered alone means, unlike your average weekend trip, it's best to think this one through.  Here's what we recommend:

• Clothing for a range of weather-The key here is light layers.  Austin weather in March is very unpredictable, and you can easily wake up to a cloudy 40-degree day that turns into a sunny 80-degree day in a matter of hours.  Additionally, you'll be in a range of places--from potentially chilly AC-pumping movie theaters and Convention Center rooms to the unshaded outdoor patios of Austin's favorite music venues.  Shorts, jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, jackets, throw it all in your bag, and it'll spare you having to shop while you could be partying.
• A large, comfortable bag-If you're a SXSW badgeholder, you'll get a big canvas bag with your registration filled with swag from every company known to man.  Our advice?  Ditch it.  Get yourself a backpack or messenger bag that fully closes that you don't mind kicking around the floor of a venue or sitting on the dusty ground.  You'll fill it with essentials each day--phone, sunscreen, business cards, schedule--but leave it mostly empty so that you can fill it with free cds, t-shirts, and other cool giveaway hiding at every turn at SXSW.
• Business Cards/Swag-Yes, SXSW is an awesome party.  But it's also one of the biggest networking events in the country.  You can't network if no one can remember who you are.  If you don't have business cards/swag for your band, blog, whatever, get some made pronto; if you already have business cards for your job, make sure they make it into your suitcase--we'd recommend at least 200-300 if you're serious about networking.
• Umbrella/Sunglasses/Sunscreen-Prepare for all weather; it's cheaper than trying to buy this stuff at the markup stores will have Downtown for SXSW.
• Cell phone/laptop chargers-I've always thought someone could make a killing standing outside of the Convention Center each day selling refurbished Dell laptop chargers for a huge markup.  Don't forget yours.
• A pre-planned schedule-If you really want to maximize your time at SXSW, don't come here just expecting to "wing it".  Even with a badge, many parties require advance RSVP's, and careful planning prevents wasting time on eating and walking (by eating at parties offering free food and scheduling nearby parties close to each other.)  We also recommend picking at least 3-4 different options for each time period in your schedule as venues/certain panels can fill quickly, bands you thought you'd like are actually horrible, etc.
• Your hangover remedy of choice-There's a lot of free drinking at SXSW, and free drinks are hard to turn down.  So even though you know you probably shouldn't have that free Scotch and Soda right after you just drank that free Lone Star tallboy, you will anyways, and then you're going to be needing your Advil/Vitamin Water/Alka Seltzer whatever in the morning.
• Earplugs-The average rock concert cranks out about 110 decibels; anything over 80 decibels is considered dangerous to your hearing.  And during the music portion of SXSW, you could easily be listening to live music 12-14 hours a day (more if you really want to).  Buy yourself a 20-pack of the expandable kind before you leave home.  You'll see people wearing them everywhere.  Added bonus: if the couple in the hotel room next to you gets a little randy at 4am, it's no problem for you.
• Non-drowsy allergy medicine-Especially if you've never been to Austin in the springtime before, you should just go with the assumption that you're allergic to the entire city, as most people are.  High pollen counts (wildflowers are blooming!), high cedar counts (to cook all that mesquite-smoked bbq!), and high mold counts (it's been a very rainy spring!) mean that regardless of what you're allergic to, we've got it.

So there ya have it.  Pack smart, and it will be a more enjoyable trip for you throughout.  Don't miss tomorrows installment on the SXSW Countdown series: unique Austin quirks.