If Jewish girls did Girl Scouts, I would have been a Girl Scout, because I am always prepared for everything.  I have trouble leaving the house without a huge bag stuffed with everything I might need for the day.  Wallet, phone, keys, sunglasses, of course.  But also a little makeup bag with a mirror, a comb, lip stuff, business cards (professional and person), sometimes my Kindle, reading glasses, band-aids, hand sanitizer, breath mints, a packet of tissues, a few pens, and some hair ties and hair clips.  Oh and a water bottle and also maybe a granola bar if I’m going to be gone more than a few hours.  Sometimes my camera too.

Now, all of the above comes with me at Dragon*Con, but other con-specific items join the bag as well.  I found a durable, black, over-the-shoulder canvas bag at Target a few years ago that isn’t too big but still manages to fit everything I need for Con.  No, this bag does not match my costumes.  I don’t care.  I’d rather have my Magic Dragon*Con bag, filled with all the items that keep me going during Dragon*Con.   Here are my Con necessities:

–Everything listed above (except for the reading glasses, because I can survive without them)

–Extras that I add to my little makeup bag vary depending on my costume.  I usually have black eyeliner, the lipstick specific to my costume, and q-tips.  Sometimes I throw in a travel-sized eyeshadow and an eye-and-lip pencil sharpener.

–Eye drops and a contact lens case filled with solution, for the days I am wearing FX contacts for long periods of time.

–Bobby pins and a few extra strips of wig tape, for the wigs.

–Eyelash glue and a pair of extra falsies, just in case my false eyelashes fall off.

–Extra band-aids because, duh.  If I’m smart I’ve also gotten a few of the Band-Aid blister protectors too.

–Safety pins

–One time my boyfriend did a costume with spirit gum, and I threw a little thing of spirit gum into my purse, and it actually worked out because we were able to patch some people during the zombie prom, and I really felt like a Girl Scout then.

–Speaking of weird makeup components for my boyfriend’s costumes, I’ve also carried around tiny vials of stage blood.

–Some kind of a snack bar which I usually don’t eat because usually someone I am with is hungover and hasn’t packed a snack and needs one and lo and behold, I HAVE A SNACK AND I AM A SAVIOR.

–At night I usually throw a bunch of glow sticks into my bag and then hand them out to people like some sort of glow stick fairy.  It is an amazing ice breaker and Michael’s usually has bunches on sale for like a dollar.

–An extra camera card and an extra charged camera battery.

–Also somehow I always manage to get the entire newsprint Dragon*Con program stuffed into my bag too.

–Along with my business cards I also carry the business cards of people who have helped me with my costume because I like being a walking advertisement.

–Hand sanitizer (I know I said that above, but, seriously, HAND SANITIZER).

–Refillable water bottle to take advantage of all the free, ice-cold water available in the hotels.  I’m thinking of getting a new one for this year, maybe this water bottle?  Probably in black.

I think that’s it, off the top of my head.  Yes it is a lot but IT ALL FITS and it really isn’t all that heavy and I also feel secure knowing that my amazing Mary Poppins Bag of Magic will take care of any costume emergencies I might have during Dragon*Con.
What do you carry in your bag during Dragon*Con?  Do you even carry a bag?  If you don’t, how on earth do you survive?!?!?  Please let me know.