This year will be my first time attending the St. Louis competition and I was wondering what you would all suggest for me to bring. (Personal items like clothes, passports…) Also if there are any tips you have they would be most welcome. Thank you!
Prepare for rain.
I remember making impromptu tents while waiting for load-in in 2011 thanks to some quick thinking 2826 mentors buying tarps… with a minibot pole holding up the middle and multiple people holding up the sides with 1 or 2 people pushing up and dumping collection puddles.
Everything got super wet and I was soaked but it was a fun time.
A toothbrush. 
. You should bring money and definitely prepare for rain
camera, phone, earbuds/phone, chargers or batteries for them. safety glasses
your copy of the rules book to read again on the way to saint lou. I say again, because you **did **read it already, right? :rolleyes:
You should simulate your expected schedule while there and imagine what you’re doing for each of the hours involved. Think what you’d like to have and take notes.
Snacks for the trip in general. I don’t remember if food is allowed in the stadium but all the other times you’ll probably still want food.
You probably don’t need much in the way of clothing besides all the team shirts you own and a few pairs of jeans, a couple of jackets, and maybe something fancy for RoboProm if you’re going and feel like dressing up.
I looked at my list from last year and it was pretty bare bones. You really don’t need much stuff there.
I brought an extra pair of clothes and 2 extra pairs of socks in case they got wet (which they did) and also a refillable water bottle. Food isn’t allowed into the venue, but they do have consessions in the convention center (warning:expensive). There are lots of food places close so you’ll be good if you’d like to walk. The entire event is big and really spread out. Bringing breakfast and eating it at the hotel is smart. Scope out restraunts for dinner in advance to make a plan early and call ahead.
For the sake of you and everyone around you, please bring soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, enough clean clothes for the whole event plus an extra set or two, razors if you need them, and soap.
Did I mention soap? Soap!
Clean geeks are far more preferable to… umm… yeah. Sometimes I feel like we need to address hygiene right behind safety in terms of importance.
<3
Ouch. That was unfortunate, it was like a hurricane out there. I heard someone died as well : /
There was a tornado last year and it was absolutely pouring as we loaded our stuff onto our bus at the end.
But there’s nothing in particular personal wise I’d suggest you take beyond what you would usually bring to a long distance regional.
I would, however, suggest bringing a camera and a notebook to talk to other teams, take pictures of their robots, and write down how they (the teams and the robots) work so you can bring back knowledge.
Well some important things I can think of off the top of my head:
- Deoderant, cause no one likes smelly pepole in the pits.
- 2 pairs of socks for evey day you will be there. Tip from a mentor on our team who does 24 hr auto racing. You can not believe what a fresh pair of socks does when your feet are tired.
- Camera (if your phone doesnt already have one or that one isnt good enough) Cause you know you will run across something cool you want to snap a pic of
Just a few of the things I thought of off the top of my head, I know im probably forgetting some things. But thats why i start packing a week ahead of time.
A power strip. If you have to share your hotel room with fellow electronics enthusiasts, you will want a power strip.
Also, having Advil and your choice in over-the-counter allergy medicine might be a good idea.
Oh! And don’t forget your tiara!
Not even kidding, there’s always one time every tournament when somebody tells me they wish they had a bouncy ball.
Pros:
- Small
- Good teambuilding activity
- Usable on any hard surface
- Infinite Fun
Cons:
- Very easy to lose
- Must never be used near any other people, in the pits, or around other safety hazards
Also a quick note…
Seems obvious but leave the leathermans/pocket knifes/etc in checked bags only! I recently had this issue when i left a small collection in my carry on bag… (didn’t check anything so had to make a box).
And a random note: it always amuses me I cannot bring any water, yet I am allowed to carry several LiPos that can do this
I reccommend a lacrosse ball for your bouncy ball. There are some baseball-sized squeezable balls sometimes called stress-relief, but you may have trouble running one down.
Instead of a power strip, see if you can find a power cube to multiply the outlet count in your room. Also avoid plugging into an outlet which has a lamp that is controlled by a wall switch at the door. Your electric device(s) that you were expecting to be charged overnight may be turned off by accidental switch movement. Murphy stalks the entire 'verse. Some even say e=mc**2 fails when you least expect it!
Rain? Prepare for Armageddon to strike when you go to St. Louis. Two year in St. Louis. Two year’s of Tornado scares. Tis the season.
If you plan on renting cars, get full coverage that includes hail damage.
When we returned ours last year, we saw tons of cars with hail damage with NO insurance.
Thank god we elected to pay more to park in the covered structure Saturday of the tournament with basic coverage.
I feel like this should be said…
Prepare for rain.
I feel like it needs to be said yet again, as when we were unloading in 2012, it started off as a slight drizzle that in 20 min turned into a downpour. I was very thankful that I was rooming with a friend of mine who wasnt in the early group to head to the competition that I trusted, I had her run through my stuff ad grab me more things to wear.
It was wet and rainy on and off that day, and downpouring when we packed up. Just before it was dinner, and during Einstein, there was gigantic hail and awful weather outside. I would also recommend a brain and a laptop or some device to be able to check the most recent weather updates and be able to contact someone at home with. [We had a fair share of terrified mothers who had my number. I was flooded for nearly an hour with calls after a robodawg mom and dad or two got a hold of my phone number.]
Aside from that, having so many people around, being polite about hygiene is a must. Have something fun, small, and contained to keep you busy, especially if you are stuck in the pits like I was [a joy of being team captain]. Don’t forget to wander the pits and make sure to talk to some of the Lego League teams! Some of those kids are amazing!
A few decks of cards. Everyone likes to crowd around a circular table for a good game of Egyptian Ratscrew!
Might I also suggest; a few extra team shirts for trading.
I haven’t been to worlds, but I assume one would want to bring a bag for buttons 