Packing for Comic-Con 2026

 18 JULY 2026

Our last weekend before San Diego Comic-Con feels like the right time to bring out that old chestnut of an article: what to pack.

Have you packed yet? Have you divided up what to pack and what to ship to your hotel? You still have time to get your hands on well, anything, so here goes:

The obvious:

Comfortable shoes. Plural. Shoes for hardcore Conning, shoes for wandering around the hotel and pool, shoes for going out at night - make sure all of them are kind to your feet.

The right clothes. Something for cool nights, hot days, a bathing suit, something comfortable enough to spend hours in line in. At least one nice outfit. If your hotel is far away and you're going to be at the Con all day and night without showering, bring non-wrinkling shirts that can roll up in your bag so you can change at some point.

Convention center prep. Hand sanitizer, blotting papers and makeup setting spray, wet wipes, band-aids and moleskin, compression socks. Those little neck fans can be nice but some of them eat long hair, as I learned the hard way.

Sunscreen. And if you're planning on a lot of time in line for offsites or Hall H, bring a covered chair, umbrella or other shelter.

A heavy-duty power bank. Or two if you're on your phone a lot or are bringing equipment. First-timers, do not count on finding an outlet and charging up. The convention center is a graveyard. Even going next door to the MMM lounges isn't the solution it used to be, because everyone is already sprawled about doing the same thing.

Cash. Big bills and little bills. Some dealers won't take cash but it's handy to have on you when they do, and you will likely be tipping people along the way. 

Some kind of sitting support. A portable chair, a collapsible stool, whatever feels comfortable to you.

A refillable water bottle. An absolute must.

Poster tubes, sketchbooks, sharpies. You'll want to be ready for that perfect signing or sketch.

The less obvious:

A durable, large, but navigable bag. Those enormous Warner Bros. bags have their purpose but they are not suited for frequently diving in and out of, and they can be cumbersome if you're short. Depending on how much you plan to buy, bring a tough canvas or nylon bag or one of those Baggu bags that can easily roll up.

A hard box that fits in that bag. Good for protecting easily-damaged items as you get jostled about on the floor. Consider a hard folder for stickers, sketches, expensive comics, etc.

A pop-up cube for the hotel room. You can shove every t-shirt, plushie, swag item, and exclusive into it to keep your room tidy and your stuff separate from your roommates' things. 

Electrolyte drinks. It's easy to get dehydrated at SDCC, even if you feel you're drinking enough water.

Earplugs, sleep mask, magnesium, melatonin, or white noise. Some hotels are super noisy all night long.

Pharmaceuticals. Ibuprofen for headaches, probiotics or laxatives for digestive issues, eye drops, Vitamin C, Emergen-C, and zinc lozenges, muscle rubs, deodorizing spray, extra tissue for restrooms, allergy medication.

Don't bother to pack these things

A bunch of different outfits and shoes. You can probably get by on your support shoes and one pair of going-out shoes.

An entire of suitcase of back issues and old action figures to sell. The vendors aren't interested unless you've got something super special. And you rarely get the best price buying or selling at SDCC.

A sky-high tech stack. Do you really need your laptop, GoPro, tripod, phone, audio mixer, and iPad at SDCC? For most of you, probably not. Don't weigh yourself down unless you have to.

It's hard to believe, but a week from tonight is our last night at Con. Are you ready? 

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