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A good Gen Con packing list is short on gadgets and long on the boring things: shoes you have already walked ten miles in, a refillable bottle, a bag with a zipper, and your badge, which now carries most event tickets. Gen Con runs four days in downtown Indianapolis, with the next show set for August 5 to 8, 2027. You will be on your feet for most of it, in air conditioning that swings from cold to stale, carrying more than you planned.
This list is organized by the problem each item solves. Pack for the problems and the rest takes care of itself.
What do you need to get in the door?
Start with the things that cannot be replaced at a Target on the way.
- Your badge or your Will Call confirmation. If you chose Ship to Me, the badge comes in the mail after the June deadline. If you chose Will Call, Gen Con says Will Call opens at noon on the Wednesday before the convention, and you need a government-issued photo ID to claim your packet.
- Event tickets. Most events use e-tickets, scanned from your badge. Some still use paper tickets, which come in your badge packet. Bring those.
- Your hotel confirmation and a credit card. Hotels in the Gen Con block charge a deposit of one night plus tax, and most downtown hotels want a card on file at check-in.
- A photo ID. For Will Call, for the hotel, and for any event that checks age.
- A Child Wristband registration if you are bringing kids. Gen Con requires that every child 10 and under be registered for a Child Wristband, and children 11 and older need a full badge.
Put all of these in one envelope or one phone folder the week before. The worst Gen Con morning is the one spent searching an inbox at 7 a.m.
What should the bag itself be?
Your bag matters more than anything in it. You will carry it for ten hours a day through crowds, under tables, and into event rooms where it sits by your feet.
A few rules from people who have gotten it wrong:
- Zippers, not open totes. Open bags spill when you crouch at a demo table, and they invite loss in a crowd.
- Two straps. A single-strap messenger bag is fine for a day. By Saturday, your shoulder will tell you otherwise.
- Room for a game box, but not three. If you buy a big box in the Exhibit Hall, carry it to your hotel or the bag check rather than hauling it to events all day.
- A side pocket for the water bottle. You will refill it more often than you expect.
A plain 20-liter daypack does all of this. Some people add a packable tote folded flat inside for the one afternoon they buy more than they meant to.
Feet, water, and food: the three things people run out of
These three categories cover most of the misery at any convention.
Shoes. Bring two pairs you have already broken in, and alternate days. The Indiana Convention Center has long stretches of hard floor. Blisters start on Thursday afternoon and ruin Friday. Pack moleskin or blister bandages. Compression socks sound like overkill until you try them.
Water. The convention center has fountains, and a refillable bottle beats paying for a new one every two hours. A 24-ounce bottle is the right size: big enough to matter, small enough to fit a side pocket.
Food. Downtown Indianapolis has plenty of restaurants, but the lines at noon are long and the sit-down places fill up. Pack snacks that do not melt and do not crumble on a game board: nuts, jerky, protein bars, dried fruit. Eat a real breakfast at the hotel every day. For a fuller plan on eating and sleeping through the weekend, we wrote a separate Gen Con survival guide.
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What small items make the biggest difference?
Here is the short list, with the reason each one earns its place.
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Portable phone charger and cable | The Gen Con site, maps, and tickets all live on your phone. Outlets are scarce. |
| Hand sanitizer | Thousands of people handle the same demo components. |
| Pain reliever and any daily medication | Pharmacies are a walk away; your event starts in ten minutes. |
| A light layer or hoodie | Event rooms are often cold, the Exhibit Hall is often warm. |
| Pen and small notebook | Writing down games you tried beats trusting memory on Sunday. |
| Dice and a pencil | If you have any RPG events, bring your own. GMs appreciate it. |
| Cash in small bills | Some small vendors and artists prefer it, and it speeds up a line. |
| Earplugs | For the hotel, and for the loud end of the Exhibit Hall. |
| Lip balm and lotion | Convention air is dry in a way you notice by Friday. |
| A small lock or luggage tag | For the bag check and for a bag you set under a table. |
Everything in this table fits in a quart bag. None of it is optional by day three.
What should stay home?
Overpacking is as common as underpacking. Leave these:
- Your full game collection. Gen Con has a large open-gaming library. Bring one small game you love to teach and nothing heavier. Something like The Crew or Wavelength fits in a bag pocket and plays with strangers.
- A laptop. You will not use it, and it is a theft risk.
- Costume pieces you have not worn for eight hours. Cosplay is welcome, but test the shoes and the weight first.
- A separate camera. Your phone is enough.
- Anything you would be sad to lose. The Exhibit Hall is crowded and things fall out of pockets.
How do you pack for the trip home?
Most people buy something. Plan for that on the way in.
Leave empty space in your suitcase, or pack a duffel that folds flat. If you are flying, check what your airline charges for a second bag and compare it to shipping. Several vendors in the Exhibit Hall and shipping services downtown will mail boxes home. Ask before you buy a game you cannot carry.
If you drive, bring a blanket or towel for the back seat. Game boxes slide and corners crush.
A sample packing list you can copy
For a four-day trip, one person:
- Badge or Will Call confirmation, event tickets, hotel confirmation, ID, credit card
- Daypack with zipper, water bottle, packable tote
- Two pairs of broken-in shoes, five pairs of socks, blister bandages
- Four days of clothes plus one spare shirt, a hoodie
- Snacks for four days
- Charger, cable, pen, notebook, dice, pencil
- Medication, pain reliever, sanitizer, lip balm, earplugs
- Cash in small bills
- One small game to teach
- Empty space for the trip home
This is the list we hand to friends making their first trip. If you are new, our first-timer’s guide to Gen Con covers the parts that come before packing, like badges and event registration. If you are local and just coming down for a day, your list is shorter, and we wrote about that in Gen Con for locals.
The game is the reason. The people are the point. Pack for the people you will meet, and the games take care of themselves.
FAQ
Can I bring my own food into the Indiana Convention Center?
Snacks in a bag are common, and Gen Con’s attendee policies do not address outside food. Check the current policies page before relying on bringing in full meals.
Is there a coat check or bag check at Gen Con?
Yes. Gen Con runs a paid bag check through a locker vendor in room 231 on the second floor of the convention center, open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 9 to 4 on Sunday; advance reservations were $10 per bag per day for 2026, and a bag left overnight is charged another day. Bring your badge and a photo ID. Confirm the price on the current year’s policies page.
Do I need to print my event tickets?
Most events scan your badge, so no printout or phone is needed. Paper-ticketed events need the paper ticket from your packet.
How much walking is Gen Con, really?
A lot. Veterans consistently describe days of many miles on concrete across the convention center, Lucas Oil Stadium, and the hotels, and the standard advice is to train for it. Plan your shoes around that.
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