What to pack/bring to a tweetup
From Nasatweetup
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Definitive Tweetup Attendee Gear List
Are you heading to a day-long or multi-day event where you anticipate using social media to document and share the experience with friends, family and followers? Perhaps you have been selected to attend a formal tweetup event, such as an upcoming NASA Social, Space Camp Tweetup, or similar? Whatever the situation, you’ll want to arrive prepared, and the best way to do that is to develop a gear list. This is my attempt at providing a definitive tweetup attendee gear list that you can whittle down, as needed, to suit your situation.
NOTE: “Bring half of what you think you need, and twice as much money” is a humorous, but effective, guide to packing, especially if you’re a gadget geek. You only have two hands, so maybe you don’t need to pack your laptop, iPhone, iPad and Amazon Kindle! As for bringing twice as much money as you think you need, that definitely applies anytime you visit a location with a well-stocked giftshop!
Standard Travel Essentials (Non-Electronics)
- Driver’s license / government photo ID
- Any other identification required by the location you’re visiting, such as these NASA Federal Credential / Photo identification badge requirements for tweetups utilizing the KSC press site and other facilities, such as Vandenberg AFB and Wallops.
- Money, in whatever form you prefer it — cash, plastic, traveler’s checks
- Glasses and/or Sunglasses
- Medications
- Personal toiletries
- Seasonally- and venue-appropriate clothing, with the ability to add a layer if you get cold
- For tweetups at KSC: Long pants and flat, closed-toe shoes are required attire for any operational area, otherwise there will be places you will not be permitted to go!
- Comfortable footwear, particularly if you expect to do a lot of walking or standing
- Sun Protection:
- Hat, if planning to be outdoors
- Sunscreen
- Bandana or pack towel, if planning to be outdoors in hot weather
- Insect repellent if planning to be outdoors
- Chewing gum, if flying
- Backpack, tote or other method of transporting your gear during the tweetup
Electronics / Geek Gear (Not a comprehensive list)
- Surge-protected power strip, like this one, rather than just a standard unprotected one
- Power-shopping update 7/14/2011 [1] can handle three AC connections AND it will charge iPads as well as iPhones, or two other USB devices at the same time.
- NOTE: For KSC tweetups in the twent, please do not use these. There are surge strips at each table, and it has been requested that we not cascade strips (fire code reasons), or use non-protected outlets at the tables (so if something trips due to overload, it's 1 surge strip and not the entire twent.) That said, these are GREAT for protecting your gear when you're back at your hotel room or whatnot.
- Global Positioning System (GPS) or GPS-enabled electronic device (smartphone)
- GPS power adapter/car adapter
- GPS mount (for standard GPS units)
- Laptop, netbook or tablet (example: iPad) + power brick/charger
- Any peripherals you need, such as a mouse or USB hub for charging other gear
- If you want to avoid using a laptop but need a good bluetooth keyboard check this out: Verbatim[2]
- Smartphone + charger and/or spare batteries
- Make sure you have all of your favorite apps up-to-date. If you’re a space geek, check out the Spacevidcast wiki’s list of space & science apps
- Digital SLR and/or Point & Shoot camera + power brick/charger and/or spare batteries (Think you're packing too much camera gear? If you do, good luck beating this rig a STS-134 NASATweetup alumnus shot with!)
- Memory cards
- Compatible card reader
- Interchangeable lenses
- Tripod
- Camera bag
- Lens cleaner / lens pen / microfiber cloth
- Any desired filters or other accessories like lens hoods, etc.
- Film SLR (For those who still use film. Digital hasn't killed film yet.)
- Film (Choose the appropriate ISO speed for the event)
- Negative print film can generally be pushed (underexposed) or pulled (overexposed) to 2 stops. Custom labs can do push/pull processing; the drugstore around the corner probably won't do it.
- Developing labs can scan film to CD for editing and uploading to photo sharing sites.
- Interchangeable lenses
- Fresh batteries in camera
- Tripod
- Camera bag
- Lens cleaner / lens pen / microfiber cloth
- Any desired filters or other accessories like lens hoods, etc.
- Film (Choose the appropriate ISO speed for the event)
- A portable power source that can recharge 1 or more of your electronic devices more than once.
- I (@ageekmom) use a HyperMac Mini to recharge my iPad & iPhone on the go and an iUp to recharge my iPhone or smaller electronic devices. There are, of course, numerous other options
- One more power-shopping update 7/14/2011: Found one that can charge BOTH iPads AND iPhones at the same time: [3] At 50 bucks with free shipping, it's less than half the cost of the two items above while performing more functions. (Can you tell I spend too much time on Dealnews?)
- I (@bonkoif) used this one that has 16,000 mAh and 5 USB ports: i.Sound Portable Power Max
- Wall adapter to recharge your portable power source(s)
- Required charge/power cords for your portable power source(s)
- Lightweight / travel headphones
- A few spare zipper-lock bags in case you need to protect your gear from a spill or weather
Networking & Personal Items
- Business cards – include your Twitter ID (Moo.com cards are fun & they offer a discount if you've never used them before.)
- For autographs:
- Permanent marker
- Something to collect signatures on
If You Have Access to Your Car (such as at a Kennedy Space Center NASATweetup)
- Cooler with ice
- Bottled water and other non-alcoholic beverages
- Fresh food, snacks -- (consider Shared Snacks for maximum efficiency & convenience!)
- Rain gear if planning to be outdoors
- Water bottle with lid
- Any gear you realize you didn’t need after all… ;-)
Formal, organized tweetup events, such as NASA Tweetups held at Kennedy Space Center and other NASA centers, provide attendees with seating, access to powerstrips or recharging stations, and wi-fi. Bear in mind that the wi-fi and cellular network can and does get bogged down during periods of heavy usage, so you may find yourself drafting tweets or posts to send later.
Above all else, enjoy the experience and meet as many people as you can. The most rewarding take-away from a successful tweetup is to have shared time with a diverse collective of talented and passionate people who share some of the same interests as yourself.
Tips for KSC Tweetups
Tips sent from Sheila Adams (STS-133 NASATweetup alumnus)
Reminders: - Get a good picture of you in front of the shuttle on the launch pad. Can be used for an avatar later. Also, this will be the closest you will get than others! - It's easier to tweet on the first day, less press and all. Launch day the bandwidth goes down. Take more pics than sending out tweets on launch day. - I believe you will get a pass for the Visitors Center. It may be good for several days until the launch day (may be good afterwards too). If you get to the Visitors' Center, get a shirt that says (I was there). Also, you can get a letter mailed to you on the launch date. Ask at the counter about it. I got mine upstairs. Also, check to see if there are astronauts doing autographs. Each day, there may be different ones there.
Launch Day - Wear something bright (yellow or orange) so others can find you in the pics. I stood on the side near the count down clock (but not in front of it). Get a shot of you in the T-minus time and then don't forget T-plus time! - The flag for Atlantis will be up on the flag pole. When the Discovery mission got scrubbed, it got pulled down. - Head into the media building at some point on launch day. Look for the booklets for the Atlantis on the side wall by one of the doors and grab one. At this point, I think the press have all the info they want, so why let them go to waste. You can go in, but obviously be respectful of the workers. I was surprised to see the chairs in there. They look like they are from the Apollo days. - Walk around the tents of the broadcasters. More than likely, you will find celebs, former astronauts, etc. I met Bill Nye there. He gave me a sound byte for my kids Earth Day project. Have paper for autographs too. - I had a sign that wished the astronauts a safe journey from my students for their drive by to the launch pad. The astrovan will stop in front of the building to let off some other astronauts/workers then go on their way. Not sure what time that will be for you. Bring a flashlight if it's early? - Bring snacks, and water. There's no food there. You can go back to your car during the time there. - Bring the code for the wireless on a piece of paper, much easier if you have to reenter it.
- Enjoy!
Sheila
@Sheila_A
Additional Resources/References
- NEW “So You’re Going to a NASASocial?” – What I Learned About Socials & Sharing, From NASA by Libby Norcross (
@libbydoodle
- Incredible blog post from Brent Haeseker (
@BrentHaeseker
- Origin of this wiki document, from Shannon Moore (
@ageekmom
