Of Course You Realize… This Means War!

Pre-Registration

Who You’ll Be Camping With

How Many Days You’ll Be There

Gathering Your Gear
- Sample Packing List
- Tent
- Other Shelters
- Bedding
- Kitchen Equipment
- Planning a Menu
- Sample Menu Planner
- A Word on Pennsic Water
- Toiletries
- Clothing
- Miscellaneous
- Special Interest Items
- Don’t Leave Home Without It!
- Shaving Down the List
- Transportation
- Preparing Your Vehicle for a Long Haul
- Tips for Making the Trip Go Faster

Packing
- Packing Gear
- Packing Food: Perishable Items
- Packing Food: Nonperishable Items
- Packing the Car
- Directions

Pennsic 22 site token (1993)
(click to see enlarged view)

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Pre-Registration

In a constant battle to fine-tune the Pennsic registration system, the Autocrats in their wisdom have decreed: “Pre-register!”

Those who pre-register get a cost break and get to process through Troll at Pennsic much more quickly. You are also guaranteed camping space. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND PRE-REGISTERING!

Pre-registration materials become available on the Pennsic Web site (www.pennsicwar.org) during the previous year’s event and are mailed to the previous event’s attendees with the pre-Pennsic booklet in late winter/early spring. You can also get them from your group’s Seneschal, Chatelaine or other appointed officer or volunteer. As of 2001, you may even register online at the Pennsic Web site.

To complete the pre-registration form, you’ll need to know two things:

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Who You’ll Be Camping With

You can, of course, plan to camp by yourself or with a few friends at Pennsic. Pennsic does set aside a certain amount of land for individual campers. This space is settled on a first-come, first-served basis and is often not prime camping land. I personally don’t recommend relying on camping this way for your first time out.

The best thing to do is to arrange to camp with your home group. Most SCA groups (both chapters and households), reserve separate sections (called encampments) of the campground for their group. Since most Society groups have an established system for securing an encampment every year (usually the same one), you’ve got an excellent chance of camping with your home group. By doing this, not only will you be with people you know who can help you survive your first Pennsic experience, you’ll be assured a space to camp in when you get there.

Encampments are roped off (or otherwise marked) along their perimeters and groups are free to set up their own individual tents and common areas any way they choose within the encampment boundaries (so long as they follow certain campground safety rules, of course). Chapter encampments will often arrange individual tents in such a way as to further divide the encampment into subgroups, so that a Shire or large household might have a mini-encampment within the larger encampment of its home Barony or Principality.

Encampments provide the benefits of camping near people you already know, sharing a large, open common area and having a feeling of community amid the crowd at large. Many larger encampments have communal meal plans, erect temporary shower stalls and set up privacy barriers around the encampment.

Groups applying for Pennsic land are granted areas according to the size of the group. Pennsic allots a certain square footage per individual. Therefore, most groups need to know well in advance of the event just how many people plan to camp with them. They would far rather have someone sign up and then not go than have people not sign up and then just show up at the event.

Find out if your local SCA chapter is putting together an encampment and find out how to get your name on the list. Even if you pre-register with your home group, you will still need to pre-register separately for the event itself. In fact, some groups demand that people camping with them pre-register before signing up to be in the camp.

There is a space on the Pennsic pre-registration form for supplying the name of the group with whom you will be camping. Make sure you complete this section with the exact name your group has used to register with the Autocrats.

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How Many Days You’ll Be There

Both your group and your pre-registration form will ask how many days you plan on being at Pennsic. You’ll need to figure this one out for yourself! Do keep two things in mind when planning your Pennsic vacation:

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Gathering Your Gear

Packing for Pennsic is much like packing for any camping event. You need basic camping equipment, clothes, food, etc. However, Pennsic is a little different from your average weekend camping event, mainly because it’s longer.

Below is a sample packing list. You should already have some SCA camping experience, so you should already have or at least know about the existence of the listed items. Nothing on this list should be unfamiliar. However, there are one or two items that may surprise you. You’ll find the rationale behind some of the packing list items in the sections that follow.

If you don’t already own some of the most basic and necessary camping items on this list, you may want to hook up with someone who does for the duration of Pennsic, find someone with loaner equipment or—*gasp*—seriously consider buying the stuff yourself. By basic necessary items, I mean tent, bedding, cooking gear and the tools you need to set them up.

Sample Packing List

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Tent

Your tent doesn’t have to be even remotely period for Pennsic. While a lot of veteran campers like to camp in period pavilions, you will see an equal number of modern tents wherever you look. Period camping certainly helps with atmosphere, but it’s bulky, expensive, time-consuming and a lot more work. Unless you’re already a veteran period camper, I recommend taking the modern tent route for your first Pennsic.

If you don’t already own a tent, shop for one that’s right for you and your budget. Here are a few things to consider when shopping:

• Cost. Try to find something that fits your budget.

• Size. A tent will tell you how many people it sleeps; figure on accommodating about half that number.

• Style. Choose what’s right for you. I personally recommend a freestanding, external frame tent—they’re easy to set up, even by yourself, and you can’t always rely on ground soft enough to take a stake.

• Fabric. For your first tent, I recommend avoiding canvas—it’s heavier, bulkier, more expensive, and harder to care for. Modern fabric tents are much, much easier to deal with.

• Rain. Choose a tent that has a rain fly (an extra layer of fabric that goes over the tent). The fly should be supported away from the main tent fabric, should cover at least 75% of the tent, and should provide adequate shelter over tent windows and doors in a manner that guides sheeting water away from the windows and doors.

• Floor. Choose a tent that comes with a ground cloth or tarp, or purchase one separately. The ground cloth protects the floor of your tent from moisture seeping up through the ground and from sharp pointy things (roots, rocks and sticks). The ground cloth should match the dimensions of your tent and not peek out from under your tent at any point. A ground cloth that sticks out somewhere is a perfect water trap and channel, and you’ll soon find yourself sleeping on a giant waterbed—or in a puddle.

• Poles. I highly recommend shock-corded aluminum or fiberglass poles.

• Repairs. Accidents happen—poles bend, fabric tears, zippers jam. Try to choose a tent that has an adequate service backup, such as a large company with easily obtainable spare parts.

• Quality. If you buy a cheap tent off the shelf of your local department store, you’re probably going to get what you bought. When it comes to tents, cheap is generally cheap. It may also be harder to locate replacement parts or repair service. Go online, visit camping goods stores, and take a good, long look at the brands and styles available. Choose the style and brand you like, then shop around for the best price.

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Other Shelters

By the way, Pennsic does have limited RV camping if you prefer more “modern” amenities. You will want to check the Pennsic Web site (www.pennsicwar.org) for the specific rules regarding registering and using an RV or camper at War.

If even RVs and campers are too much like roughing it for you, there are hotels in the area, although not too close. You’ll want to make your hotel reservations well in advance of the event, as vacancies will be scarce.

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Bedding

Bring a sleeping surface that will raise you at least a foot from the floor of your tent. Cot, air mattress, layered sleeping pads, whatever—a raised surface will increase your comfort and get you away from the floor of your tent, where it’s coldest—and Pennsic can get quite cold at night. Cots have the added advantage of under-the-bed storage space. If you’re going to use an air mattress, remember to consider pumps and batteries. (Personally, I find the self-inflating foam cell pads used by backpackers to be much warmer than air mattresses, and pretty darn comfortable.)

For bedclothes, the simplest way to go is a sleeping bag. I recommend synthetic, outdoor camping bags rather than cotton, indoor-use bags. Cotton and down may be comfortable (and down is certainly warm), but both of them are miserable to use when wet, and that’s always a high risk when camping. Synthetic materials have the advantages of being lightweight, packing into small bundles, retaining their warming abilities when damp or went, and drying quickly. If you’re like me and don’t like to sleep inside a tube, you can always unzip your sleeping bag and use it like a blanket.

If you prefer to use blankets, use a lot of them. Layering is the key to staying warm, and you can always remove a layer if it gets too warm. Cotton or synthetics are all right for sheets and one or two blankets, but bring at least one good wool blanket—wool retains its warming abilities when wet or damp.

Don’t forget your pillow!

A tip for sleeping comfortably and warmly at night: Don’t sleep in any item of clothing that you wore that day. Damp clothes equal cold clothes, and no matter how dry your clothing may feel, it has absorbed moisture from your body and the air during the day. If you’re still cold after completely changing your outfit and piling on every blanket or sleeping bag you have, put on dry socks. If that still doesn’t work, add a hat. (Head and feet are the two areas of highest heat loss on the human body.) If you’re still cold, consider a trip to the bathroom. The body spends a lot of energy and heat trying to keep the liquid in your bladder warm. If you’re still cold even after that… find a warm body to sleep with, even if it’s just another body in the tent with you (not necessarily sharing your blankets). I’m serious.

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Kitchen Equipment

What you pack in terms of your portable kitchen depends entirely upon what you plan to cook. In all likelihood, your actual kitchen list will look different from the sample packing list available on this site. I’m going to go into some detail here, because while you may have some experience with SCA camping, you may not have any experience with planning a camping event menu.

First, let me point out that it’s perfectly acceptable and possible to survive Pennsic on Pop Tarts®, sandwiches, condensed soup or Chef Boyardee®, and soda or juice boxes. It’s also perfectly possible to prepare elaborate “home-cooked” meals just like you would in your kitchen at home.

For your first Pennsic, I recommend one of two things (or both):

Note that picnic tables at Pennsic are a scarce commodity. Plan to bring a small table or use one of your plastic tubs as a table on which to place your camp stove for cooking.

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Planning a Menu

Start by making a grid that has each day of the event listed across the top and the meals of the day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks) down the left side (see example). Cross out any boxes that don’t apply (for example, Friday breakfast, when you’ll probably still be at home). Then think about what you’d like to eat for each remaining meal.

Try to make your arrival and departure days extra simple. Especially avoid having to use a lot of equipment (cooking, eating and cleaning) for breakfast on the day site closes. You’ll want to be able to pack up in a hurry.

Try to keep your breakfasts and lunches simple. Cold cereal or breakfast pastries are wonderful—no need to fire up the stove! It’s also nice to choose breakfasts that won’t require a lot of cleanup. You can’t just toss your dirty dishes into a sink and worry about them later like you can at home!

Bread, cheese and sausage or salami makes a great lunch, with maybe some grapes or other fruit thrown in. If you bring extras of these items, you can use them for snacks, too. This meal also requires minimum fuss and almost no cleanup.

Dinner can be as simple as a can of soup, or you can actually bring the ingredients for a simple stew or skillet meal. Think hard about how much time you want to spend preparing your meal and cleaning up afterwards. For your first few events, I really, really recommend something extremely fast and simple so you don’t wind up missing out on any activities. Toward this end, I recommend using a camp stove rather than a cookfire to prepare your meals because a stove is a lot faster to start and put out.

A few things to keep in mind when planning your menu:

• There are plenty of food stalls in the merchant area to choose from. You could plan to eat a few meals there. Buying your meals every day can get expensive, though!

• There is a camp store on site that carries basics such as milk, ice, sandwiches, goodies, etc.

• Water is fairly readily available at Pennsic. There are pumps and hoses every few “blocks” and the camp store carries bottled water. However, see the note on Pennsic water.

After writing down what you want to eat, go back and write down every single ingredient and condiment you’ll need or want for each and every meal—cream, honey, salt & pepper, milk, spices, sugar and so on. Remember to include beverages (juice, coffee, tea, soda, drink mix). Don’t worry about writing the same things over and over again in each block of the grid.

Now go through your list one more time and write down every single item of kitchen equipment you’ll need to prepare each meal. Really think about each step you’ll take to create that meal. If necessary, go into your kitchen and pretend to make it. Anything you reach for or pick up should go on your list. Again, don’t worry about writing the same things over and over again.

Now go back and combine all the mini-lists into one big one. Remember to bring enough of an item for multiple meals, if necessary.

Sample Menu Planner

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A Word on Pennsic Water

The Cooper’s Lake campground owners have worked hard to filter the water. However, no system is perfect, and the Pennsic water system sees some very heavy use. While the water available from the Pennsic spigots is theoretically potable, it does not necessarily taste or look nice. The water quality tends to decrease throughout the event due to the massive draw on the system.

These days, most people agree that Pennsic water is questionable and no longer use it for drinking or cooking without very heavy filtering. You’ll probably want to plan on buying large quantities of bottled water from town for cooking and drinking, and only use the Pennsic water for washing. Bring something along in which to carry and store water, such as a jerry jug. Remember: You might have to walk a fair distance to lug water back to your campsite.

I don’t know about you, but I hate the taste water acquires from sitting in warm plastic containers. I strongly recommend bringing along powdered drink mixes to disguise the flavor of the water you’re drinking. See the section on Health & Hygiene to see what sort of drink mixes are best for Pennsic.

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Toiletries

These are your own business! You know what you need to survive for a week or so. However, there are a few things to note about Pennsic bathroom and bathing facilities that may change your personal packing list. Pennsic is hot, sweaty and dusty, so plan to spend a lot of your daily life getting clean!

• 90% of Pennsic is serviced by portable toilets. There are very few flush toilet facilities on site compared to the number of people using them. Don’t plan on ready access to flush toilets, sinks, electrical outlets or mirrors. The portable toilets are cleaned daily and are usually stocked with antibacterial hand cleanser, but you may wish to consider packing your own cleanser and maybe some extra toilet paper, just in case. You may also wish to pack a portable mirror.

• Pennsic has a few bathhouses with showers, but they are nowhere near numerous enough to serve even a third of the people camped there. If you use the bathhouses, don’t plan on getting hot water, decent water pressure or a quick visit.

• A couple of the bathhouses are “solar”—i.e. the water is heated via solar energy. These aren’t quite as crowded all the time, because they’re not as hot. They’re great for shorter lines, but they’re also a lot less private. They do not have curtained “foyers” in front of the actual shower stall, so you’ll be stripping and toweling in the common aisle with everyone else. I’ll tell you what, though: This adds to an atmosphere of fun craziness at shower time!

• Consider shower shoes. These can be flip-flops, plastic sandals, whatever. The idea behind shower shoes is to protect the soles of your feet from contact with public washroom floors, which may carry icky foot plagues from previous occupants.

• Find some compact way to tote around your shower necessities. A basket or small plastic bucket works well, as do cloth bags or zippered cases. You might have to walk a long way to the shower, so make your carrying case a comfortable one and pack your necessities in small, compact packages. As always, if you’re worried about how it looks, cover it with a cloth.

• To reduce the space your toiletries takes up, consider purchasing a trial size tube of toothpaste and a compact travel-size toothbrush. You can also purchase small squeeze bottles and transfer just enough shampoo, conditioner and/or body wash into them for the duration of the event. Better yet, go with a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner for the week and reduce your items by one bottle. You’ll also want to store your soap in a tight-sealing plastic bag or case, unless you want all your toiletries to get soapy.

• Many groups build their own free-standing outdoor shower stalls and use the wonderful invention called “Sunshowers™” for moderately warm showers. See if your group plans on doing this and if you can expect to take advantage of in-camp shower stalls. People are generally expected to supply their own Sunshower™ bag.

• A good method for the lazy or impatient individual is to bring along some sort of washbasin affair that will allow you to get clean via a sponge-bath in the privacy of your own tent. This may not get you clean all over, but it certainly helps clean away some of the dust every day without visiting a shower! I also like to take advantage of rainstorms to wash away the dust and grime. For this, I bring a bikini or shorts and sports bra and use biodegradable soap and a washcloth.

• Pennsic provides two swimming holes for your watery pleasure. These can be nice for cooling off on a hot day, but don’t plan on bathing there. First of all, it’s rude to dump your cleaning chemicals into a common water source. Second, the water isn’t exactly crystal clear. They’re just deep spots in a stream and the water can be awfully muddy at times.

One way to have more fun with the daily trip to the showers is to go with some friends and make a social event of it. Chances are you’ll be spending a lot of time on line socializing with your friends and with the complete strangers who are in line with you. This can actually be a lot of fun and is a great way to meet new people or run into old friends.

A tip for getting decent showers is to go very, very late at night or very early in the morning.

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Clothing

When packing clothes for Pennsic, you’re naturally going to be packing garb. Pennsic is hot, so you’ll definitely want cool, summer-weight garb. But you also need to pack for rainy or chilly days, as well as distinctly chilly and damp nights. Remember that the key to staying warm and dry is layering. This applies to daily wear, nightwear and bedding.

There are laundry facilities on site (three washing machines) and in the nearby towns, so you won’t have to pack a different outfit for every day. Bring at least several changes of both summer- and winter-weight garb. Remember that the same garb can be worn day after day without discomfort or social stigma, but you’ll need to bring enough underthings and socks with some to spare!

I cannot stress enough the importance of good footwear! Lots of people (like me) are die-hard barefoot addicts. But even I will swear to the amazing difference good shoes can make. You’re going to be on your feet a lot—walking and standing on pavement, dirt roads, gravel, grass… you name it. Good, comfortable, supportive shoes with thick soles can prevent a lot of fatigue, not to mention protecting your poor feet from the many nasty dangers lurking about (exposed tent stakes, loose ropes, splinters, pebbles, glass, bottle caps, sharp gravel—you get the idea). Never mind if the shoes aren’t period—you don’t want to step on a tent stake and ruin your shopping plans! Be good to your feet, and you’ll have a much more pleasant Pennsic.

As mentioned previously, there are two swimming holes at Pennsic. Neither one demands that you bring some sort of period swimwear. A modern swimsuit is fine, as is T-shirt and shorts or anything else you care to wear.

It’s always good to have a couple of changes of modern clothing, not only for driving to and from the event, but for those trips into town you might need to go on. A lot of people just wear their garb on town runs, but you might not be personally comfortable with that. Also, in the middle of a blinding downpour, it’s nice to have a T-shirt and pair of shorts to slip into if you need to do some emergency tent repair!

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Miscellaneous

This is the stuff to keep yourself entertained. Despite all there is to see and do at Pennsic, there may well be moments when you’ll want some quiet activity with which to occupy your hands, especially during the heat of the day. People always welcome simple games, period or not, which they can play in pairs or groups as they relax in the shade. As for music, it’s generally acceptable to have a radio or tape player playing quietly for your benefit. Of course, playing your own instrument is even better! There is some etiquette to observe when it comes to music. See the section on etiquette to find out what it is.

Chairs and tiki torches are nice, but you can do without them easily. I recommend talking to the group you’ll be camping with. They may already have plenty of tiki torches and not need any more. I’ve always considered chairs a luxury, albeit a pleasant one. They go in last, after I’ve packed everything else. I figure the ground or a cooler is good enough and I just bring a blanket to put under my behind.

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Special Interest Items

Do you plan to engage in combat, archery or some other special interest at War? Bring everything you could possibly need in order to participate.

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Don’t Leave Home Without It!

Here are some things you definitely need to know about when making up your packing list:

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Shaving Down the List

You can shave your packing list down by the simple expedient of camping with a group. Some groups develop a planned menu with a rotating schedule of cooks and cleanup crew. These groups generally require only a small fee to include you in the communal meal plan. This is great for the individual camper, especially the first-time Pennsic-goer, because you don’t have to worry about packing kitchen equipment or food. Also, some groups will have common-use items such as chairs, first aid kits, tiki torches, etc., which again make it easier for the individual. Find out what your group plans to do—it will really help you work out your packing list!

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Transportation

For your first trip to Pennsic, the best thing to do is find someone to travel with. Consider carpooling with someone who needs a ride or who has a vehicle and no one to share it with. The advantages include shared costs and relief drivers.

Unfortunately, carpooling has the disadvantage of reducing individual packing space for each person in the car. Another solution is to find a whole group of people and drive out in a caravan, with at least two people per vehicle. Caravanning is great because it’s basically carpooling in a larger pool. You can trade off passengers and drivers at various points along the way so nobody gets too tired of anyone else’s company. It’s even better if someone has a really big vehicle or trailer and can take on a little of someone else’s gear!

In any event, the ideal thing to do is to hook up with someone who’s been to Pennsic before and follow them out.

Some tips and things to think about:

• Make sure each vehicle has adequate maps and directions. You might get separated from the rest of your traveling group!

• Figure out what time you want to arrive at Pennsic and then plan your departure time backwards from there. You won’t want to find your campsite and set up in the dark—and your camp neighbors will sure appreciate you not setting up at 3:00 a.m.!

• From the Twin Cities, the trip will take about 17 hours. This time is figured at an average speed of 70 mph with several short stops (i.e. filling up the gas tank, taking a quick pit stop and grabbing fast food to eat on the way), with no one stop taking longer than 10 or 15 minutes. The actual travel time may be longer or shorter, depending on your driving habits and the abilities of your vehicle.

• If you’re not an experienced long-distance driver, I strongly recommend stopping somewhere overnight. Taking longer to get to Pennsic sure beats not getting there at all because you got into an accident.

• If you carpool or caravan, consider keeping all travel receipts and/or a financial record of who pays for what. This will help you settle up financially among yourselves when Pennsic is all over.

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Preparing Your Vehicle for a Long Haul

Before you take your vehicle across country loaded down with everything you own, you should take steps to ensure that your vehicle will get you to Pennsic safely. Having certain items on hand will make minor breakdowns on route go much more smoothly. Also, car equipment is much cheaper at home than along the highway.

• Arrange for a full tune-up. Tell your mechanic what you plan to do, and he or she can help point out the trouble areas to keep an eye on. Do this at least one month before you leave so that any secondary problems (such as an improperly installed or faulty part) has a chance to break down and get repaired before you leave.

• Stock up on extra oil and windshield fluid.

• Consider compiling an emergency roadside box (flares, Fix-a-Flat, tools, flashlight, etc.).

• If you don’t have a spare tire, get one.

• Make sure your car has maps and directions for the trip. You should have maps that cover every state you'll be traveling through. A current road atlas should do the trick.

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Tips for Making the Trip Go Faster

• Plan your route and timing with a close eye towards metropolitan rush hours (especially Chicago!).

• Don’t buy any meals on the road, or plan on only one sit-down meal to take a break (I love picnic lunches on the grass at rest stops).

• Don’t spend more than 5-10 minutes at any stop other than your planned break.

• Buy all your travel food at home—don’t spend time in each gas station picking through the snack items. Consider packing an extra cooler just for travel food and drinks and keep it near to hand in the car.

• Bring enough coin and small bills for the toll plazas. If you take the directions noted in this booklet, you should anticipate roughly $26.00 in tolls round trip. $18.00 of that amount can be paid in small bills (the take-a-ticket-now, pay-when-you-get-off tolls in Indiana and Ohio); the rest will need to be paid in increments of 40 cents (throughout Illinois). I recommend buying one roll each of quarters, dimes and nickels from your bank before you leave home. This way, you can buzz through the toll plazas pretty quickly.

• Buy gas as soon as your vehicle reaches the quarter tank mark. Sometimes the highway gas stations can get strung out pretty far apart, and off-highway gas stations can be very far off the highway. Don’t get trapped into traveling ten miles off the highway in search of gas or—worse—get stuck between gas stations with an empty tank.

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Packing

Packing Gear

Space is going to be at a premium when you pack for Pennsic. Here are some tips for making everything fit into your limited space:

• Fold your clothing and bedding very carefully and compactly. Blankets and sheets can be rolled up with your sleeping bag.

• Remove any unnecessary packaging (such as the boxes for board games, garbage bags or matches) and place the contents of the package into something more flexible and appropriately sized (such as a self-sealing plastic bag).

• Gather everything you want to pack into several giant piles (clothing in one pile, kitchen equipment in another, bedding, general equipment, and so on). Gather up your packing containers and set them out next to the most appropriate pile of gear. Now proceed to make each pile fit in its appropriate container(s).

• Remember that items can nest inside one another (such as packing your drinking cups and mixes inside your drink pitcher).

• Put soft, flexible items in last (such as dish towels) and/or use them to your advantage in filling up small spaces and protecting fragile items.

• Rubbermaid™ tubs are fantastic for packing any equipment, as are plastic crates. On site, tubs can become low tables and plastic crates double as cheap shelving. If you worry about how they’ll look, plan to throw a blanket or cloth over them.

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Packing Food: Perishable Items

It’s important to keep your perishable items (meat, dairy, temperature sensitive vegetables) cold. Here are some very important tips to consider when packing your perishable items:

• If you’re selecting a cooler for the first time, get something that’s just big enough, but not too big, to contain your food and ice. Select one with a lid that locks closed with a tab or something else that forces the lid to shut tightly. This creates a much better seal and heat barrier. Get something with a good, thick lid. (I personally think that the Coleman steel coolers are the best out there, but they're really expensive. Even I don't own one, although my family did when I was a child.)

• When choosing ice, consider that block ice doesn’t melt nearly as quickly as crushed or cubed ice—but it also doesn't surround your food to keep it cold more efficiently. Oh, and block ice doesn't let you filch a few cubes from your cooler to ice down your drink. Unless you’re packing a couple of sandwiches into a drink cooler for the day, I don’t recommend using the freezer packs to keep your food cold—they warm up too quickly, and then they take up valuable space. When on site, keep your cooler in the shade as much as possible. Only open it when absolutely necessary, and shut it firmly as quickly as possible. Consider covering it with a wool blanket or other thermal barrier.

• Don’t place anything contained in cardboard down in your cooler. Such items will get contaminated with the melted ice water. Either transfer the contents of these containers to tight-sealing (Ziploc™) plastic bags, or just enclose the entire container in the bags. Examples of these kinds of items include butter, milk, cream and eggs. Also do this with cheese or other items in a thin plastic wrapper, especially since you’ll be breaching that plastic barrier at some point during the event and will need to repackage the item anyway.

• Anything in a Ziploc™ bag should be in two Ziploc™ bags. One bag may spring a leak and allow contaminated water to enter, but two bags will never leak all the way through to the food.

• Try to pack only what perishables you’ll actually consume. Don’t bring an entire package of hot dogs if you’re only going to eat two. The same goes for liquids such as milk and cream. The fewer items you pack into your cooler, the easier it will be to keep cold and the less spoilage you'll experience.

• If you’re planning meals with meat, and you plan to buy the meat before you leave, prep the meat at home (e.g., cut it into chunks) and pack enough for each meal into one (double-bagged) Ziploc™ package. Freeze the package. This will help keep your cooler cold on the trip and keep your meat cold enough for health. By the time you get to Pennsic, your meat will probably already be thawing.

• Plan to use any raw meat or dairy (milk and eggs) from home on the first two days of Pennsic and plan to purchase any more such perishables on site or in town. Never expect raw meat or dairy to last longer than two days in your cooler unless you keep it very, very cold.

• Pack meat and other such perishables near the bottom of your cooler, where it’s coldest. Vegetables and other temperature-tolerant items should go closer to the top.

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Packing Food: Nonperishable Items

Your nonperishable items (canned or dry goods) can be packed into a box or crate. The best thing to keep your non-perishables in is a plastic tub with a tight-fitting lid. I do not recommend packing your food into paper or plastic grocery bags. They are wasteful of space, tear easily and disintegrate in poor weather.

Your dry goods should receive the same care and attention as your perishable items. Make sure they’re well protected in plastic bags (double-bagged again) or other tight-sealing containers. Items like crackers, cereal, flour, pasta, sugar, powdered drink mix, tea (bagged or loose) and coffee are good examples of what should be repackaged in this manner. Your enemies here are moisture and insects (it’s amazing what an ant can get into).

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Packing the Car

Before you do anything else, remove all emergency gear items from your car—spare tire, jack, toolbox, spare gas can, extra oil, windshield fluid, and so on. Set all these items aside and pack them last of all. Is your spare tire suspended under your car, but require you to loosen it from the inside? Keep that area as clear as possible. You do not want to have to unload your entire car just because you get a flat tire, especially if it’s raining.

• Bring all your packaged gear out to the car before you begin loading.

• Try to load the largest, most inflexible items first.

• Try to keep your weight load as balanced as possible from side-to-side and front-to-back of your vehicle (your axles and shocks will thank you).

• Pay attention to which items you need to have most accessible, both along the journey and once you arrive. This is particularly important if you intend to stop somewhere overnight along the way. You’ll want a change of clothes and your tent (if you’re camping) accessible.

• Remember that empty passenger seats and wells count as packing space!

It may take you several tries to get all the gear into a good configuration so that it all fits. Give yourself plenty of time to pack, unpack, repack and repeat until you're satisfied.

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Directions

Pennsic is held at Cooper’s Lake Campground, which is located near (ironically enough) New Castle, Pennsylvania (the campground’s address is technically Slippery Rock, but New Castle is a bigger town and more likely to show up on your map). As you look at a road map of Western Pennsylvania, New Castle can be found along Interstate 79 about one hour’s travel east of the Ohio border and approximately one quarter of the way from Interstate 80 to Pittsburgh.

I personally recommend the AAA TripTik® for your first time out, or for any time thereafter. A TripTik® offers detailed information about the route you've chosen to travel, including state laws, rest area and accommodation information, current construction conditions and travel distances and times. This service is free for AAA members and not too expensive for nonmembers. Place your order at least two weeks before your departure date.

I recommend the following directions for anyone traveling from the Twin Cities area. Others may have different routes to suggest. Ask around.

• Take I-94 East through Wisconsin.
• I-94 will be joined by I-90 near Tomah; the two will separate again just past Madison. Stay on I-90 East at the Madison separation and follow it into Illinois and to the Chicago area.
• Pick up 290 East just west of Chicago and follow it to 294 South, then take 294 South to I-80 East (this route will circle you around Chicago without actually entering it—anyone who has ever driven through Chicago at rush hour will know how important this is!).
• Stay on I-80 East through Indiana and Ohio and into Pennsylvania.
• Pick up I-79 South about one hour into Pennsylvania.
• Follow I-79 South to Route 422 West (you’ll see the campground and parking area on your right before you reach the Route 422 exit. Look for it—it’s cool!).
• At the bottom of the Route 422 exit ramp, turn left onto 422 West.
• About ½ to ¾ of a mile later, turn right onto Currie Road (there should be an SCA sign posted with the appropriate direction arrow).
• Stay on this road and follow the SCA signs and you simply can’t miss the site. The road will dump you right at Troll, and from there you will be directed by the Pennsic Public Safety team.
  

The short form of these directions: I-94 East –> I-90 East –>290 East –> 294 South –> I-80 East –> I-79 South –> 422 West –> Currie Road.

The short, short form of these directions: Drive to Chicago; turn left. Drive to Pennsylvania; turn right. Drive to Pennsic; turn right.

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