Clarion West 2000: David's Annotated Pack List

This is the list of all the stuff I brought to Clarion, with annotations as to what was useful and what not. Note that I drove to Seattle from Portland, so I could afford to bring just about anything I wanted to.

CLOTHES:

4 long-sleeve shirts    
5 short-sleeve shirts   
7 nice T-shirts   
3 gym T-shirts   
2 pair jeans   
1 pair khaki pants   Never wore these
1 pair khaki shorts   It was very rarely warm enough to require shorts, at least by my standards
10 pair sox   
10 pair underpants    
Shoes   
3 bandanas   
Sweater   
Jacket, pocket hat   Handy to have a hat in the jacket pocket, for unexpected rain
Tilley hat   This was in case of heavy rain, which never occurred
Baseball cap   This was in case of heavy sun, which did happen sometimes
Swim suit   For Greg Bear's lakeside party, but it rained that day
Kimono   Absolutely vital to have something for walking down the hall to the bathroom
Slippers   

TOILETRIES:

Electric toothbrush   
Toothbrush charger   
Hairdryer   Never used this; saved time in the morning, and there was no outlet handy to the mirror
Toothpaste   
Floss   
Shampoo   
Painkillers   
Pill boxes   
Vitamins   
Eyedrops   
Inhaler   Fortunately, my allergies did not act up
Prescription medicines   Be sure to get six weeks' supply beforehand if possible
Throat lozenges   Just about everyone got some kind of sore throat at some point
Pepto-Bismol   
Anti-diarrhea   
Shaver, cord   
Washcloth   

DOPP KIT:

Ponytail holders   
Band-Aids   
Ziploc baggies   
Sewing kit   I had a little one, but I wish I'd had more thread
Earplugs   
Eye mask   Vital if you have an east-side room; the shades are not very effective
Fingernail trimmer   
Spare glasses   
Croakies   
Tiny gold Maglite   
Hand fan   I was glad I had this, since the classroom is not air-conditioned

GYM BAG:

Gym shoes   I only went to the gym 3 times, wish I had gone more
2 pair gym shorts   
2 gym towels   
Weightlifting gloves   
Water bottle   
Exercise notes   

PAPERS & SUPPLIES:

Cardboard filing box   
Hanging folders   These were great for organizing all the papers I got -- my desk had rails in the drawers
3 folders of Clarion info   Be sure to read everything they send you, and believe it
Seattle addresses   
Health insurance info   
Printer paper   I used about one ream, but I don't usually print my stories except to hand them in
Printer ink cartridges   I used up one black and one color cartridge -- bring more than you think you will need
Post-Its (lg, sm)   
Stamps   
Envelopes   
Red pens   I killed two of them on critiques
Ballpoint pens   I killed one on class notes
Spiral notebook   I filled it, turned it over, and half-filled the other side
Tape   
Stapler   
Paper clips   I used all I brought, should have brought more
Highlighters   
Clipboard   Very handy for critiquing in bed and in the lounge
Books to read (2-3)   Never touched them, though others did a lot of reading

COMPUTER STUFF:

Computer   Since I drove, I brought my desktop system. Most others brought a laptop, or rented, or bought in Seattle and shipped home
Monitor   
Printer   
Keyboard   
Mouse (not tablet)   
Speakers   
All cables   
CD-ROMs   For reinstalling software in case of disaster
Blank floppies   Occasionally useful
ZIP drive   Remember: make regular backups!
ZIP disks   
Backup tapes   

GIZMOS:

Subnotebook   At home I do most of my writing on this, but using it long-term was awful on my wrists
Digital camera   I used this a lot, maybe too much
Battery charger   
Spare batteries   
Camera bag   

DAILY LIVING:

Phone   Local phone service is provided, but you have to bring your own phone
Phone answering machine   This was a lifesaver on several occasions
Tool kit   
Big Swiss army knife   
Sunscreen   
Clothes soap   
Clothesline   
Water bottle   Vital in the stifling classroom
Small blue Maglite   
Electric fan   Necessary
Lamp   
Laundry bag   
Backpack   Important! You will be lugging piles of papers to and from class (a 20 minute walk)
Cloth handled bag   
Belt pouch   
Calendar   
1st box of Kleenex   
Bathroom scale   It was good to know if I was losing or gaining weight so I could adjust my food intake accordingly

ENTERTAINMENT:

CD boombox   I didn't use this as much as I had expected to
Big box o' CDs   
Headphones   
Square dance badge   I never got away from the dorm for any outside activities
Cribbage box   Didn't play any games at all

KITCHEN STUFF:

Joy of Cooking   I only cooked a few times, and that very simple; mostly we ate out or lived on pasta and bottled sauce
Jane Brody's Good Food Book   
Plate, bowl, mug, silverware   
Knife, spoon, spatula   
Small frying pan   
Hot pot   
Basic spices   
Bread machine   I only used this once
Bread ingredients   
Snack bars (Clif bars, etc.)   Necessary mid-morning pick-me-up

SLEEP & COMFORT:

Feather duvet   I love mine, it would have been a lot harder to sleep without it
Sheets   The dorm provides sheets, but they are harsh
Pillow, pillowcase   I am picky about my pillow
Stuffed animals   These are vital for sanity, everyone had at least one
Photo of my sweetie   Very important
Posters, decor   I brought 3 posters and it wasn't nearly enough

REFERENCE BOOKS:

Dictionary   Necessary
Thesaurus   Necessary
Almanac   Useful
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations   Useful
NY Public Library Desk Reference   Occasionally used it
"Take Care of Yourself" health book   Never needed this, fortunately
Physics text   Didn't use this
Planetology text   Used this occasionally
Seattle Best Places   Didn't ever use this, never got out of the dorm
Seattle Access   Never used it
WA hike book   Never used it
Things I wish I'd brought: whiteboard marker, coathangers, poster putty


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