Hackathon Packing List

As an experienced hacker (over 30 hackathons in the past 2 years), I have developed a list of things to pack for hackathons, and am sharing this with the world. Feel free to fork it or make pull requests to add your own items. To use, simply fork the repository, create an issue for an upcoming hackathon, and the issue will be prepopulated with the list below.

1. Essentials
2. Extras
3. Hygiene
4. Flights
5. Hardware
   • Basics
   • Tools
   • I/O
6. ToDos

Essentials

• Computer and Charger
• Phone and Charger
• Smartwatch and Charger
• Backpack/Storage
• Earphones/Headphones
• Identification (Student ID, Drivers License, etc.)
• Dongles/Adapters (Lightning, USB-C, etc.)
• Medications
• Wallet (Hackathons are usually free, but it doesn't hurt to carry some cash and your ID)
• Keys

Extras

• Surge Protector
• Battery Bank
• Sleeping Bag/Blanket/Pillow
• Mouse/Mousepad
• Keyboard
• USB Flashdrives
• Pen/Pencil and Paper/Sticky Notes
• Extra Cords
• Pajamas
• Resumes

Hygiene

• Toothbrush/Toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Change of Clothing

Flights

• Plane Tickets
• Identification (Passport, Drivers License, etc.)
• Travel Reimbursement/Etc. Forms
• Neck/Hoodie Pillow

Hardware

(Thanks to Jeff Zhao for showing me this blog post by CyrusRoshan. I totally copied the hardware list on the blog.)

Basics

• Dev Board (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Edison, Photon, etc.)
• Cables
• Breadboards
• Jumper Wires/Alligator Clips
• Resistors

Tools

• Needle Nose Pliers
• Wire Cutters
• Screwdrivers
• Superglue
• Electric Tape
• Zipties
• Multimeter

I/O

Small Components

• LEDs
• Photoresistors
• Reflective IR
• IR Transmitter/Reciever LEDs
• Transistors
• Capacitors
• Piezos
• Humidity sensor
• Temperature sensor
• Hall sensors
• Vibration Motors
• Tilt/vibration sensors
• DC Motors
• Push button switches
• Flex sensors (a bit more expensive, I’d only get one)
• Force sensitive resistors (same as above)

Large Components

• Servos
• Pulse sensor
• Ultrasonic range sensors
• Gyro/Accelerometer (usually have both on the same breakout board)
• LCD screen (preferably with I2C for less wires)
• Bluetooth module (you’ll need one with BLE support for iPhones)

Additional Power

• Relay module
• Breadboard psu
• 9v Batteries (for powering motors that needs more power. Use with transistor to switch on/off)
• Rechargeable power bank (for when you want to power your dev board without a laptop)

ToDos

• Update OS, IDEs, and all other software
• Confirm venue location and time
• Confirm transportation arrangements
• Set multiple alarms and get a good nights sleep!