10 Must Brings 3 Maybe Brings and 1 Leave At Home items for your JFL42 Experience (aka building your own Go For Laughs Bag)

by: Matthew Ardill

Going to a festival is a different beast from going to a regular show, every festival is different and JFL42 is no different. Now, going to JFL42 isn’t like going to Burning Man or Coachella. There’s no need to worry about packing up your fun fur covered automobile with your giant pagan goat mask collection (one for each day of the week) or fretting over which bikini to bedeck in glitter and colour coordinate with your furry boots and glow sticks but there are some practical concerns for the enthusiastic festival goer.

After four years of going to the festival I’ve perfected my personal go bag for attending the festival. Today I’m going to walk you through 10 must haves, three maybe brings and one leave at home item to bring along with you.

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MUST HAVES:

1. Your smartphone – JFL42 is a uniquely online festival. In addition to the app which is used to check into your shows, reserve additional shows and get the latest news from the festival you can use it to get a selfie at the festival, perhaps snap a shot of your favourite funny person, tweet about how excited you are (making sure to use the #JFL42 hashtag) and order an Uber to get you across town to get to the next show.
2. A nice sized bag – You have stuff you need to bring, you need to put it somewhere and this iss where the handy bag comes into play. Let’s be honest though, you show up to a comedy show with a great big backpack you are should expect security to take an extreme interest in its contents. So you want to find something big enough to hold your stuff but small enough to be able to tuck under your chair.
3. Smartphone charger – If you’re anything like me you may find yourself out for hours going from show to show and using your phone… a LOT. The problem with that is, our passes are on those phones so they need to stay nice and charged especially if you want to cash in that credit you got back when you checked into the show. This is where a phone charger comes in handy. Pop into a Starbucks or a Timmies and use their outlet between shows (or maybe at the bar waiting to get your seat). You’ll want to have this in your bag ready to go. Alternately a portable cell battery could do in a pinch (or even better both just to be safe).
4. Notepad – Maybe you make a new friend while waiting in line, maybe you want to jot down the name of that opening act or maybe you want to write down how the comic moment moved you. What ever the reason, having a pad of paper handy is always nice. It’s a good low tech way to take notes that doesn’t run down your phone battery.
5. Writing implement – This goes hand in hand with item four, what’s a pad of paper without a pen… or two… or three and a pencil to jot something down? Given how often I lose them I usually carry a few backups just in case.
6. Headphones – Maybe you want to preload on the funny by listening to the comedy album of the act you are about to see or a podcast where they were interviewed a few weeks back (like say Comedy Album Book Club’s upcoming interviews with Chanty Marostica and Matteo Lane). What ever the reason, you may have some time on your hands and a good comfy pair of headphones are useful for passing that time between sets (especially if you’re waiting for that stretch between the show that ends at 10 and the 11:59 midnight showcase you have reserved a spot at).
7. Tablet computer – You may want to save some juice on your phone’s battery or you may have a particularly long stretch where going home doesn’t make sense but having nothing to do for an hour and a half is just super boring. This is where a tablet comes in handy. Load it up with a copy of Bossypants, Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life or Bedwetter or maybe throw on a light and entertaining video game. Whatever passes the time, this can get you through a stretch between acts. Also acceptable backups are Nintendo Gameboys or Switches, nice portable fun entertainment systems that stow away quickly.
8. Fall jacket – JFL42 lands at the end of September, which for Toronto means, God knows what the weather will be like. One day it may be a scorcher, the next day it may be chilly and frost in the air. The weather is, at best, variable in nature. A nice rain resistant light jacket is perfect for such occasions.
9. Hoodie (or light sweater) and a hat – This is a bit of a two for item but for times when a light jacket is enough (or a particularly chilly venue) you may want to pack a hoodie or sweater. You’ll also want something to keep the rain or sun off your head. You’ll want something that can stow in your nice sized bag because tying it around your waist or tucking it in the strap of your bag is a pain (trust me, I’ve come close to losing my fair share of hoodies that way). This is where a nice light hoodie and a comfy hat comes in handy.
10. Comfortable footwear – It’s a festival, if you’re doing more than one show a night you are going to be legging it across town and are going to want to get there without bleeding tootsies. You’re going to want to slip on something both comfy and fashionable. Be they a pair of Chuck Taylors, Nikes or a Blundstones you want something that will get you from point a to point b without tripping over your own two feet.

MAYBE HAVES:

​While all the above are must haves, there are a few things you may want to have but are not entirely applicable to all situations or may be a bit of a pain.

1. Selfie Stick – You may be a Tumbler-star or Insta-Influencer, maybe you just love having that perfect selfie while waiting in line this is where a selfie stick comes in handy. That said, put this away when you get to the venue and don’t even think about bringing it out when you’re in there. Truth be told, best to leave this at home BUT for a tourist visiting the city it may be nice to have especially if you’re going to catch some of the sights before a show.
2. Water – As mentioned above, the city can get cold this time of year. It can also get super-hot! As such you may want to have a bottle of water handy. The problem with this is if you’re going to a venue that serves beverages you may not be able to bring this into the venue and may have to chug before you get to the front of the line. Leave yourself plenty of time to drink your water and have the quick if inevitable pee afterwards.
3. Cards – Maybe you’re an aspiring funny person, maybe you help with a comedy podcast or write funny things yourself. What ever the reason you may want to have a set of business cards handy. Ideally ones that are funky and stand out from the pack.

LEAVE AT HOME:

​One thing you will want to leave at home is your camera, in a cellphone world there’s no real need for it. While it’s nice to get a really great shot you will NOT be allowed to take this out in the venue and depending on the show (especially some of the headliners where they can get super twitchy about recording) there’s a good chance it could be confiscated. Best to leave your nice camera in the safety of your home or hotel room.

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