Comic-Con or any kind of Con advise

So I just found out that I'm going to the 2011 Comic Con. Brother suprised me with the tickets, so awesome, but I have a bit of a problem. I've been to a few cons before and the problem I have is that I get sick. One time I was confined to the hotel room and couldn't leave . I guess being around so many people can do that to you. I really want to avoid this, and would really like to remain healthy through the whole thing. So aside from sealing myself in a plastic bubble and bringing in loads of sanitizer. Does anyone here have any advice on trying to remain healthy in a convention?

That's a bit vague. Do you have some condition or health problems? When you say you get "sick" do you mean stomach, head ache, (insert other ailments) and does it happen before, during or after. Being around large groups of people shouldn't do that to you unless there is something underlying or a zombie outbreak.

Ah, the infamous Con Crud. Sad to say there's really not an ironclad preventive for it. Hand sanitizer is a good idea; so is making sure you're well hydrated at all times, particularly at SDCC, which, I am told, is held in one of the outer circles of Hell. (I expect a con in Atlanta would have a similar sort of effect, which may tie back to your previous difficulties.) A couple buddies of mine swear by the same sort of hydration systems hikers and soldiers use when they hit SDCC every year - Camelbak, that kind of thing. Also, you might try loading up on vitamin C. Some say it's a folk remedy, but it often works for me.

NOTE: I'm a captain, not a doctor.

--CP

I'll give the Vitamin C thing a whirl. So far my past tactics have been using Sanitizer and avoiding the local food and water, mostly brought my own food and water and ate at the hotel room when I went to Dragon Con. So I guess try loading up on Vitamin C, Zinc, use of Sanitizer, and keep myself hydrated at the Con.

That Camelbak idea is a good one. Just make sure that you get a cover for the nozzle. Having the part that you put in your mouth exposed to the germs kinda defeats the purpose of the whole thing. Be aware though, that with cold water in it, those things sweat. Meaning you probably shouldn't put anything in the backpack that you wouldn't want to get wet (or at least put some kind of non-permeable barrier between the pouch and the main compartment). OTOH, it feels really nice having that cold water on your back, especially in really hot situations. There's even ones that have a charcoal filter in-line with the drinking tube.

Edit - I would almost say, spend time around kid relatives. If you've got nieces/nephews, little brothers/sisters/cousins, ask their parents if you can babysit for a day or two. Why? Kids are nothing if not germ factories. If you can withstand the plagues those little buggers carry, I'd think you could withstand Con Crud.

Further advice: Rest.

You'll have a lot to do, and it's easy to not notice how much stress you may be putting on yourself in all the fun and crowds. Take a break every now and then to sit down, de-stress, and eat something good for you. Don't short yourself on sleep too badly (though you'll do it some, everyone does).

There's nothing wrong with the food & water in San Diego. Don't deny yourself the unique opportunity to take in the flavors at Casa de Pico, Dick's Last Resort, El Indio, or any of the other fantastic local eateries in town!!

I suggest you:

1) get plenty of rest
2) stay hydrated
3) take some Emergen-C or Airborne vitamin supplements
4) stay clean
5) don't stress

Hydration isn't even something I'd thought about. Guess I'm buying some water bottles Thursday morning.

I was just coming in here to suggest Emergen-C or Airborne, much the same way BackFire just did, even before I realized the thread was specifically about health.

Question: Does Comic Con frown upon bringing food in, if it's in a backpack? I was thinking of packing a few snacks in my bag, just in case.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nethergoat it's NEVER too late to pad your /ignore list!

SDCC is a mad house full of people. It's wise to carry:

Hand Sanitizer
Chlorox wipes to clean off any tables / chairs you may be lucky enough to score.
Plenty of water - stay hydrated.
Healthy snacks. All of the food and snacks available for purchase are your typical unhealthy fast food afair, full of sodium (which further dehydrates you), and it's over priced.

It's also difficult finding a place to sit and rest, so even ify ou find an empty hall its good to take a breather and relax for a bit away from the crowds.
I hope you manage to get a hotel room or have a friend / family to stay with. The ability to get rest, bath, and eat a healthy breakfast is invaluable during the con.

Preview night isn't exactly a must, but if you're ticket includes it, and you've never been, give it a go. Sunday is usually tear down day, so betwen Saturday night and Sunday morning, many sellers are clearing out and you might be able to score some huge discounts on comics. I scored some of my missing Sin City volumes for $5 a piece like that.

Saturday night can be a lot of fun with the costume dance party and the film shorts.

Choose what panels you want to go to with care. Space them out because you want to get to them early in order to get a seat, those panels tend to pack out really fast with lines longer than there is room inside. It doubles as a time to sit against a wall to relax, rehydrate, eat a healthy snack, go through your swag (of which there'll be a ton), go through purchased treasures, etc...

Oh, and shameless plug, but check out my friend's KO Comix table. He's a great guy and I really do enjoy his work.

The basic problem with con crud is that you are exposing yourself to a wide variety of slightly different common diseases than what you have grown use to coupled with disruptions in your sleep, physical exertion (if you don't spend most of your day normally on your feet walking five miles) as well as increased anxiety (OMG I'm going to miss X if I don't get a move on) which will weaken your existing immunity.

So try to get a good night sleep. Don't forget to bring a small stash of pain killers. Don't forget a bottle of water can be refilled for the entire con, keep hydrated. Spend 10 minutes planning out your day so you don't kick yourself for not getting to see the panel you wanted to see because you forgot you needed to get into line 2 hours before it starts. And there's nothing wrong taking a nice long relaxing shower or bath after a long, hot, sweaty day at the con. Even better with a friend.

Also don't forget to go to the "Top Gun" bar/BBQ place, even though they lost most of that stuff in the fire, it's relatively close to the SDCC and it's pretty good, when I had it in 1995. But it's still around so it still must be good right?

Only caught the crud once at the end of a con so I wish the OP the best of luck and follow all the great advice that has been passed along.

I would also minimize shaking hands, as that's a common way to pick up germs. And avoid panels or parties that are too crowded.

Really appreciate the advise, will do my best to follow it and hopefully not catch a case of the Con Crud and remain healthy through the whole thing.

People are forgetting the single most important peice of advice.

Enjoy the event!

Seriously, I live in the UK and would KILL to go to SDCC, it's like my holy grail, Graceland and Mecca all rolled into one. I am so amazingly jealous of anyone who gets to go

I'd start by building up your immune system now by taking a herbal supplement of Echinacea. When the Con arrives, take a double dose each day to further boost your system against radicals. I take Echinacea regularly for years and find it very helpful.

I'd also try exercising a bit. Hey, why are you laughing? Exercise is a great way to get you in a good mood and feeling right. Thanks to those awesome endorphins. Just don't over do it.

Of course, you should take the advice of fluid and vitamin C. Emergen-C makes a nice vitamin C pack that dissolves in juice or water that injects a ton of C.

Lastly, Advil and Gatorade. I use these to help with the 'next day' after a long night of whatever. Advil is good to reduce inflamation of any sort and gatorade with throw in some much needed electrolytes, carbs and sugars to get you going.

Have fun!!!

Been to few international cons. Plan to go to Comic-con some time, but anywho.

I don't really carry hand sanitizers with me, but then again I hardly ever get sick.

But like said, carry some water on you. I always carry a military canteen or a regular sports water bottle with me, becauase you can keep it attached to your belt or have it in your backpack. It's also easy to fill once it's empty given that you don't mind the chloride taste the water may have.

So basically all I carry is my personal belongings, water bottle and some snack bars, for example cereal bars or just regular sports bars.
Personally I try to avoid eating the commercial food at Cons, because most of the time it is complete crap or junk food that will just get me sick.