The ultimate packing list for a real D&D event: LARP – The 17 basics and 56 items for your inventory

Some LARP events offer sleeping accommodations in a hostel-style manner. However, most multi-day events take place outdoors. Here, you will camp.

Many visitors of a LARP event own an IT-compatible tent that is decorated accordingly, whether medieval, fantasy, or post-apocalyptic. Most of these are linen tents or yurts with guy lines.

Important: Check the website of the event you wish to attend. Often there is an option to come with a modern, regular tent. This is especially worthwhile for first-time LARP attendees. Proper LARP tents in a corresponding look can be quite expensive.

Regardless of what kind of tent you choose, it must definitely be wind and waterproof. It may be worth buying storm-proof pegs. Additionally, check if your tent fits within the allocated camping space per person for the event – including guy lines.

If you decide to go for an IT-compatible tent, you can choose from various shapes. Here are a few:

• Single-pole tent: These are good for one to two persons at most, as they take up little space overall.
• A-frame tent: So-called A-tents look like an A from the front and have a wooden frame over which a linen tarp is stretched. Depending on how cozy you’d like to be, around three people can fit here.
• Sachsen tent: These are elongated tents with round end pieces.
• Knight tent: This often refers to a square tent with walls and decorative flaps.

Dedicated shops include larpzelte.com, mittelalter-zelte24.de or LARP-Zelte.com. Often other players also sell their tents on Kleinanzeigen, Ebay or privately within LARP groups on platforms like Discord.

If space allows in your tent, I always recommend a camp bed. This way, you don’t lie on the possibly cold and/or wet ground. Additionally, items can be stored underneath it.

Anyone looking to create an IT-compatible interior for their tent can of course disguise the camp bed or directly build a wooden bed. However, that would be more advanced LARPing.

A high-quality air mattress is worth its weight in gold at LARP. Besides the camp bed, it forms the basis for your sleep. And good sleep is half the battle at LARP. The more comfortable you lie, the better.

I asked around in my LARP group, and a sleeping bag for all seasons is essential for most. Such a sleeping bag can be expensive, yes. But if you can’t sleep because you are too cold, you won’t enjoy the next day.

As a rule, just like with your outfit: Layer. In case of need, also take pillows and multiple blankets with you. If it’s too warm, you can simply push a blanket off. But if it’s cold and you already have all blankets on top of you, that will be difficult.

My bedding consists of my duvet from home plus a pillow and another two to three cozy blankets. In my first year at the Festival of Dragons, I was very cold and do not want to repeat that.

It gets bright quickly in tents. In shared sleeping rooms, someone always turns on the light at some point. To continue sleeping despite that, I recommend a well-fitting sleep mask that keeps the sun away from you for as long as possible.

In 2025 at the Festival of Dragons, I didn’t have one with me and I slept in a yurt with a larger hole in the roof. I was sometimes in bed until four in the morning, and at six o’clock in the morning, the sun would rise. Since I forgot my sleep mask, I woke up accordingly. Not cool.

No matter if you go to bed early and want to keep the nighttime festivities out or if you want to sleep long and not roll off your camp bed with families at 7 AM. Like at a festival, ear protection can also be worthwhile at LARP.

I’ve had good experiences with earplugs. Just check out what the drugstore around the corner offers.

A seating option doesn’t have to be a fancy Viking wedge chair, don’t worry. It can simply be a picnic blanket to sit on. Alternatively, a cheap or second-hand camping chair will also work – just throw a blanket over it.

But: Having a seating option in one way or another is incredibly important.

With food, it is the same on longer events as it is with sleep: If you don’t take care to eat well enough, you probably won’t be able to fully enjoy the Grand Con. So, make sure to pack enough, and especially non-perishable, food.

You could write an entire article on nutrition at multi-day events like the Dragon Festival. However, that would exceed the scope of this article. At my first two Grand Cons, I survived like at a festival on lots of instant ramen, apples, crispbread, and trail mix. Just like at a music festival. By now, I have a larger group with whom we cook fresh meals or reheat pre-cooked food.

Cooling is also an art in summer cons. My chief orc always brings a Styrofoam box filled with ice cubes, where we store food for the later days. Some might turn to dry ice – but that is dangerous and should not be used by someone who is not experienced with it.

I always recommend bringing one to two six-packs of 1.5-liter water bottles. You can find them in any supermarket. Fresh drinking water is important. (Drink enough water!)

But you will also need water for cooking, washing hands, showering (if you bring a camping shower), and doing dishes. To avoid running to the water source three times a day, it’s best to buy one or several water containers with a capacity of 10 to 20 liters.

If the large containers take up too much space in the car, you can also look for accordion containers. They can be conveniently collapsed but unfortunately don’t have much capacity.

If possible, cook in LARP authentically over an open fire. However, depending on local regulations and your possible transport volume, you will probably have to opt for a camping gas stove. They may not look as beautiful as a grill or a cast iron pot over an open flame, but they are space-saving and quick.

Remember to buy compatible gas cartridges.

Even if you plan to subsist solely on instant soups: Pack a few kitchen utensils. Knife, cutting board, cutlery, mixing bowl. And if you plan to cook on-site, the necessary kitchen gadgets should of course be included in your luggage.

Just keep in mind: You will probably be camping. You need to bring sockets for electrical devices in the form of portable power stations and mobile solar panels as well.

Theoretically, a pot belongs to kitchen utensils. Since a pot is essential – even for instant ramen – I wrote it down as its own point. Without one, it will be difficult to boil water or heat food. It doesn’t have to be a huge pot. But one that works on your chosen heat source.

Aside from cutlery, you also need a plate and/or a bowl to eat from.

Knife, fork, and spoon should definitely be in your luggage. And no, they also don’t need to be immediately IT-compliant. Cutlery from your kitchen is perfectly adequate.

For the big and small kitchen accidents or also for trash, it’s worth having paper towels on hand.

You will need to wash your cooking utensils. A sponge and dish soap are essential for that.

A bucket can serve as a water container for washing up, but can also be used for cleaning or transport.

No matter if you’re just freshening up or if there are shower facilities on site: shower gel, shampoo, and everything else you need for showering should be packed for longer LARP events.

Make sure to pack a large and a small towel. For showering or to dry off after a possible rain shower.

LARP at big conventions usually means camping, and camping means a lot of dirt. Mud, fake blood, food coloring, dust… Bring soap for washing your hands. You’ll be thankful for it.

My personal recommendation. Bring a long-lasting deodorant and apply it after washing. For you and your environment.

In my experience, normal restrooms are not always accessible at LARP events. Sometimes they are too far away, and the pressure is too high. Sometimes you just need to go quickly. Then the portable toilets, aka porta potties, are your… friend? And you’ll definitely want to have toilet paper on a porta potty, which unfortunately is often used up. So be sure to bring your own.

Flip flops are absolutely optional, but I like to have them for the showers at the Dragon Festival. It’s just more pleasant for your feet and the best way to avoid athlete’s foot.

A mirror for makeup, doing your hair, or just checking the current state of your bags under your eyes is always recommended.

You should definitely have a well-stocked first aid kit ready. For yourself, but also for your fellow players. Something can always happen. For example, you might cut your finger while slicing apples, or someone could scrape their knee.

It’s better to be specifically prepared on-site than to rely on paramedics.

If you regularly take medication, bring them along to the LARP. This also applies to relevant emergency medications.

If, for example, you are highly allergic to wasp stings and need to carry an epinephrine auto-injector, it should definitely not be left at home. The same goes for insulin or blood sugar meters.

If your medications require specific storage, make sure to think about that early on.

Bandages are never unnecessary baggage and definitely belong in the first aid kit of every LARPer!

To prevent a scraped knee or a burst blister from getting infected, you should always have wound disinfectant with you.

Yes, a visit to the medics never hurts, and is even recommended for injuries of all kinds. But you should also be prepared for aftercare.

It’s best to bring painkillers that you know you can tolerate. This is not about the hard-hitting pills, but about mild medications for things like headaches.

If you happen to get something that doesn’t agree with you, it’s always wise to have a remedy for diarrhea packed in advance.

There are ice packs that activate with the bending of a plate, similar to hand warmers. This helps with a twisted ankle or if you happened to get hit too hard by a LARP weapon on your arm.

Especially in high temperatures, you will sweat a lot. Having electrolytes with you to replenish your mineral balance is always a good idea.

Alternatively, they can help if you have had a little too much to drink in the tavern in the evening.

At LARP, the chance of picking up a tick in a field, meadow, or woods is unfortunately quite high. Having a tick tweezer with you is therefore sensible.

If you don’t trust yourself to remove it or if it is in a bad spot: Visit the medics.

Depending on what clothing and armor you wear, you should build your repair kit. Needles, thread in the colors of your clothing, scissors, and more should definitely be included.

For example, I wear leather armor, for which I have hammered over 1,100 rivets. Accordingly, I have spare rivets, a riveting hammer, a small anvil, and other relevant equipment with me. Those who wear plate armor might want to pack polishing cloths and rust protectant – depending on their needs.

Safety pins are essential for quick repairs. Whether it’s on clothing, your tent, or decorations.

Duct tape can help where safety pins fail. Sure, it looks ugly when you patch a hole in a white canvas tent. But if your tent has a hole for whatever reason, rain is coming, and a full repair is simply not possible, duct tape is your best friend.

You should always have enough spare batteries for your flashlight, lanterns, and gadgets.

This is a recommendation from all long-term LARPers in my camp. Specifically, fir Ballistol can be used for leather care as well as an insect repellent spray. It can also be used as a lubricant for squeaky armor. And a friend of mine swears by it that you can also use Ballistol for dressing salads.

I have found that Ballistol can indeed be used as an insect spray, and I have used it in leather care. But I would definitely not put it in a salad.

To keep your padded weapons nice and supple, you should pack silicone spray.

Except in winter, it can always happen that your camp is visited by mosquitoes, wasps, and beetles. The creatures just want to live, but they can be very annoying. Therefore, it is worth taking insect spray, citronella candles, or incense coils with you.

You definitely need a change of clothes, and by that, I don’t just mean underwear or socks. It is always worthwhile to have a second outfit of regular clothes with you for your arrival and departure. Also, you should definitely be able to swap out your IT clothing. It is advisable to have several linen shirts to wear under the nice tunic. Pants can also quickly get dirty or just wet. Having dry replacements is worth it.

You will definitely produce trash, so pack garbage bags.

A fire extinguisher is not a must, but it can save lives as well as property if a fire does occur. And with many ambient open fires and sometimes increased wildfire alert levels, this can indeed happen.

You also need a way to transport all your stuff! My advice: Ikea bags. The blue plastic bags are waterproof and provide enough space to store your belongings. Additionally, they can be easily slipped under field beds.

Of course, aesthetic wooden boxes would be cooler. But they also take up more space. The only reason I’m slowly phasing them out is the wildlife that has recently visited me: in 2024, it rained so hard at the Drachenfest that ants started storing their eggs in my clothes. And at the new site starting in 2026, the items have to be secured against the local raccoons.