Mentioned a couple of times but I will reiterate..Bring LOTS and LOTS of money...and a spare credit card after you have maxed out the first one you may need it. Also, you might want to be prepared to have to pay for a checked bag on your flight back home since inevitably you will pick up so much stuff that you will need to either rent a U-haul or just hire a frieght company. Just kidding of course but a guy can sure acquire a lot of 'stuff' the first time he visits Oshkosh. After several years of attending you will realize you don't need most of it.

It is hard to plan for the venues, everytime I tried, it seemed like I would get sidetracked looking at some that snared my interest, Which is almost everything there. Now when I go, I just wing it, walk through the gate and start walking any direction and you will soon be sidetracked looking at something or conversing with all the like minded people there. You are in for a great time!!! Take your time and enjoy it. I will be surprised if you don't return next year.

Couple more thoughts:
1. You'll see more if you walk less, so take the busses and trams when appropriate.
2. "OFF" has a fan anti-bug device, which works remarkably well. Get one, make sure the batteries are good and that you have extra bug repellant packages. You can use it in a tent, or clip it to your belt when the bugs come out. They're not as big a problem during the day, but at night, WI mosquitoes can be pretty voracious.

Cary

Cary wrote:2. "OFF" has a fan anti-bug device, which works remarkably well. Get one, make sure the batteries are good and that you have extra bug repellant packages. You can use it in a tent, or clip it to your belt when the bugs come out. They're not as big a problem during the day, but at night, WI mosquitoes can be pretty voracious.

I got an early report that the mosquitos have had a wonderful summer and have produced very large and hungry families.

Lots of good advice so far... My dad and I have been going for years (look forward to going every year.)

We just ramble. No agenda at all... Just wander and follow our noses. As said before, best thing to do is to realize you cant see everything. 360 degrees of awesome. Have fun!

Some awesome information! Thank you so much to those who contributed. I think I am pretty well set. I just picked up a charging stick that will allow me to charge my phone a few extra times on the fly. I packed OFF but sounds like I may need to get a little more serious about bug repellant.

Bring a good a backpack to walk around with.

Get one of those insulated cold food bags, or make one up out of a larger flexible cooler, and put it inside the backpack. Go to a Wal Mart or equivalent in town OUTSIDE the EAA gates every morning, and get cold water, re-freezeable cold packs, and non-melting snacks. Put the stuffr into the backpack.

When you walk around the EAA grounds and see all those highly valuable offers for a $3 cup of flat soda (without even a f***ing lid on the soda), and $6 for a really poor quality bratwurst (in Wisconsin for chrissakes), and $2 for a microscopic bag of chips... keep the money in your pocket, raise your middle finger, and send a message to the convention office about gouging their members to death.

In the late afternoon and early evening, go to the Vintage campground, near the southern or southeast side, and find an average looking maroon & silver Taylorcraft owned by my friend Suzy. It should have a bright green or orange colored ET alien sitting in the cockpit. Suzy and Roscoe and Bob and their various aviation friends will have the appropriate beverages chilled to the correct temperature at all times. This area of the campgrounds in particular was the most frequent, and most genuinely sincere, of all the stops Paul used to make. It's where I had the privilege of meeting him for the second time, and offering an apology for the first

Tell them I said hi.