Lots'o black, Tantek... lots. Halfway there already as I'm crashing with a buddy in SF before hitting the airport tomorrow. Good thing I packed most of what you suggested, even down to the Burt's. Safe travels, everyone.

I would add to the list ( given the weather forecast ) a heavy coat, be it a high tech North Face type or politically incorrect leather jacket ). Does compiling with the suggested apparel color automatically make you part of Team Black? Or is it like Fight Club and you are merely assembling an army of Space Moneys?

Great list, Tantek! Not sure about the whole black thing but you've included little gems that I apply whenever I'm on the road (the Airport Express, etc.)

Re: A digital cam, I'm on the look out for a new one but can't believe that there still isn't one that talks directly to Flickr through WiFi -- where's my jetpack?

(Interesting use of Pownce for blog comments, btw.)

Tantek.. great list though it is all a bit black and colors or white can work too.

One think I think you forgot to mention is gym clothes. I always pack one set, with two sets of sports underwear, and then work out every morning in my hotel. Keeps the whole nightly party thing in balance and helps me sleep better. Gym shoes can be the same comfortable shoes you run around in for daytime in Austin.

Also, I find that the further away from the hotel the conf center is, the more it's a hassle the change day to eve, so that changes the packing as well.

tantek. . . you should not encourage other people to wear black jeans. you rock them, but in general, they should be buried. deep. somewhere tricky.

Very black, my dear. ;) But an excellent starting point nonetheless. Since I'm female, I typically pack several pairs of the same pants (I packed 3 pairs of black pants for the 5 days I'll be here), two pairs of shoes that work with all my outfits, and one funky-cool shirt for every day I'm here. Plus my supah-cute silk jammies for the girls' slumber party. :D

I would add: EVDO modem card (essential - I don't rely on hotel connections); extra laptop battery (even with 5 hours of battery life, it's worth it), and videos on my laptop for the plane trip. I downloaded 4 hours of video content from a seminar I recently missed as FLV and downloaded the codec so I could play them directly from my hard drive. I watched a couple of them on the plane. Very worth it.

I usually bring some silly fiction books for the plane, too -- nothing too intense or heavy. This time around I bought a copy of "The Economist" as well.

My favorite thing that I agree with you with is the noise-cancelling headphones. LOVE them. One of my favorite ever purchases.

Adding the 'girl' perspective,
-Erica

Seeing this post has been a real eyeopener. I quote:

plain black shoes (must be very walkable, I'm very happy with my Keens, and apropos for SXSW, they even have a new "Austin" model which I may just have to pick up).

Well I guess I'm not going since the only pair of shoes I own both have holes in their soles. I glad I have a crappy $1000 car so I can drive to the shops or drive my wife to the doctors. Hopefully I don't get evicted from my rented house when my budget go into the red in June.

I guess you may have lost touch with reality. Luckily I have a car or partially decent shelter or a pair of shoes not falling apart, unlike some 1,000,000,000 other people in this world.