So what do you need to do to make the most of your bash experience? Here are some tips from repeat offenders. See something missing? Drop us a line and we'll add it.
Plan. Bash is pretty hard not to have fun at. But the more you plan, the better time you'll have. Make sure to pack your essentials for caching and camping, but if you do forget something important, Walmart is just a couple miles down the road.
Register. It's free to come and you don't strictly have to register. It does help us plan, but more importantly - it helps you at the event.
Book your lodging. We take camping reservations until about 3-4 weeks before the event, after which we usually have plenty of camping left - but it will cost $15 more at the door than booking online. Plus if you book ahead, you can show up any time - even after hours. If you need at the door camping, you'll need to plan to arrive when we have the front gate staffed. Hotels fill up too (often months ahead!), get your preference by booking early.
Check the Event Schedule - Our event schedule changes right up to the last minute, so check it out often to see new stuff and stay abreast on schedule changes and cancellations. Many people make plans around the schedule, such as planning caching trips during the Poker Run on Friday, or delaying lunch on Saturday to get in that winning bid at the Silent Auction, or anything else that could help you win a cool prize :)
Pull a GPX (Pocket Query). You can run 1000-cache pocket queries now so you can plan on plenty of caching. Set it up now, run it and take a look at what you might want to do for caching. Plan your "must dos" for on-venue and also for off-venue caching. Plan around the schedule to make the most of your visit. Make sure you refresh your pocket query a few days before the event, or right before "hitting the road". New caches always pop up right around event time!
Bring Your Pathtags! - There will be lots of people trading tags at MWGB, more than any other event! Many people make unique designs just for the event, so be sure to bring enough to trade. Bring your pathtags and swap with the event team to get yourself a limited edition MWGB pathtag! Only available during the pathtag exchange.
Bring a chair. If you can, bring a camp chair. Something nice to sit around a fire for hours in. You'll want it.
Bring sunscreen and bug spray. Most stuff is outdoors - so are the sun and bugs.
Bring a bike. If you have space for one, you might enjoy this to get around with. The fairgrounds are pretty big, and depending on where you camp the walk to the Spangler Arena might not be short. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the grounds except for volunteer use.
Don't forget your GPS or make an off-line list! - Cell signal can be spotty at and around the fairgrounds, so don't rely on your phone service only if you're planning to cache.