Comic Con kicks off this week which means over 100,000 nerds will converge on San Diego to celebrate all things geek. If you haven’t attended the convention before just know that it’s definitely not a vacation. It’s basically a mission for us nerds: spending hours in line waiting to get into a panel with your favorite television show, pushing through an ocean of people to get through the Gaslamp Quarter, and basically just being at the mercy of the destroyer of dreams better known as Hall H. In order to avoid potentially starving in line or mistakenly taking a bite of that Puppycat cosplayer who’s starting to look like a delectable fluffy marshmallow (nom nom nom), Chixelate, a blog dedicated to all things nerdy, has created the Ultimate Food Guide to Surviving Comic Con.

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Pack Sandwiches

Super simple to make and even easier to pack, sandwiches will be your best friend at the con. The possibilities are endless, PB&J, Club, etc, you can make all your sandwiches ahead of time or just grab all your fixins and make them fresh daily.

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Instant Coffee Crack

Caffeine is a non-negotiable for Comic Con. If you want to survive those 4am alarms to make to the infamous Hall H line by 6am (real talk even that early might be too late) you’re gonna need some of that liquid crack. The coffee locations (aka Starbucks)  in and around the convention center charge a grip more than their downtown counterparts, my advice is to skip the line and just BYOC. It’s just easier to buy a box of instant coffee packets which mix with water to make instant coffee. The humidity in San Diego is wicked so you might want to opt for instant ice coffee versus regular.

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Candy

Regardless of how much caffeine you consume you’re probably going to crash at some point. Whether it’s in the middle of a panel or outside in line, the lack of sleep will come creeping up on you. In order to combat a case of the drowsies pack some of your favorite candy for a sugar rush. Personally, I’m a fan of sour gummy worms since they’re tart enough to shake you back into consciousness but gummy bears are my second go-to choice.

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Instant Noodles

Not the greatest thing for you but it’ll do the job. Chances are your hotel room has a coffee maker which you can also use to heat up some water. If you’re looking to save some cash to splurge on some sweet SDCC exclusives but don’t want to completely sacrifice a warm meal, instant noodles are the way to go. Around a quarter a piece, you can get a flat of enough maruchan to last you the entire four-day con for probably $5-$6. If you really want to get fancy why not bring some hardboiled eggs, Sriracha, and some spam to get that college ramen feel.

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Uncrustables, Just Like Ma Used to Pack

Sure, these things are marketed towards kids but you’re lying to yourself if you don’t love these things. PB&J’s just like mom used to make, but even better because it’s crustless. There’s even a peanut butter and honey one if you’re one of those weird kids who didn’t like jelly. These portable sandwiches are already individually packaged making them easy to throw into your backpack to munch on while you’re trolling the exhibition hall.

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Trail Mix AKA M&M’s Mixed with Some Other Stuff

Salty, sweet, and ultimately makes you feel better about eating candy since it’s mixed with healthy-ish stuff, trail mix is a great snack to have on hand. Sure, there’s legitimately healthy mixes with dried fruits, seeds, and nuts but ain’t no body got time for that. Gimme that Monster Mix chock full of M&M’s, almonds, and peanuts any day. Notice I skipped over the raisins because they’re gross and don’t belong in there.

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Lunchables

Lunchables aren’t super filling on their own so you might need to pack a few to fill yourself up throughout the day but with so many different options, that shouldn’t be hard. Bonus, they usually come with a drink and candy of some sort. Side note: the lunch meat ones are WAY easier to eat in the panels than the pizza ones. Don’t be that geek trying to build your three little pizzas in the confines of your seat. Do that shiz outside in line.

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Brotein Bars

Nah bro, we don’t even lift. Just in case you can’t grab a meal between panels, or just don’t want to drop $10 on a mediocre hot dog, protein bars are a perfect way to fill that hunger since chances are you’ll be stuck at the convention center for over 12 hours a day. I told you this wasn’t a vacation.

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Water – This is Not an Option

In case you didn’t know, water is the most important thing to keep on hand while at SDCC. If you bring a reusable bottle you can refill it as you please within the convention center and inside most panel halls. But if you’ll be outside in line for hours trying to get into Hall H or Ballroom 20 (aka all 100,000+ of us) it’s even more crucial for you to stay hydrated. The humidity is a bitch this time of the year and will make you want to die around 9AM. If you’re sick of water why not spruce it up with some of those concentrated water flavorer things, like MYO, Gatorade, or Crystal Light.