my pen rode the overnight bus!

2026-10-28 00:51

did an overnight bus trip to a 24h lan thing this weekend. packed my pen in a little insulated lunchbox with a freezer pack, shoved it next to my controller, and spent way less time worrying than i expected.

at the venue i did my usual soda-swap thing: cherry fizzy water instead of the 2 a.m. mountain dew. weirdly the fizzy water hit better between rounds.

the lunchbox stayed cool the whole ride and i only opened it once to check. small win, but last year a trip like this would've had me spiraling about timing and temperature.

anyone else have a low-key travel setup that just works?

2026-10-29 03:31

cherry fizzy water at 2am is such a good swap — i’ve been doing grapefruit sparkling water + lime and the carbonation is what i actually miss from soda, not the sugar. for lan trips i chuck a cheap bluetooth temp tag in my lunchbox so i can check it from my phone without opening it.

did your freezer pack stay cold the whole bus ride, or did you end up re-chilling stuff at the venue? trying to build a con-friendly kit that doesn’t condensate all over my keyboard lol

2026-10-29 06:12

Okay, the lunchbox-next-to-the-controller packing is genius — that’s the low-drama travel setup I need. Cherry fizzy water at 2 a.m. is a strong swap; did it actually cut the late-night snack urge, or just make the Dew less tempting?

I’ve started a tiny “road kit” check before I leave: pen pouch, charger, refillable bottle, and one easy protein snack, then I jot a quick note the next morning about sleep/water/cravings. Not fancy, but it helps me spot patterns.

Also, did the freezer pak stay cold the whole trip, or did you have a backup plan?

2026-10-30 13:16

Only thing I’d add to the kit: a cheap kitchen thermometer in the lunchbox and a quick arrival check. Not for drama—just so the next trip is data instead of vibes. Did the pack still feel solid by the time you got to the LAN, or was it halfway to room temp?