I'm back! (Tips, tricks and hints for adult 3-dayers)

Going to camp soon? Have questions about camp? Post them here for those that have gone to answer.

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Lin
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I'm back! (Tips, tricks and hints for adult 3-dayers)

Post by Lin »

Hi everyone,

I just got back from my first adult 3-day (squeeeee!) and it was a complete blast. I had a fantastic time. It was everything I hoped it would be.

Some of us on here talked about how camp offered little in the way of pre-trip communication, so I thought I'd put together some info while it's still fresh in my mind. I'm also happy to answer any questions anyone has.

In random order....

- I got in a day early and stayed at the Marriott across the parking lot. Nice hotel with very comfortable beds, though the restaurant food was expensive and just average. NOTE: The Marriott has a free shuttle from and to the airport. AND you can take it on your return trip to the airport even you spent the night before leaving at camp and not at the hotel. So for example, you get in Thursday night and stay only that night at the Marriott... check in at camp Friday and stay through Sunday... leave Sunday via the Marriott shuttle.

- Room service adds 18 percent on the top of the price of food at the Marriott. But if you just go downstairs, get the food to go and bring it upstairs yourself, no 18 percent.

- The airport is maybe 10 minutes away. Very short trip.

- Check in for adult three-day is noon. I was so excited that I walked over from the hotel at 10:15. It worked out really well and I highly recommend an early arrival for anyone who can do it. That extra time allowed me to get my room assignment and materials, make my bed, change into the camp t-shirt, explore the museum and grab lunch in the cafeteria. It also gave me a chance to chat with fellow campers and connect with members of my team. (YAY TEAM CHALLENGER!)

- It's been said here before, but it needs repeating-- Huntsville is HOT and HUMID. Very. VERY. So pack shorts. You'll think capris or jeans will be fine. You will be wrong. Pack shorts. Also, bring sneakers that you've already broken in and wear socks with them. (The heat and humidity make your feet stick to your shoes otherwise.)

- Although there has been a lot of talk about how cold the hab rooms can be, I had the opposite experience. Mine was sweltering the first night. So while it's a good idea to pack warm sleeping clothes, I also recommend packing light sleeping clothes.

- Backpacks are a godsend. Bring a small one if you can. It's great to carry water, schedule, lab experiment results, cell phone, snacks, sunglasses, Advil, etc.

- You don't need to bring a pen and notebook. Both pen and a pad of writing paper are provided.

- It's good to set your cell phone alarm and get up a few minutes before everyone else to grab the shower. At least this was my experience as a woman. If you can/like to shower at night, that will save you a ton of time in the morning and allow you to sleep a little later.

- The Hab pillows are not comfortable. If you can bring your own or a travel pillow that you think you can sleep on, do. You will get much more sleep.

- The Hab beds are designed for children. I'm 5'3" and could touch end to end. If you're tall, you're going to want to choose a bed you can hang your feet off of. Or sleep curled up.

- If you've pre-ordered a flight suit or other item, it will be available in the gift shop and you have to go get it. THIS IS WHERE COMING EARLY IS HANDY. Tight scheduling makes it very hard to get to the gift shop during the weekend (at least that's what happened with our team). So pick up your pre-ordered items first thing if you can. (If you can't, however, your instructor will find time for you to do it. I was able to dash over during a 15 minute window our instructor eked out for me between lunch and a mission.)

- Bring more than one towel and more than one size of towel. A beach towel works great for drying off after the shower, a washcloth is great for setting down your toothbrush or storing your soap, and a hand towel is great for drying hands, wiping off makeup, etc. Also, you will drop one of these three on the floor of the shower, and you will not want to use it after that happens, so the others can pull double duty when that happens.

- Shower stalls are very, very small.

- Bring soap. Bring a combination lock for the locker in your room. Bring Advil or other pain med and carry it with you.

- Bring dollar bills for the soda vending machine. You will want caffeine and you will be willing to pay $2.25 to get it. (Actually, you will be willing to pay a million dollars to get it, but the machines charge $2.25.)

- Bring a cell phone or camera. Your team members will be happy to take pics of you on simulators, especially if you return the favor. And the instructors are AMAZING about taking photos and videos of you, even while you're on an EVA in the middle of a mission to replace the antenna on a satellite. :)

- I wore my flight suit the very last day so I could have it on during graduation, and I'm glad I did. There were 12-15 people per team and 1-3 people on each team wore a flight suit. Because of this, I was very self conscious at first. Then people on my team started asking me where I got the suit. By the end of the day two or three others bought their own suits. :)

- If you pre-order a suit, they make a name patch for you and it's ready when you pick up your suit. I don't know if that's available if you don't pre-order. It might be, I just don't know.

- Space Camp is all about the new experience. You won't know what the heck you're doing at mission control. The multi-axis trainer looks scary. There's SO MUCH to learn. But just jump in! The people who had the most fun were the people who embraced the experience. Don't worry if you get the CAPCOM position and don't know what you're talking about or if you think you're going to look dumb on the 1/6th chair. It's fun! You'll love it! Enjoy. :)

Lin
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Post by p51 »

THANKS for posting all that!
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Steve
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Post by Steve »

Thanks so much for the post Lin, looking forward to camp!!
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Post by Lin »

Happy to help! :)

BTW, here's the schedule my team had:

FRIDAY
1:30 Program overview
2:00 Mission overview
2:30 Team photo
3:00 MCC tour/mission positions
3:30 Model rocket construction
5:00 Dinner
5:30 Shuttle anatomy
6:00 Alpha mission training
7:30 Space history highlights
9:00 Alpha mission
10:00 End of day

SATURDAY
7:30 Breakfast
8:00 Bravo mission training
9:30 Bravo mission
11:00 Aviation challenge (Flight simulator and centrifuge)
12:00 Debrief
12:30 Mission patch
1:00 Lunch
1:30 Charlie mission training
2:30 Multi axis and 1/6th chair
3:30 Charlie mission
5:30 Dinner
6:00 Model rocket launch
7:00 Free time
8:00 End of day (As team Challenger we went to Otter's Bar at the Marriott and designed the team patch.)

SUNDAY
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Space bowl (trivia game against all the teams)
10:00 Space Junk IMAX movie
11:00 Graduation
(Graduation ended around noon. Those of us who didn't need to leave immediately wandered through the museum or had lunch. At 2 there was also a tour of the Marshall Center. Tickets were $12 and a bus left from the museum.)
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Post by Hotdog »

GREAT posts Lin. I wish every new Space Camper that signed up on Hab1 came on and did this. Very informative.

Did you stay in Hab I or Hab II?

I will stop asking questions now!
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Post by SpaceCanada »

Thanks for the recap of your weekend. Sounds like a wonderful experience! I would love to hear what three missions you had and see photos if you have any. :)
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Post by p51 »

I am at camp with Steve on this forum right now, waiting to the Charlie mission.
So much of the advice here came in very handy!
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Post by Lin »

Hotdog wrote:GREAT posts Lin. I wish every new Space Camper that signed up on Hab1 came on and did this. Very informative.

Did you stay in Hab I or Hab II?

I will stop asking questions now!
I believe I was in Hab I. I'm not sure I know the difference between the two, though. I only remember seeing one Hab.
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Post by Lin »

SpaceCanada wrote:Thanks for the recap of your weekend. Sounds like a wonderful experience! I would love to hear what three missions you had and see photos if you have any. :)

Sure! I'll post photos as soon as I transfer them to my computer.

We had three missions. Honestly, I have no idea what the goal of the first two were. I was too busy trying to get my little role right (CAPCOM and then pilot) to realize what the heck was going on around me. :) The third I was a little more relaxed, though. That mission was to go up, fix a satellite, run some experiments, and land without killing one or all of us. :) Happy to say we made it! (With help from a very impressive flight surgeon, an awesome mission control and excellent pilot.)
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Post by Lin »

p51 wrote:I am at camp with Steve on this forum right now, waiting to the Charlie mission.
So much of the advice here came in very handy!
Can't wait to hear about it when you get back!! :D
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