Competition
In Case of Feis, Break Glass: A Family Feis Aid Kit
By ZandB, zandb.blogspot.com
So you’re ready to do some Feisin’ and don’t know what to pack?
Relax. Getting ready for a Feis is no more difficult than planning an expedition to Mount Everest, unless of course the Feis is in New Jersey.
Every weekend there are literally thousands of Feis Moms asking the same question of sleepy dancers all over the world, “Did you pack your hard shoes this time?” (Correct answer: “My hard shoes?”)
Download: 
Sample Feis Checklist
Pre-Feis Checklists
Pilots have preflight checklists and you should have a “Pre-Feis” checklist. “Good morning ladies and gentlemen, I’m your mother and I’ll be your Feis Mom for this Feis…”
Preparing for your Feis is easy if you remember the three P’s of Feis Preparation, which are:
1. Planning: Things you need to do at home before the Feis to make it a less hectic and more enjoyable experience.
2. Packing: The use of a simple checklist is the easiest method to maintain your sanity during this process.
3. OK, I’ve forgotten what the other “P” stood for and I’m certain it will come to me momentarily, but I’m sure you got the drift.
Planning
Before loading up the Feis Mobile, you obviously need basic information about the Feis such as location and start time. You should also review the Feis syllabus for any “Feis specific” instructions regarding parking, folding chairs, coolers, outside food, and the use of iguanas. True Feis fanatics will tell you that the “Holy Grail” of Feis information is a good stage schedule. More and more Feiseanna are posting “tentative” stage schedules with approximate competition times so you can arrive late in a timely manner.
At a minimum, you should also have the dancer’s competitor and competition numbers. When you get to the Feis, “acquire” a stage schedule and, highlight your dancer’s competitions and physically locate each stage early in the day so you can periodically track their status (if available, this is a favorite job for Feis dads; its simple, requires no prior training, and will amuse them for the entire day).
Polish the shoes and check out the dance outfit a few days before the Feis. Five minutes before the competition is not the time to discover that obstinate zipper.
Packing
Packing for the Feis is problematic in that you want to bring the “necessaries” but not overburden the pack mule. At a minimum, you’ll need to bring a dancer with appropriate foot wear and competition outfit. Beyond that, most experienced Feismaniacs use a “Feis Checklist” similar to the one attached.
A couple of points to consider:
Too much is not always a good thing. You have to haul everything from the parking lot to the designated “Irish Dancer Refugee Camp” or seating area and maintain some semblance of organization for the entire Feis. If you can recall the scene depicting hundreds of soldiers strewn across the railroad yard in “Gone with the Wind”, you have a basic concept how those areas look after a few hours.
A trip to your local “Container Store”, if you are blessed with one in your area, is a good start. They have every type of storage knick knack and bag imaginable. Small, see-through zippered bags or containers organized by category (hair supplies, make up, iguana toys) make “digging” for an item a lot quicker at the Feis. My daughter’s prized possession is one of those hanging cosmetic travel bags with a dozen or so see-through zippered compartments.
While you’re at it, pick up one of those heavy duty suction cup hooks. Make sure it’s strong enough to hold a dress bag or a bothersome younger sibling.
Nine hundred girls and six boys are dancing. Take one guess which rest room runs out of toilet paper first? Culkin Ceili flyers are not a satisfactory substitute for Charmin, so wise Feis-goers pack their own private toilet paper stash.
First Aid
A majority of a life threatening Feis emergencies involve the hair or wigs, so make sure you have appropriate supplies and extra mounting tackle. Foot injuries and sores are a common occurrence so the full range of foot related supplies that your dancer typically uses might be appropriate.
I’ve seen some first aid kits with enough supplies to perform emergency appendectomies on-stage. Common sense and your own particular needs will dictate the contents your own personal first aid kit. Do you need allergy medicine? Orthodontic wax?
If you have younger siblings along, make sure you travel in “self-entertainment mode”. Pack games, books, crayons, and other activity related items.
Superman can change out of his “mild mannered reporter” garb and into his outfit in seconds, but he needed a phone both. Superman was an amateur compared to Irish dancers. With limited changing areas at a Feis, make sure your dancer wears light, comfortable clothing that accommodates the “dance dress shuffle back hop zip stretch zip bend pull change routine” and practices the technique before the Feis. (Hint, tight fitting blue jeans and a long sleeve button-down shirt aren’t the best idea). Ask a more experienced Feis dancer for technique and tips.
Duct tape. Don’t ask me why, but everyone seems to need it. It must be good for covering botched appendectomy scars.