I don’t recall what I took in my bag the first time to the hospital when we had Sloane, but I did try to pay a little more attention the second time around. There’s tons of advice for what mothers should pack, but what about the dad? The first thing you need to know is that labor, for the father, is boring — very boring.

With that in mind, here’s what I actually used this time around, what I needed, and what I packed but didn’t touch. I am not posting this to tell you what to pack, just to offer: “oh yeah” type stuff.

What I Used

• Camera: I packed the Fuji X-E2, and used the crap out of it.
• 35 f/1.4 R Lens
• 23 f/1.4 R Lens
• Joby Gorillapod (I knew the hospital offered a great view of downtown, so I brought that for some long exposures.)
• Pepsi: Yeah, you’ll want to pack some caffeine so you don’t have to go hunting for it.
• iPad
• iPhone
• Chargers for the iOS devices.
• Snacks: Granola bars, candy, anything that kept my hands clean and provided me with something to eat (i.e. no Doritos).
• Tissues: Most hospitals will have them, but still, I have nasal issues.
• Toothbrush & Toothpaste
• Gum/Mints

What I Needed, But Didn’t Have

• Pen: I forgot one, and man is there a lot of things to fill out and sign.
• More water: I only packed a liter, that wasn’t enough. It’s readily available, but the point is to bring it so that you can focus on the one in labor.
• More tissues.
• Slippers: my feet got really swollen and tired, but who wants to walk on hospital floors in their socks? Not me. Slippers would have been great. Really great.
• CP Filter: for the long exposure. I meant to pack it, but forgot it.

What I Packed, But Didn’t Use

• Change of clothes. Had we been there longer I would have used them.
• Battery-based chargers for my devices. Just didn’t need them.
• 18-55 f/2.8-4 lens: too slow.
• 27mm f/2.8: too slow
• Full toiletries bag.
• Cash: for some reason I remember needing it the last time, but I really didn’t need it at all this time.

The first time I packed a backpack. This time I went with a small duffle bag: it was a bit too small. I’d advise packing something with extra room for the trip home (mine was stuffed to the brim from the get go).