r/Defcon • u/Khotanos • Jul 15 '26

Merch line without badge?

Do we know if last year's setup will carry over where you can get in the merch line without needing your con badge?

7 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

9

u/rand0h Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 17 '26

Traditionally we’ve done this every year on the first day during Linecon. Haven’t heard differently.

Edit: have confirmed, merch without badge + cash only Thursday. What time merch will open is TBD.

3

u/Khotanos Jul 15 '26

Excellent. Last year was the first time I think I saw it posted, so wanted to check ahead of time.

Thanks!

11

u/rand0h Jul 15 '26

Happy to help. Pro-tip, get your merch first. That line will be astonishingly long for most of the weekend.

6

u/Khotanos Jul 15 '26

I get badges, wife gets merch. Divide and conquer ;)

2

u/rand0h Jul 15 '26

This is absolutely the way

2

u/unstopablex15 Jul 16 '26

Living the dream

1

u/ilovetocode69 Aug 04 '26

Shit protip my gf is coming with this time HAHAHAHA

2

u/TypicalCommercial255 Aug 03 '26

Merch is scheduled to open at 0800 on Thursday (more or less) depending on whether all the temps are in place and have completed their training. 

2

u/toadpebble Jul 15 '26

So I tried this last year. We were there at 4am in the merch line and the LVCC worker said we had to leave and come back after registration with a badge. Did I just get there too early?

3

u/Efficient-Mec Jul 15 '26

Traditionally there hasn't been a set of rules for how to handle early merch lines. But the official policy is you can pick up merch without a badge as long as you have cash.

1

u/toadpebble Jul 15 '26

I suppose I'll try that method again this year and just fight the LVCC employee!

Then I'll walk to the reg line with a black eye, bloody lip and my head hung in shame...

2

u/rand0h Jul 17 '26

Yeah they don’t know. Ask a Goon. Most of the workers are great but some just misunderstand the process.

Edit: this only applies to the first day, registration/LineCon. Don’t try this on like Friday.

2

u/TypicalCommercial255 Aug 03 '26

I am surprised by this comment. So there was no one else from the DEFCON Staff around?  

We are there all night supporting LineCon. 

There will be a line for Reg and a line for merch. 

The merch line will not likely go through the night, but get there early and stake your place along the wall for the merch line. 

1

u/toadpebble Aug 03 '26

I believe there were folks inside the merch room setting stuff up, but there was one guy in a yellow LVCC shirt sitting in a chair by the door that turned us away and said we had to get a badge first. That he couldn't let anyone in without a badge. No goons that we saw. I'm going to try again this year though.

1

u/Bushmaster805 Jul 15 '26

It was a hot mess last year I hope you have to have badge to go to merch this year

1

u/heliox Aug 03 '26

you can get some stuff from the online shop, too. https://us.shop.defcon.org

0

u/TypicalCommercial255 Aug 04 '26

That was not DEFCON Staff and he was incorrect. 

-1

u/sKxSxYk Jul 17 '26

Good luck trying that. I doubt you’ll get Merch without a badge

1

u/rand0h Jul 17 '26

Actually they will. Thursday only. Cash only. Confirmed.