Grab a cooler and fill it with food and drinks (including extra water), and also some fun treats for yourself and the younger set. Bring any important medications along in anticipation of being stuck somewhere for a prolonged period. Other items to add to your packing list: lawn chairs, blankets, portable chargers, extra clothing in case it’s cold, hats, and sunscreen for your face (you’ll be staring directly at the Sun for hours). You should also prepare for internet outages; some locations will be rammed with high volumes of people, all vying for that precious phone reception.
On the equipment side, bring your cameras and memory cards — and make sure your cameras (or any other equipment) are fully charged and your memory cards emptied. Update any apps that haven’t been used in a while, and practice beforehand. Bring along tripods, solar filters, and a large white sheet for capturing shadow bands (more on this in just a bit). And for the love of gawd, don’t forget to bring the eclipse glasses.
On that note, you’ll want to make sure that each member of your group has their own pair of eclipse glasses (be sure they’re labeled ISO 12312-2). Sharing may be caring, but it could lead to people — particularly impatient children — wanting to catch a glimpse of the eclipse without protection.