Suggested Packing List

Lakeside Lab is a place where you end up spending a lot of time outside. Iowa is a state with a lot off different weather in the spring and summer. During your time on campus, it will likely range from cold to hot, and from dry to humid on any given day. So be prepared with layers and weather-related gear based on your own preferences and tendencies.

Lakeside also gets quite dark at night. There are not a lot of lights installed in order to reduce the amount of light pollution put out by the lab. So bringing a headlamp is useful.

Your room will include linens for the bed, a comforter, pillows, towels, and washcloths. You’ll need to bring soaps, shampoos, and other toiletries. You might consider bringing an extra blanket or sleeping bag for especially cold nights (or in case a spontaneous camping trip occurs, which has been known to happen). Most of the buildings on campus, especially our housing buildings and studio lab, are often reflections of what the weather is like outside. The rooms have small heat registers and small A/C units. The stone lab studio has a strong natural insulative quality from the stone but it is not temperature or humidity-controlled. Please take this into account when planning what supplies you’ll bring.

Lakeside has laundry facilities. $1 to wash, $ .75 to dry. You need to provide your own laundry supplies or ask someone to share.

You need to bring everything to make your work or do what you plan to do while on campus.

Depending on your residency dates, please plan accordingly by reviewing historical weather data and consider the below list a suggestion.

May can be cold and rainy. Early season residents want to be sure to bring:

Extra layers / jackets / fleece / hoodie / etc
Stocking cap
Gloves/mittens
Warm socks
Long pants

June and July can be warm-hot and humid

Sunscreen / Sun cover
Bathingsuit
Sandles

Iowa has ticks and bugs

Bug lotion/spray, non-DEET
Suggestion: treat clothes w/ Permethrin
Headnet

Any time of summer

Rain gear
Outdoor shoes, extra shoes, sandals, hiking boots, rubber boots
Headlamp / flashlight
Travel coffee mug
Water bottle
Wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
Laundry soap
Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc

Bring camping gear if you want to camp out anywhere in the area.

Bike: Lakeside Lab is directly on a paved multi-use path that encircles West Okoboji Lake. The Lab has a couple of bikes to borrow but some artists have enjoyed bringing their own bikes.

Water activities.

Lakeside has 2 docks and no beachfront. One dock is for the kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards which you are welcome to use anytime it is safe to use them, and they aren’t being used by a class. The other dock is for powerboats. Swimming is allowed off this dock when conditions are safe.

“Artists and scientists are both asking questions about the world, they’re just doing it in different ways”
Alex Braidwood
Director, Iowa Lakeside Lab Artists-in-Residence Program

MEMBER