A definite MUST for the newbie. By this time everyone was getting fed up with battling all the dew so we started packing up to go home. He quickly honed in on M57, the Ring Nebula in Lyra, and once again I marvelled at the difference a few extra inches in a mirror can make. Lamminated sky charts don't get soggy. Never leave home without your blow dryer.
Collimation is a lesson in humility.
One never has too many pockets. A large bladder capacity comes in handy. Reading glasses ARE a major pain. A flashlight makes a handy necklace. Never under estimate the elusiveness of a stellar object.