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If you have never camped out for a launch date, then you have certainly missed out on a good chance to interact with other people with similar interests –or you are simply far too busy to spend overnight camping in front of a store.

Stephen Fry has been the first to say it, camping out is a cultural thing and there is certainly more to waiting for a product launch than commercialism at its finest. There have been more than a couple of hundred folks who were in line at Regent Street alone, and there were several other queues in other Apple store locations as well. While the lines may already seem huge, the fact that retailers such as Curry’s and PC World provided alternatives certainly helped cut down the size of the crowds to a more manageable size.

Apple store employees bravely faced the crowds, cheering on the many people who have lined up for the early opening of the store (they would clap for each customer who came in); as part of the iPad launch, the stores opened up at 8 in the morning –earlier than usual in order to let the folks who camped out at night to catch some rest later in the day.

Of course, there are also those who pre-ordered the tablet but have not been part of the early shipping; so instead of having to wait for more than a couple more weeks (estimates shipping is by June 7), some of these folks have decided to brave the lines as well. The longest amount of time some folks have waited reached as long as 16 hours (some reported 20), while the average wait time for many folks in the middle to the end of the queue was anywhere from 2 to 4 hours.

If you are one of the many people who have been planning to hang out and wait for the launch of the Apple iPad (which basically involves lining up in the long queues that will form outside of Apple’s stores), then you might want to follow these few simple tips that might just get you through the long wait.

First off, pack some entertainment. Nothing really makes a wait worse than the fact that you do not get to do anything productive during that time. A fully charged laptop, smart phone or other gadget will help, but be sure that your batteries have the power to last for several hours. The big tip here is to avoid playing resource intensive games on a laptop -the most recommended item you could possibly bring is a good book.

Now that you have got your sanity secured, it is time to keep yourself fit. A small bottle of water and an energy bar will do well. It pays to avoid bringing messy items as cleaning up might force you to leave your spot in the line. Of course, better make sure that all bodily needs have been satisfied before going to the line, the last thing you will need is an emergency rush to the nearest toilet.

Forget chairs; just bring a nice small blanket that you can drape on the floor. Even cheap ones would do, in fact, it is better that you just buy a cheap blanket that you can afford to throw away or just stash in your car’s compartment when you no longer need it.

If you can, bring a friend. If you are a tech fan who loves gadgets, chances are, you have made friends with similar interests and are hopefully, as eager to get the iPad. Nothing beats a long wait than a great conversation.