It’s easy to get carried away with the imminent release of your favorite console, whether it’s the PlayStation 3 or its cousin, the Nintendo Wii. Yes, Twilight Princess’ motion-sensing sword thrusts and Resistance: Fall of Man screenshots have left us all jittery with anticipation, but freezing on the sidewalk is no way to spend the night.

For those of you who have pre-ordered your PlayStation 3 or Nintendo Wii, feel lucky to be able to survive the race at your Toys R’ Us or GameStop, allowing you to walk to your favorite store and waltz. For those with the desperation and the extra cash to spend an absurd premium to secure a PlayStation 3 on eBay, this article is certainly not for you (although I envy you).

For those in between, who forget to pre-order but are enthusiastic enough to camp out now that the time is near, there are a few essentials to remember before heading to the curb at Best Buy with your small tent and its thermos. .

Layers, friends, layers

As you will find more and more as you travel through life, your mother was right. For most of the country, mid-November can be quite cold. Sure, the lucky people in Miami or San Jose get a break, but the rest of us, especially at night, have a chance of getting a good cold. Lines, especially for PlayStation 3 with its predicted shortage at launch, are likely to form early, so get there early and bundle up. Dress for what you think it will be at night, not what it will be when you get there.

Social gaming at its finest

Choose your poison, whether it’s a Nintendo DS, a PlayStation Portable, a Game Boy Advance, or even some classic Game Gear goodness. Queue up to buy a Wii? You better believe there will be some Nintendo DS games online. Single cart download games like Mario Kart, Clubhouse Games or Metroid: Prime Hunters will no doubt provide some distraction as the hours go by and possibly make you literally the most popular person on the block.

Dig a little deeper

Yes, your local Best Buy or Walmart will have shipments of Nintendo Wiis or PlayStation 3s, but so will less sought after retailers like Sears, FYE, Costco, Sam’s Club, CompUSA, and other similar outlets. While those stores will have smaller initial shipments of each console (especially the PlayStation 3, which is sure to be sparse), the crowds will certainly be smaller.

Nintendo has given its Wii an edge in production and the shortage may be less pronounced than the PlayStation 3, but how can you let yourself be the first among your friends to get a random next-gen console?

Bundle up, bring entertainment, bribe your little brother or sister to run another station if need be, don’t forget to bring the plastic and you’ll have a better and more successful trip to the glamorous retail store curbside camp.

Oh, and bring a pillow.