Borrowed from Lanparty.com

" In brief, a LANParty is a gathering of people who all bring their computers, play video games together on a network, and eat nachos. The first thing people (usually parents or spouses) immediately ask is: Why would you want to do that? A computer is an expensive (and heavy) piece of precision electronics, one whose performance is negatively impacted by the accidental introduction of nacho cheese in the open CDRom drawer. But the fact is, a LANParty is the most fun you can have with your machine. (Aside from surfing dirty pictures on the net.)"

From the WIKI article on LAN Partys

"A LAN party is a temporary, sometimes spontaneous gathering of people together with their computers, which they network together primarily for the purpose of playing multiplayer computer games. These LANs come in various sizes, from the very small (2 people) to the very large (6,500+ people). Small parties can form spontaneously, but large ones usually require a fair amount of planning and preparation on the part of the organizer.

The term 'LAN party' is sometimes incorrectly applied to gaming centers and internet cafes. Although offering comparable services, LAN party events differ significantly in that they are generally BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) and are not permanently set up, more often taking place in general meeting places or residences."

The sort of equipment someone would take to a LAN party, be it a small or large one, includes:

• Computer
• Monitor
• Keyboard
• Mouse and mouse pad
• Headphones
• Microphone
• Power cables for monitor and computer
• Power strip
• Network cable
• Games with their respective CD keys and latest patches.
• Snacks and refreshments
• External hard drives for the exchange of files.