It's hard to believe, but the 2015 edition SXSW is almost upon us -- the music festival kicks off on March 17 and runs through March 22.

As we all well know, SXSW has become a massive production, filled to the brim with live music, movies, panels and everything in between. With that in mind, it can become a bit overwhelming figuring out just where to begin and how to make the most of your time in Austin (thankfully, we also have a list of the best rock and alt-country shows happening to help you narrow down your vast options).

In the gallery above, we offer some survival tips -- from how to schedule your days, what to pack and more -- to ensure you don’t end up so overwhelmed you spend the week hiding in the corner of a bar somewhere in the Live Music Capital of the World -- because that would be downright tragic.

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