Typical club expectations for personal equipment?

hi all

So far I've only been playing online, but I hope to start to going to local chess club meetings at some point. Naturally I want to be prepared with my own gear, so I figure I should bring at least a board, pieces, and a notepad of some kind. Beyond those, what would a typical club expect me to bring? The biggest question mark is whether I should invest in a game clock; I've never had to use one.

Most people need a set and a clock.  Notepad is optional but clock is not.  However, just go a few times.   If every player brings all that stuff, you have twice as much stuff as you need.   Go a few times and play with your opponents' boards and clocks etc to see what they are using and so on.  No one is going to complain that you lack stuff for a while.

Any established club is likely to have enough boards and pieces for anybody. As for scoresheets, the organizers have provided those at every tournament I've ever been to.

Clocks may be a different matter. Our club has a number of cheap old analog clocks that anyone is welcome to use, but serious players will want to bring their own digital clock. I always bring my clock, along with two pens (I believe in having a spare).

I believe having pieces, board and clock are the minimum.  And having a scorebook certainly does not hurt.  Of course a case to hold it all is necessary.

Using the club's equipment is fine but that is usually cheap stuff.  Also what if you want to meet a friend for some friendly games at your local Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, Panera, or other cafe?

I would get a weighted plastic set as they are not expensive and work better than the unweighted ones.

Of course a vinyl board is standard and not expensive either.  I would buy a spiral bound scorebook to keep your rated game scores in.  This way you can refer back to them to play over your games for learning.  Once again these are not expensive.

A digital clock is also necessary for delay and increment.  For this I would suggest either the ZMF-II, Omcor or DGT North American clocks.  I have owned them all at one time or another and can tell you they are all great for your first clock purchase.

A standard equipment bag can hold it all in one place for easy storage and transport.

Places like The House of Staunton, Wholesale Chess and The Chess Store all sell combos as sets.  The House of Staunton starts at the very basic and goes all the way to wood pieces and boards in the sets.

^^ exactly what Eyechess said.

Most chess clubs don't require timed games. From my experience, those players who do bring their own clocks. If you want to be prepared for whatever comes (impromtu games at coffee shops, etc.), you can get a quality chess kit for under $99. Cheaper if you opt for a cheaper plastic set.

1) Premier Tournament Chess Set, Board & Bag (Wholesale Chess) - $49.99 with free shipping.

https://www.wholesalechess.com/shop/chess-sets/tournament-chess-sets/premier-tournament-chess-set

2) DGT North American Chess Clock (Chess Geeks) - $42.75 with free shipping (on clearance).

https://www.chessgeeks.com/digital-clocks/dgt-north-american-chess-clock?utm_medium=pla&utm_source=google&sku_id=520&dg=a&gclid=CL_qn4y9xs8CFQwUgQodrhoIQg

3) Add a couple of scorepads for $1-3 and you're all set.

4) Free pen from your local bank.

Thanks for all the info, guys. It's about what I expected. I'm not sure if the club that I'm nominally a member of (basically just via their Meetup.com page, although I've not attended yet) carries around a cache of spare boards, clocks, etc. They just meet on Saturdays at a local Panera. Maybe at first I'll just hop over there, discreetly introduce myself, and observe the proceedings over a sandwich and coffee. :-)

Personally, although I will likely splurge for a digital clock for regular use, I have a hankering for an analogue one too. They're just cool. Those old Russian ones they have listed on eBay appeal to my old-school retro tendencies.

If they use a meetup page and meet at a Panera, I would assume that they have no equipment beyond what the players bring. Plan accordingly.

Some tournaments require digital clocks, for the delay/increment feature. If you have an existing analog clock, that's nice and fine - but if you're getting a new clock anyway, you really should make it digital.

Yes, it has been my experience that most clubs do require clocks.  But you must remember that Lou Balch lives in Wisconsin...humor...It's a joke boy...get it?!?

Of the three clocks available in the $50 ish price range, I think the DGT NA is your best bet.

I would still get a weighted plastic set, vinyl board, spiral scorebook, and case along with the clock. 

Meeting at a Panera's means that unless someone hauls the club's equipment to the place, the players need to provide it.  Sure, one set handles 2 players, but having your own is really nice.

Here's a $69 combo price for the DGT NA, Triple weighted plastic set, board and case from The House of Staunton as USCF Sales because of a discount.

http://www.uscfsales.com/chess-sets/tournament-chess-sets/deluxe-dgt-north-american-chess-set-combination-14067.html

And they currently are having a 20% sale.  Use the code, "Save20" and this brings the price down to something like $55.

Almost everyone here is speaking of American clubs. In America, most clubs expect their members to bring standard sets, such as what others have said. In Europe, many clubs provide all the materials, as do the tournament organizers.

Most of the advice here is reasonable and should be considered.  However, you will not go wrong with Eyechess' recommendations.

Plan ahead: get a proper chess set (pieces and board) and a digital clock. Some stores sell a combo of those in a nice bag.

Now you're ready to go to a tournament too.

But don't buy a Russian white plastic chess clock. They are terrible. Better get Garde.

I still like Chronos clocks, but NM ZaidejasChEgis  offers excellent advice. 

this is my set up. pieces the cheapest plastic piece. board the silicone green one and clock chronos gx.

btw, my advice for Garde is only for an analog clock. At my (ours) club we have DGT North America as digital clocks. We've used them at 8 weekend openers already.