by , 7:30 AM EDT, June 29th, 2007

The day has finally come. It's June 29: iDay, and if you want to be the first on your block to own a shiny new iPhone, you are going to spend some time standing in line today. If you take some time to plan ahead, you can make your evening of chaos shopping experience a little more pleasant.

Shop Early, Shop Often
Apple and AT&T retail stores will have a limited supply of iPhones on hand for launch day, so odds are you'll want to show up early to increase your chances of getting one. Apple stores will be closing at 2 p.m. local time, and AT&T stores will close at 4:30 p.m. Both companies will reopen their stores at 6 p.m. to start selling Apple's combination iPod and smartphone.

Apple is limiting customers to two units each, and AT&T stores are limiting iPhone purchases to one per person. If you were planning on buying several, think again - or get your friends to go with you.

Always Be Prepared
Many Apple and AT&T stores are outdoors, so be ready for the weather. If you are expecting sunny or hot weather, consider sunscreen to avoid sunburns, and drink plenty of water. Early risers planning on standing in line all day should pack something to eat and drink, and if you can convince a friend to be a food and drink runner, even better.

Some locations may prohibit forming lines early. Find out before you show up if you can wait, or if you will get chased away.

Plan for the Worst, Hope for the Best
Just because you wait in line all day doesn't mean you'll walk away with an iPhone. If your local store runs out of stock before you get yours, remember that more are on the way. Before trekking back out again, check the Apple Web site to see if any iPhones are available at your local store.

Also, Apple will start selling the iPhone online at 6 p.m. pacific time on Friday. If you aren't all that excited about standing in line, and you don't mind waiting a couple of days for your iPhone to arrive, consider ordering yours online.

A little planning, just like the lines of shoppers waiting for an iPhone, goes a long way. Be sure to get your plan together ahead of time, and if you are feeling generous and want to buy a second iPhone for that someone special, I'm hoping for the 8GB model.