My Ultimate Camp Packing List

Packing is something that terrified me in my first year. As a self confessed lover of clothes, shoes and accessories, how on earth was I supposed to think of everything I might need for 3 months and fit it into one suitcase?! I soon realised that no one really cared, and as long as I packed some enthusiasm (and my travel documents), everything else could be sorted out once I got there.

But if like me, you will always obsess about packing, here’s a little trick sheet which also acted as my packing list for my second year!

CLOTHING

o Shorts - some camps insist on knee length shorts, my camp was a lot more flexible. But, as with everything on this list, you should absolutely make sure they're appropriate!

o T-shirts for work days - again like most camps we wore staff camp shirts on check in and check out days, but in between we could take our pick! Make sure shirts don’t have any provocative patterns or motives and it’s also worth picking shirts that don’t have your name on or any personal information (e.g university or sports team). We all had camp names so wearing a shirt with your real name kind of spoils the fun of that...) You’ll soon be in the trading post buying all sorts of camp merch. though so don’t worry too much!

o Pyjamas - again you want something that’s family and child appropriate and a mixture of lengths and thicknesses. Minnesota switches from cold to hot at night unbelievably fast and I never knew whether I'd be in a cabin with AC, so I was always glad to have extra layers.

o Outfits for days off - I didn’t pack anywhere near enough outfits for days off in my first year. I love clothes in my outside camp life and greatly underestimated how much better putting on a skirt or dress would make me feel on a day off. Even if I was just wearing it to Walmart, it made me feel more like me, so I’ll definitely be packing more nice clothes this year. Plus clothes for travel post camp travel!

o Raincoat – it thunderstormed sooo much! Activities don’t stop unless there’s lightning so I was definitely grateful for a decent raincoat.

o Longer trousers – although one of my main reasons for going to camp was that it was going to be warm, camp involves a lot of early mornings and late nights and it was often chilly in the mornings before breakfast or in the evenings during campfire. Leggings were a must!

o Jumpers/Hoodies - see above!

o Swimsuit – you have to wear one pieces around the kids so take a swim suit you can wear in the lake. No reason you can’t take a bikini for after camp or on all staff days off though!

SHOES

o Closed toed shoes! – everyone at camp with me will bear witness to the fact I hated my trainers! But trainers really are an essential at camp! A lot of activities such as archery, low ropes and camp fires require the children wear trainers, and of course as a staff member you should always lead by example!

o Flip flops – when I wasn’t having to wear closed toed shoes, I lived in flip flops! They were amazing for slipping on after boating (because putting socks on wet feet is gross…) and great for wearing in the shower. Also great for slipping on at 4am when a child wakes you up for a trip to the medical centre!

o Shoes for days off - again like it’s nice to have nicer clothes for days off, I loved putting on my sandals or ballet pumps when I was leaving camp.

Essentially the most important thing for footwear is choosing something that is practical and comfortable (wow can’t believe I just said that…). You know what’s going to be most comfortable for you! I know one girl who lived in wellies all summer and that was what worked for her! Camp involves a lot of walking, and you do NOT want to be that staff member in the med centre with blisters… Also I know I keep saying it, but I'll say it one last time: all camps are different so make sure you check with your camp as to what their policies are. One of my friends worked at a different camp and they had a very strict no Flip Flops policy so they all lived in Crocs instead...

HOW TO PACK

Light! – at my camp we moved cabins almost twice a week so a lot of time was spent lugging stuff through the woods. For crying out loud don’t take nice luggage… Also don’t underestimate the amount you’ll buy over the summer! I literally left half a suitcase at camp because I didn't have space to bring it home (bonus when I returned in 2nd year though to find a load of clothes I forgot I had!) And trying to pack in between saying goodbye to all your friends on the last day of camp is THE worst (picture evidence provided)

Suitcase vs Backpack – the incredibly famous debate… honestly there is no right or wrong. It will probably also depend on your travel plans after camp. Pick whatever you think is going to work best for you, bear in mind you might be moving around a lot and probably won’t unpack much ever (it’s way easier to live out of a suitcase than a backpack)

Packing cubes – more on the note of living out of a suitcase (or backpack!). In my second year I packed everything in separate packing cubes…Having a separate section for underwear, one for t-shirts, one for days off that you don’t want contaminated with mud and sand, can really have its advantages when you don’t have the time or energy to fold or organise anything and it makes living out of a suitcase so much easier!

Day Backpack – an absolute essential! Everything you need for the day will go in here. Raincoat, water bottle, clip board with all your plans, schedules, children’s medical documents, children’s daily meds such as epi pens and inhalers, towel for boating days, swimsuit, bug spray, sunscreen and so much more…again lead by example, you do not want to be that counsellor that has to trek all the way back to the cabins because they forgot something after telling the kids 400 times to make sure they have everything.

Laundry bag – it’s definitely worth packing (or buying once you get there) a bag to keep all your dirty stuff in. One that can actually go in the machine may be an added bonus as it will save you so much time and stress trying to figure what’s yours when you join up with someone else for laundry day!

HOW LONG TO PACK FOR

We LOVE Walmart! Anything you forget or run out of you can just pick up on a staff trip. In my second year we had one pretty much once every week! But as a rule I liked to have enough stuff to last me 2 weeks as it was never guaranteed I’d have time to do laundry, or that there would be someone to drive us off camp.

OTHER ITEMS YOU WANT

o Torch / flashlight - I loved my head torch as it meant I had my hands free to get dressed or journal when I was in a cabin with no electricity!

o Pens and notebooks (for planning fun sessions!) I’m taking some erasable pens for scheduling this year...gone are the days of messy schedules 😫 Keeping a journal helps so much, it’s a great excuse to take some time to yourself every day, destress before bed, organise thoughts and is really nice to read back when you’re missing camp.

o Board and card games (great for staff bonding, storm evacuations and rest hour). Most camps will have the basics like UNO, Monopoly, etc. but if there’s a particular game you love that won’t take up much space, chuck it in (I took Bananagrams last year and it went down a treat with my older kids).

o PAPERWORK! DO NOT forget your DS-2019, SEVIS receipt, Passport, insurance card, camp contract, addresses and contact details and any certificates you might need (life guarding, first aid…)

o Plug Adaptor + chargers - team up with other staff to buy an extension cable for that one plug that actually works!

o Tweezers - v important for tick removal (and keeping those eyebrows on fleek 💁🏻 )

o Sunglasses - absolute essential for by the lake! If you’re like me and end up sitting on, breaking, losing (or all of the above) all of your suglasses within the first few weeks of camp, take loads! 2nd year I took 7 £1 pairs from Primark and still had to buy more...

o Waterproof Camera - I absolutely loved mine and it was great for staff boating trips, sunset kayaking and catching all those hilarious paddle board trick fails!

o Watch - absolute essential for getting to activities on time! Find one you can set alarms on, make sure it’s waterproof and has a decent battery life.

o Something white to tie dye

THINGS YOU SHOULD BUY

In case you haven’t already clocked just how much I love Walmart (but not as much as I love Target), here’s another list of all the things you’ll likely pick up on your first trip.

o Bug spray – UK bought bug spray is nowhere near strong enough! All the mosquitos smell is tourist! You’ll need to pick up something a lot stronger…I was wearing 99.9% deet somedays and still being bitten to death…

o Extra trainers - they’ll cost like $15 and are always useful to have in case one pair are destroyed running in a thunderstorm (it happens believe me)

o Shower gel, shampoo, sun cream and other toiletries

o Tide Pods - most camps will have washing machines, but you’ll need to provide your own detergent.

o Towels - seriously, towels cost like $4 but take up so much space in your luggage. Just pick a couple up a good old Wallyworld (Walmart) then you can leave them at camp or chuck them when you leave!

o Travel cup - if you’re a caffeine addict like me, this is another essential! It was always great to be able to take a coffee with me to the first activity after breakfast or take a hot chocolate to keep me sane whilst waiting for my kids to go to sleep!

Homesickness will soon become your least favourite word at camp and staff can get it too! I found that it was usually towards the middle of the three months, when I was running very low on sleep, missing proper home cooked meals and Cadbury's Dairy Milk and just wanted to sleep in my own bed! My life saver was something very simple, that I've always taken away with me. Whether it was school trips, boarding school or camp...

A pillow case from home – a pillow case takes up literally no space in your suitcase and makes that one week, when you feel super down and a bit homesick (everyone has one, no matter what you think in advance or how hard you try) that much better! Spray the pillow case with something that reminds you of home, keep it in a zip lock bag and then when that week or day arrives you’ll have a little bit of home comfort to make you feel better!

OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Medication – though the US have possibly the largest collection of over the counter meds than any other country in the world, if you use certain things regularly or think you might need them, it is worth taking them with you.

Paracetamol for example. The American substitutes are so strong! I took a Tylenol once and it nearly wiped me out!

Likewise antihistamines. If you need hay fever medication, or simply something against all the bug bites I’d again recommend bringing something from home. Once again, Benadryl makes you crazy drowsy which is not helpful when you’re struggling to stay awake anyway.

Lost Luggage - for some reason airlines love loosing camp staff members' luggage... both summers there were people who made t to camp without their luggage! It's not a massive issue, because there's always Walmart or the chance to borrow stuff until your suitcase is delivered but I like to pack a spare T-shirt, toothbrush, underwear and a pair of shorts in the bottom of my hand luggage just in case.

AND FINALLY…

Take every packing list you see (including this one!) with a pinch of salt. Every staff member, every camp, every role requires something different. You know better than anyone else what is going to work for you. The biggest question is what is going to make you feel comfortable? There are 110 things to worry about and remember at camp and you do not want one of them to be not feeling happy or comfortable.

Go with your gut, listen to your returners and don’t panic because seriously, Walmart has everything! Not to mention the fact that camp people are some of the best people you’ll ever meet. I cannot think of a single time I needed something I couldn’t borrow off someone else, whether it’s a squirt of deodorant cause I’d run out, a towel cause I left mine at the lake, a t-shirt because all mine were covered in glitter or a spare pair of socks cause I’d miscalculated laundry day. Your camp family will ALWAYS have your back!