Camp Packing Tips

Updated: May 15, 2019
Get ready for camping with a handy list of packing tips.

Camp Packing Tips

What do you pack when you send your kid off to camp? Some parents ship their children out with enough stuff to equip Patton's 3rd Field Army. Other kids are lucky to leave home with a toothbrush and a change of underwear. Somewhere between the two extremes is a happy medium. Check our handy tips for the balance that's right for your child.

  • Call ahead for a list of recommended items. Every camp has different requirements.

  • No matter what they say, always pack an extra pillow case. Camp pillows and cases (when provided) are notoriously grungy.

  • Mark or label everything with your child's name.

  • Include a list of emergency phone numbers and email addresses.

  • If your child takes any medication, include the phone number of the physician in the event the prescription is lost and needs to be refilled by camp staff.

  • Pack a few family snapshots (a quick cure for homesickness).

  • Pack a disposable or inexpensive camera.

  • Pack several pre-addressed postcards WITH POSTAGE and encourage your child to write (but don't hold your breath).

  • Disposable flashlight.

  • Pack at least one set of warm clothing. The weather may not be kind, and the nights are always colder than you think they will be.

  • Send nothing to camp (except your child) that you can't afford to lose. Expensive music players, cameras, cell phones, and other gadgets have the annoying habit of breaking or disappearing.