Hey, Camp Lovers!

At Everything Summer Camp, we believe the best job in the world is to work at a summer camp. The reasons to be a camp counselor are endless. In fact, it would be much easier to make a list of reasons NOT to be a counselor as that list would be very short! Working at a summer camp gives you the opportunity to relive your own childhood (or recreate it, if you never got to go to camp yourself). You participate in all the crafts, songs and activities that your campers participate in. S’mores and other treats will most likely become a staple in your diet. In other words, you get to be a little kid all over again. Speaking of little kids, your campers will most likely come to adore you. They will also think that you are one of the coolest adults they know (of the 20 adults they know).

You become responsible for a community that looks up to you and respects you. There aren’t very many things more rewarding than that. In the course of a summer, you get to witness your campers grow and develop new thoughts, ideas and skills. You can teach someone something new that they will keep with them and remember for the rest of their lives. You can watch a shy and nervous child on day one turn into a social butterfly on the last day and know that you had something to do with that. You also have the chance to reinvent yourself. By putting yourself out there, you can push the boundaries of your own shell and focus on skills that you want to cultivate. Working at a summer camp is a great place to hone your communication skills, organizational skills, and of course learn how to tie knots and tie dye. While you are busy “working” to create special memories for your campers, chances are that you’ll leave with some memorable experiences yourself.

At Everything Summer Camp, we have a wide selection of everything your campers need to make summer camp memorable and fun but we also have everything that you need as a counselor to make sure that you have some memories to take away with you as well. As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Parents!

Staying organized can be a challenge for adults, and it’s no different for young campers. Imagine your child is at summer camp, and it’s time for the long hike into the woods. 

The sunscreen and insect repellent are somewhere, but they just can’t find them in their bag or on the floor. All the other kids are walking toward the trailhead. It’s time to go, so they leave without it, and when the counselor asks whether everybody remembered to put on sunscreen and insect repellent, they’re too embarrassed to do anything other than stay silent.

Your child will be more likely to enjoy their time at summer camp, and you’ll feel more confident about their time away from home if you help them to avoid situations like this.

We’ve developed five tips for staying organized at summer camp. These are easy to do, and don’t require you or your child to be a summer camp expert!

1. Do as Much Camp Preparation Ahead of Time as Possible.

Begin making lists and shopping months ahead of time to make sure you have your bags, lists and labels finished with plenty of time to spare. If you need a trusted guide for all your camp preparation questions, make sure to check out our Summer Camp Handbook.

Remember the time you were upset with your child for waiting until the last minute to do that homework assignment? This is an excellent chance to model the benefits of preparation.

2. Have Organizer Bags, Containers, or Compartments for Camp.

Make it easy on your child to pick out clothes and find other items by using bags, containers, or compartments.

For smaller children and shorter camp stays, you can put each day’s outfit into a separate small bag, like packing cubes. These reusable packing containers make keeping clothes organized so easy for kids. 

When it comes to toiletries, medications, batteries, and anything else that needs to be easily identified, one and two gallon plastic freezer bags make an excellent affordable option you may already have around the house. Even better, you can label these plastic bags with permanent markers.

If you’re planning a lot of camping, we recommend a pop-up soft trunk. Soft trunks feature multiple pockets and compartments to keep clothing and gear neatly organized. 

Take the time to walk through with your child how to best organize their main luggage for camp once you’ve decided everything to pack. This will help them to keep in mind the system they have for remaining organized even if it gets a little messy by the end of camp.

3. Pack as Little as Needed for Camp.

The truth is over-packing for camp is typically the result of parental anxiety. Don’t spend too much time and energy obsessing about being prepared for every possibility and worrying that your child won’t have enough clothes. Younger children in particular won’t care if they end up wearing the same clothes more than once.

Remember, the more stuff your child has to keep track of, the more likely they are to lose something.

4. Label Everything Packed for Camp.

Packed as little as needed? Great, now it’s time for labeling. When you label all the items you send up, your child is less likely to lose them, and there is less of a chance of a dispute between two children about to whom something belongs.

Labeling individual bags is a good idea, too. That will increase the chance the items in each bag, whether toiletries or medicine, will make it back into the right bag when your child is done using them.

5. Send a Checklist to Summer Camp.

Sending a list of everything your camper brought to camp will make it easier for them to pack up when it’s time to leave. 

You can further organize checklist items into categories like: clothing, toiletries, bedding, and personal belongings. This can make the repacking process much smoother for a young camper. The most important thing is to make sure you and your camper both understand each item on the checklist.

Sometimes there are some items your camper won’t have to bring back from camp. Consider making a repacking list that excludes these items that may end up used up or thrown away before it’s time to pack for departure.

Stay Organized and Have Fun at Summer Camp.

Staying organized will help your camper focus on having fun at Summer Camp. Less time trying to find the right clothes or gear, and more time making friends and memories. And as a parent, you won’t have to worry about them accidentally leaving behind any expensive camp gear or their favorite clothing.

We love a win-win like that. As always, thanks for reading and happy camping!

- John, Everything Summer Camp

Hey, Camp Folks!

As a kid at summer camp, the last thing you want is bed bugs in your bunk or cabin (as a parent, the thought of bed bugs near your child isn’t exactly comforting either). Because many summer camps are located in rustic, remote locations that often lack modern amenities—and because camps harbor kids from vastly different regions of the globe—they are at an especially high risk of bed bug infestations. In this short guide, our summer camp experts here at Everything Summer Camp give you tips and tricks on how to prevent bed bugs from infesting your bed and belongings at summer camp. Read on to learn more, and shop brand-name summer camp products with us today!

Keep Your Space Clean
We realize that this first tip can be a bit tough to do at summer camp. After all, the great outdoors is dirty by nature. Still, it’s important to keep your space clean and uncluttered. Doing so will greatly reduce the number of hiding spots for bed bugs in your cabin or cot. (Parents, you may want to pack a portable vacuum to clean your child’s space before dropping him or her off for the summer.)

Protect Your Belongings
Believe it or not, bed bugs are almost always brought into summer camp by people, not the great outdoors. With this in mind, you should always take great care to keep your belongings separate from other people’s stuff. (You never know who may have a bed bug or several hiding in their bedding or clothing.) Keep your laundry in its own laundry bag and store clothes, blankets, and other personal items in your own camp trunk. Also, consider investing in a specialized bed bug-repelling mattress cover like those from Bed Bug 911.

Wear Insect Repellent
While insect repellent is most effective at repelling outdoor insects such as mosquitoes and ticks, it can also be effective at keeping bed bugs off of your body. Bed bugs spread into spaces by a hitching ride on clothing and luggage — they’ll be less inclined to do so when bug repellent products are applied liberally.

Learn More
Want to learn more about how you can prevent bed bugs in your space at summer camp? We’re here to help you out. Contact our team to speak with one of our summer camp experts directly!

As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Hikers!

The great outdoors plays a large role in many summer camps. Some camps feature swimming, while others focus on sports or sight-seeing. One of the most common summer camp activities is hiking, which allows campers to see the great outdoors all while learning valuable skills in self-sufficiency on the trail. To help prepare for your hiking-intensive summer camp, it’s important to take necessary precautions to maximize safety while out in nature. In this guide, our summer camp experts here at Everything Summer Camp put together a short checklist of safety tips for hiking at camp. Read on to learn more, and order all of your necessary summer camp supplies from our online store today!

Protect and Hydrate
Hiking is physical activity, which means that you’re putting in some form exertion while doing it. For this reason, it’s important to not over-exert yourself during a hike. It’s also important to carry water with you to stay hydrated at all times. And since hiking takes place in the great outdoors, you’ll want to be sure to wear clothing that offers necessary sun protection without being too bulky. Also, make sure to pack and apply ample amounts of sunscreen and bug spray.

Bring Snacks, Bandages, and Buddies
During long hikes, your body needs both water and food. That’s why it’s important to pack a few healthy snacks alongside your water for refueling when you need it. You’ll also want to pack a first aid kit complete with bandages, medications, and other medical supplies in case of an emergency. For inexperienced hikers, it’s also very important to hike with a buddy at all times. This can help you in the event of an unforeseen accident.

Learn More — Contact Us!
Want to learn more about staying safe while hiking? Our summer camp experts here at Everything Summer Camp will be happy to answer any questions you might have. Contact us directly here to get in touch with a member of our team. And for the industry’s best summer camp gear at the Internet’s lowest price prices, shop right here on our website today!

And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

So you’re going on your first hiking trip at summer camp and you’re not sure what you should pack and what you should leave behind. This camp hike packing guide should help give you a start in the right direction when filling your backpack for a trek. The first rule of packing for a hike is to make sure that you don’t over pack. Remember that you’ll be carrying your backpack almost the entire time and you don’t want to be weighed down with a bunch of unnecessary items that you probably won’t even use. Leave plenty of room for the necessities and try not to bring too many things that you don’t need.

The Necessities
Begin with a good, solid hiking backpack. You want a pack that is big enough to hold all of your supplies but is still comfortable to wear for several hours throughout the day. Make sure that you test it out before you leave for your hiking trip. You’ll need to have somewhere to sleep, so don’t forget your sleeping bag, tent (if you need it), and maybe a sleeping pad if you have enough room. Bring two bottles of water as well as the food and utensils you’ll need to eat during the trip. Rain gear such as a rain jacket and tarp are necessary in case of unexpected rain. You don’t want to spend your entire trip trying to dry your soaked belongings. You’ll also need a flashlight for getting around at night and sun protection such as sunscreen and sunglasses during the day. Wear proper shoes and consider bringing an extra pair. You should also make sure that the clothes you bring are weather-appropriate. Don’t forget extra socks and underwear! As far as toiletries go, a toothbrush and toothpaste should be plenty. Lots of liquids take up too much room and weigh too much.

Your camp counselors should take care of making sure that they having cooking supplies, such as a stove and fuel, a first aid kit and other group necessities. This means that you shouldn’t have to worry about these things, which is why we’ve left them off of this list.

What to Avoid
Don’t bring any denim and avoid cotton clothes as they are unnecessarily heavy and bulky. You should also leave any other heavy and bulky clothes at home. Finally, avoid bringing pillows or heavy and unnecessary liquids such as shampoo and conditioner.

Have a great time hittin’ those trails and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John