Hey, Besties!

Happy Best Friend Day! Today is a day to hang out and have fun with the friend you treasure most. Best friends do everything together from hanging out to going on family vacations with one another. So how come summer camp has to separate the inseparable? It may not be easy to tell your friend about your summer plans to head off to overnight camp, but today’s post is here to help you break the news to your friend without breaking their heart.

Friends are likely to feel a little dejected when you tell them that you’re leaving for a week, two weeks, a whole month, or even longer. The idea that they’ll be minus a friend for the summer can hit hard. They might make some attempt at trying to attend camp with you which may or may not be in your best interests. Take a look at an old Blog post written by camp expert, Dr. Chris Thurber about the pros and cons of attending camp along with a friend.

But even more than just being minus a friend throughout fun summer days, your friend may be concerned that you’re heading off to camp where you’re sure to make lots and lots of new camp friends. After all—a big part of summer camp fun is making new friends. It’s not, however, the only part—nor is it the part that kids love most about camp.

What kids love most about summer camp is the chance to be themselves.

Summer camp gives kids the opportunity to shed their reputation from neighborhood friends, school, and even home life. When your reputation is nonexistent, kids get the clearest picture of who they are and discover their most “authentic personality” as Dr. Thurber puts it. What kids get most out of summer camp is a sense of self identity and personal growth.

The company of an established friend at camp could make for lots of fun, but it can also hinder personal growth. If you’re headed off to camp without your best friend, fill them in on your summer plans directly—don’t be worried about their reaction. For all you know, your friend is just as worried to break the news of their summer plans to you as you are about breaking your news to them.

Maybe not, though.

Maybe they’ll be sad to learn that you won’t be around to hang out with. Reassure them of the strength of your friendship and highlight all the fun opportunities that camp offers—like activities and personal growth as opposed to making new friends. You can promise to write them while you’re away. What will help the most, though, is helping your friend to move past the sadness by enjoying as much time together as you can. Have fun!

Celebrate Best Friend Day with your best friend and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

With the summer camp season right around the corner, we’re expanding our footwear selection here at Everything Summer Camp. Standing alongside other top brand names like Merrell and Chaco, Northside footwear makes its way onto the summer camp scene on our website!

Kids have a tendency to go rough on their footwear—especially at summer camp. That’s why Everything Summer Camp has the foresight to offer only the best! Northside’s Copeland Trail Shoe, the Burke II Sport Sandal, and the Snohomish Hiking Boot are up to the trials and tribulations that they’re sure to face at camp! Let’s take a closer look each of them, shall we?

Northside Copeland Jr. Trail Shoe
Looking for a shoe that offers the comfort and breathability that feet need on a rigorous hike? The Copeland Jr. Trail Shoe from Northside delivers! Open mesh and suede fabric works together to make this shoe not just breathable but protective too. Above protection, the Copeland Trail Shoe supplies a PVC mudguard and a molded ankle piece for great support. Complete with a rugged outsole and speed lacing system for simple adjustability.

Northside Burke II Sport Sandal
Want freedom without sacrificing protection? Then Northside’s Burke II is the Sport Sandal for you. Its amphibious design gives this durable and protective, closed-toe athletic sandal an airiness that feels great and doesn’t skimp when it comes to safeguarding little feet. It provides contrast stitching as well as a bungee lacing system to ensure a secure fit. Benefit from the sticky traction of its outsole for excellent grip in not-so-excellent outdoor conditions. With pull loops for easy slip-on action and a padded backstrap for additional comfort, this sport sandal is perfect for camp stays.

Northside Snohomish Jr. Kids Waterproof Hiking Boot
Given combination suede and mesh upper, this boot is just as effective at keeping your feet dry as it is at keeping them cool. Comfortable, the Snohomish Boot gives you great stability and its solid sole with mudguard offers great protection on rocky terrain. Give your camper happy feet with Northside’s Snohomish Waterproof Hiking Boot for their camping comfort.

Get resilient footwear from this trusted brand and dress your feet in Northside! Enjoy browsing our footwear selection and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Today begins our four-part series throughout June, focusing on how to best keep in touch during your child’s summer camp stay. Working with the wealth of excellent information about proper summer camp prep from a wonderful guidebook called ‘The Summer Camp Handbook,’ this series of posts delivers practical tips for positive correspondence with your soon-to-be-camper.

Receiving mail at camp means the world to your kids. Tearing open a letter from home makes them feel cared for and remembered. Camp experts Chris Thurber and Jon Malinowski discuss in their book, “Personal letters and postcards—whether from parents, friends, and relatives—renew the connection with home. Even pets can ‘write’ letters, with the help of their owners.”

Thurber and Malinowski break camp correspondence into four basic methods of communication. We’ll take a quick look at them right now and then get a closer look throughout the series for a more in-depth understanding of these forms of communication.

Letters
A handwritten letter is typically the best way for you to communicate with your camper. They’ll feel so great receiving mail, but when it comes to getting word back, you’ll be lucky to hear anything at all. Not to worry—silence on their end typically means that your camper is having a blast…such a blast that they don’t think to write back. The best you can do is pack pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelopes and paper, and write letters that encourage your child to write back.

Electronic Messages
Many camps now have one-way e-mail services that allow faster written communication with your child. However, speed comes at the expense of a personal touch. Sending your child an e-mail may make her feel more like a business colleague than your own flesh and blood. There is no substitute for a handwritten letter. We’ll go much deeper into this topic next week.

Phone Calls
As with faxes and e-mail, different camps have different policies about phone calls. Be sure you and your child understand the camp’s phone policy before opening day. During camp, it’s important to respect that policy because it’s based on years of experience with what works and what doesn’t work at that particular camp.

Care Packages
Kids feel really special when they get a care package. It can even be something of a status symbol. Still, you shouldn’t feel obligated to send a package to your son or daughter. Overnight camp is a huge gift in itself.
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Tune in next Monday to learn about sending electronic messages as well as an online service called CampMinder. As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Every season we hunt down the best packing containers for availability on our online shop. Whether you’re looking for a rugged camp trunk to withstand the trials and tribulations of camp life or it’s a smaller soft pack that you’re in the market for, we make sure we have a first-rate selection for all you summer camp packers. That’s why we’re proud to announce our new backpacks and duffels from Columbia.

Ashland Backpack
Columbia’s Ashland summer daypack is eager to tag along to summer camp. You can fit a lot in its main compartment and the pack offers ample pocket space as well as an organizer compartment. Given contoured shoulder straps makes for comfortable carrying as well as its high-density foam padded handle. Complete with two vertical accessory pockets on the front as well as a soft-lined front pocket for secure transportation of eyewear or other breakable items, the Ashland is a great fit for summer camp.

Rocky Point Backpack
An excellent example of a lightweight frame pack, Columbia’s Rocky Point Backpack is a made of a high-density foam back panel with an air channel so your back doesn’t get all sweaty when carrying your load. The Rocky Point is given shoulder straps with an ergonomic design for carrying comfort. With plenty of space, this pack features a top organizer pocket, stretchable front and side pockets, stow-away trekking pole holders, and a hydration reservoir. Ready for action, the Rocky Point Pack from Columbia is a smart choice for your hiking endeavors at summer camp. Get a closer look right here!

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Summit Trail Duffel
Looking for a duffel to accompany you to summer camp? The Summit Trail Duffel from Columbia is available in Small, Medium, and Large on our website to be sure to offer the right bag for you! Featuring a removable padded shoulder strap for carrying convenience as well as haul handles on either side, this bag opens wide with a U-shaped main compartment, you can pack a whole lot into this duffel. Given a shoe tunnel pocket and an accessory pocket on the side as well as a separate travel pouch, you’ll be organized and nicely packed up in the Summit Trail Duffel from Columbia.

Everyone’s packing needs differ from everybody else’s, so get the right pack for your summer adventure and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Here at Everything Summer Camp, we’re proud to say that we’re the recommended camp outfitter for roughly 250 camps. And we love singing the praises of the many camps with whom we’ve developed a working relationship. Today I’m shining our spotlight on the wonderful camp, Rockbrook Camp for girls in North Carolina.

To borrow a line from one of the traditional Rockbrook song, the camp sits in the ‘heart of a wooded mountain’. You’re sure to find absolute beauty in the Appalachian Mountains where waterfalls and scenic overlooks abound within the 215 acres of wooded campgrounds. Rockbrook Camp has been showing young girls—ages 6-16—a life outside of home for nearly 100 years!

Of course, there’s much more to Rockbrook than beautiful campgrounds. Rockbrook rocks with the best camps when it comes to the facilities they provide and the activities they offer. Rockbrook boasts two pottery studios, the ‘Curosty’ cabin (named for the mountain word—‘crafts’), climbing tower and real rock for climbing. They offer zip-lining, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, archery, riflery, gymnastics, tennis, swim, theater, dance, and a lot more.

Campers live together in simple, open air cabins. Two female cabin leaders stay in each cabin. After dividing into three age groups (or ‘lines’ as Rockbrook calls them). Each line fills up anywhere from 5 to 9 cabins and a bathhouse is located in the center for each line.

With abundant activities and endless fun, Rockbrook Camp is able to work magic to show girls the time of their lives. This place gives young women the chance to realize a deeper understanding of themselves, the community around them, and how the two work together.

Rockbrook Camp is a shining example of what a great summer camp experience can do for a young woman. If you’re interested in checking it out for yourself, just click right here to visit their website and familiarize yourself with this excellent summer camp. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John