Smart packing isn't just what you bring to camp—it's what you learn after. These tips from parents and campers make next year easier before this year is even over.
Packing List
When we pack for camp, we follow the packing list to the letter. When my daughter gets home from camp, will you go through her packing list and she tells me what she did not use and we cross it off the packing list. I then put the packing list back in the trunk so that when we go to pack for the following year, I know exactly where it is. I usually put it in a Ziploc bag in the trunk.
Avoid Battery Acid
NEVER leave stuff in your trunk when you get home. Always take everything out and clean it or air it out and take the batteries out of everything like flashlights and fans. Then pack it all back in like you are going to camp next week. Then when it comes time next year, you are good to go! Nothing is stinky or ruined by battery acid!
Give Your Camper Time to Rest
Do not plan a trip within two weeks after camp. The likelihood of your camper bringing home a sickness along with other people's clothes is extremely high. Also the campers are tired and need to rest.
Start Packing Sooner
I am the grandparent of three campers for the summer of 2023, including a new camper. All three are completely packed and their duffels are ready to send to camp. How? We washed and folded all the linens etc. the day they came home. I shopped and filled in all the color war stuff and things they would need for the following summer. Without stress or deadline, I packed all three kids in one day, feeling so relaxed that there was no pressure. THE SOONER YOU GET IT DONE, THE BETTER YOU FEEL! All that is left are the clothes ... how great is that!?!
Get Feedback From Your Camper
After picking up the kids' from camp, as we are driving away, I ask for packing feedback & requests for the next year. I started doing this after their first summer at camp. Then I put the notes in their trunks after unpacking, before putting them away for the season. When I got the trunks out to start packing for the next summer, there were my notes of tips, ideas, & requests from the prior summer. It was genius! I had forgotten about them completely & they were right there where I would find them when I needed them.
File these away now and future-you will thank you later. A few habits—clearing batteries, saving lists, capturing feedback—turn packing from chaos into cruise control.
