Summer Camp Packing List
By the NanoPack team · Updated on · Checked against official sources
What to pack for summer camp: start with the camp's own packing list and their list of banned items, because most camps do not allow phones, expensive electronics, food or anything with a screen. Then label every single thing with your child's name, since unlabelled clothes almost never come home. Send older, rugged clothes that can get muddy and lost, enough underwear and socks for the whole session plus spares, bedding sized to the bunk, a refillable water bottle, closed-toe shoes and a flashlight. Add sunscreen, bug spray, a rain jacket and one comfort item from home.
Summer Camp essentials at a glance
- The camp's own required list, read first
- Every item labelled with a name
- Rugged clothes that can get ruined
- Extra underwear and socks
- Bedding or a sleeping bag for the bunk
- A refillable water bottle and closed-toe shoes
- Flashlight, sunscreen and bug spray
- One comfort item from home
The camp's own packing list overrules this one, and any other, because it tells you the bunk size, the laundry schedule, and which of your instincts are actually banned. Then label everything, because the lost-and-found at the end of a session is a mountain of unnamed hoodies and towels nobody can claim. Send clothes you will not mind losing or staining, keep the expensive things and the screens at home, and pack one familiar comfort item for the first night away.
Read this first: the camp's rules
- The camp's official packing list
- Their banned-items list · phones, electronics, food and aerosols are commonly not allowed
- The bunk bed size, for bedding
- How often laundry is done, if at all
- The care-package and mail rules
- How medication must be handed to the camp nurse
Clothing, all labelled
- T-shirts and shorts ×one per day, plus spares
- Underwear and socks ×the session plus extra · the most run-out item at camp
- A warm hoodie or fleece for cool evenings
- Pyjamas
- A rain jacket
- Swimsuits ×2 · so one can dry
- Old sneakers and closed-toe shoes
- Sandals or water shoes
- A sun hat and a laundry bag
Bunk and sleep
- A sleeping bag, or twin sheets and a blanket · check the bed size the camp gave you
- A pillow
- An extra blanket for cold nights
- A flashlight or headlamp for the walk to the bathroom
- A small fan, if the camp allows it
Toiletries and health
- Toothbrush, toothpaste and a wash bag
- Soap and shampoo in a caddy
- Sunscreen and insect repellent
- Any medication in its original packaging · handed to the camp nurse at drop-off
- A hairbrush and any hair ties
- Period products if needed
Free time and comfort
- A refillable water bottle
- A small daypack
- Books, cards or a journal
- Stamped, pre-addressed envelopes for letters home
- A disposable camera · since phones are usually not allowed
- One comfort item, a photo or a soft toy
What not to pack
- Phones and expensive electronics · banned at most camps, and easily lost or broken
- Food, sweets or gum · usually banned; it draws mice and insects into the cabin
- Brand-new or favourite clothes · camp clothes get stained, soaked and lost
- Aerosol sprays · often not allowed; send pump or roll-on instead
- Valuables and jewellery · there is nowhere safe to keep them
What camps usually provide
Check your camp; some include bedding and towels, many do not.
- Meals and drinking water
- Life jackets for water activities
- Sports and craft equipment
- A camp nurse and an infirmary
- A bed in the cabin
Packing tips and mistakes to avoid
Label everything, then label the rest
Use iron-on name labels or a laundry marker on clothes, shoes, the water bottle and the towel. At the end of a session the lost-and-found is full of good gear nobody can identify, and unlabelled items are the ones that do not come home. It is ten dull minutes that saves a whole kit.
Read the camp's list and ban list first
Camps ban things for reasons: phones so children actually unplug and settle, food because it draws animals into cabins, aerosols and valuables for safety. Sending a banned item does not help your child, it just gets confiscated or lost, so let the camp's list overrule your instinct.
Pack for the laundry reality
Find out whether laundry runs during the session, because for a one or two week camp it often does not. Send enough underwear and socks for every day plus spares, and older clothes that can be stained or lost without anyone minding.
One comfort item helps homesickness
A familiar photo or soft toy makes the first nights easier, and pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelopes are the single thing that makes letters home actually happen. Agreeing before drop-off what normal homesickness feels like helps everyone keep it in proportion.
The things people forget
- A name label on every single item
- Extra socks and underwear for the run-out days
- A comfort item for the first night away
- Stamped, addressed envelopes so letters home actually get sent
What people wish they had packed
- A second pair of closed-toe shoes when the first got soaked
- A laundry bag so clean and dirty did not mix
- A rain jacket for the week it rained
- A flashlight for the dark walk to the toilets
Frequently asked questions
What should my child pack for sleepaway camp?
Start with the camp's own list, then pack labelled, rugged clothes with extra underwear and socks, bedding for the bunk, toiletries, a refillable water bottle, closed-toe shoes, a flashlight, sunscreen and bug spray, and one comfort item. Leave phones, food and valuables at home.
What should you NOT bring to summer camp?
Most camps ban phones and expensive electronics, food and sweets, aerosol sprays, and anything valuable. They get confiscated, lost, or draw animals into the cabin. Check the camp's banned-items list, since it overrules any general packing list.
How many clothes for a week of camp?
Plan a set of clothes for each day plus a few spares, and pack extra underwear and socks on top, because laundry often is not done during a short session and these are what run out first. Send older clothes that can be stained or lost.
Should kids bring a phone to camp?
Most sleepaway camps do not allow phones, so that children unplug and settle in. Letters and the camp's own phone-call policy are how you stay in touch. Send a disposable camera if your child wants to take photos.
What do parents forget to pack for camp?
Name labels on everything, stamped and addressed envelopes, a comfort item for the first night, a laundry bag, a rain jacket, and enough spare socks and underwear for the days the packing runs thin.