The night before camp drop-off is a kind of organized chaos peculiar to summer. Half the things on the camp's list aren't in the house. Half the things you bought "just in case" won't get used. And there's always one item that goes missing in the gap between the floor and the duffel.
After polling so many moms, I can tell you: most camp packing lists are 80% right and 20% wrong. The right parts are the camp's official list, which you should follow precisely. The wrong parts are the Pinterest add-ons, like the matching label kits, the trunk organizers, the "camp survival kits". Those may look lovely, but they don't survive the first day.
What follows is what we actually use. Read your camp's official list first; this fills the gaps.
Rule One
The Camp's List is the List. Read it Twice.
Every overnight camp publishes an official packing list, and most include specific quantities and restrictions. Some camps require flat sheets only (no fitted). Some forbid black clothing (color-war reasons). Some have a strict no-aerosol policy. These rules feel arbitrary until your kid arrives at the lake with bug spray they're not allowed to use.
Print the camp's list. Cross items off as you pack them. If something in this guide conflicts with theirs — theirs wins.
Clothing
What to Pack: Clothing
The general rule is enough clothing for the length of the session, divided by two, plus three. A two-week camp doesn't need fourteen shirts — it needs roughly seven, plus three or four backups. Camp laundry exists for sessions of two weeks or more.
- 7–10 short-sleeve T-shirts (more for longer sessions, with one or two you don't mind getting ruined)
- 2–3 long-sleeve shirts
- 5–7 pairs of shorts
- 2 pairs of long pants or leggings (cooler evenings, hiking, mosquitoes)
- 1 lightweight sweatshirt or fleece
- 1 rain jacket (even in summer, even in dry climates)
- 10–12 pairs of underwear (over-pack this one; nobody regrets extra underwear)
- 10–12 pairs of socks, including 2 pairs of wool socks for hiking or chilly mornings
- 2 pairs of pajamas (one warm, one light)
- 2 swimsuits
- 1 nicer outfit for "banquet" or final-night events (most camps have something like this)
A Note on Quality
Don't send your kid in their newest, nicest clothes. Don't send them in clothes that feel like clothes for a real person rather than a kid in a creek. The clothes you'd let them paint in are exactly the right baseline.
Bedding
Bedding and Sleep
Most camps provide a bare mattress on a bunk frame and nothing else. Check whether your camp wants a sleeping bag or sheets. They're not interchangeable, and it varies by camp.
- Sleeping bag (if specified) OR twin-size sheets, pillowcase, and a light blanket
- Pillow (a small travel pillow if the duffel is tight)
- One additional warm blanket (bunks get colder than you'd think)
- Laundry bag with a drawstring (mesh is best for wet swimsuits)
- A small flashlight or headlamp for bathroom trips, plus spare batteries
Toiletries
Toiletries (Travel-Size Everything)
Camp showers are not the place for a hair-care routine. Send the simplest version of what works.
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss
- Shampoo & conditioner (travel-size; refill if needed)
- Body wash or a basic bar soap
- Deodorant (start packing this if you have even an inkling that your kiddo needs it)
- Hairbrush or comb, hair ties
- Sunscreen, at least two bottles, SPF 30+ (kids lose them)
- Bug spray, whichever type your camp allows
- Lip balm with SPF
- Any prescription medications (in original containers, given to the nurse at check-in)
- A shower caddy or small mesh bag to carry it all to the bathhouse
- Two quick-dry towels (not the fluffy bath ones as they never dry between uses)
Footwear
Footwear Deserves its Own Section
Most parents under-pack here. Camp is hard on shoes. Wet, muddy, sometimes lost, and one bad pair can ruin a week.
- 1 pair of broken-in sneakers (the everyday shoe)
- 1 pair of sport sandals like Tevas, Chacos, or Keens. NOT flip-flops, which fall off.
- 1 pair of water shoes (if the camp has lake or river activities)
- 1 pair of rain boots (for muddy hike days)
- 1 pair of shower shoes (cheap flip-flops, only for the bathhouse)
- Hiking boots if the camp does serious hiking, but check first; for short hikes, sneakers are fine
Activity Gear
Activity-Specific Gear
The camp's list will tell you what's required; this is the realistic baseline:
- Water bottle — one big, insulated bottle they'll actually carry, labeled with their name
- Daypack or small backpack for day trips
- Sunglasses with a strap (kids lose them otherwise)
- Hat with a brim (baseball cap or wide-brim sun hat)
- Sport-specific gear if applicable: cleats, riding boots, climbing shoes, mouth guard
- One book they actually want to read (not the "improving" one you'd prefer)
Comfort
Comfort Items (the Small Things)
These are the items that get used and don't show up on the camp's list:
- A small, framed photo or two of family, including pets
- A favorite stuffed animal — even if your kid says they don't want one, send it anyway. The cabin will be full of them.
- Self-addressed stamped envelopes (pre-addressed home, with stamps, so writing letters takes one step instead of three)
- A simple journal and a couple of pens
- A deck of cards or a small game for cabin downtime
- A small fidget or two like putty, a rubber-band ball, something tactile for the first night
What to Leave Home
What NOT to Pack (the Hard List)
This is the part most parents underestimate. Half the things you'd be tempted to send will make camp worse, not better.
- Anything valuable. No iPads, no Kindles, no jewelry beyond a simple watch, no anything they'd be heartbroken to lose.
- Cell phones. Camp will collect them anyway, but the smartest move is leaving the phone at home so it isn't a fight at check-in.
- Snacks and candy. Most camps prohibit food in cabins as it attracts mice, raccoons, and worse (this happened to me when I chaperoned a kids' camping trip and there's nothing like children waking you up at 2am to excitedly tell you about the mice). Anything contraband ends up confiscated or shared in a way that creates social drama.
- White clothing. It will not return white.
- Anything that requires charging. Including the headphones you almost forgot about.
- Anything irreplaceable. If you'd cry if it didn't come home, leave it home.
- Aerosol anything. Most camps prohibit aerosols entirely (fire safety).
Labels
Label Everything. Seriously.
If it doesn't have your child's name on it, it isn't coming home. By Wednesday of week one, the lost-and-found at any sleepaway camp could outfit a small army. Use any of these methods (in order of effort):
- A black Sharpie on the tag, name and last initial.
- Stick-on or iron-on clothing labels (Mabel's Labels, Name Bubbles, or similar). Worth the cost for a first-timer.
- Sharpie + tape on water bottles, sunscreen, anything plastic.
- For shoes, write inside the tongue.
- For sleeping bags, label the bag itself AND the stuff sack.
For sessions of two weeks or longer, set aside a few small items before drop-off — silly socks, a card with a private family joke, a sticker pack — and mail them to your kid mid-session through the camp's family-mail system. Most camps deliver mail in front of the whole cabin, and a midweek package is a huge morale lift on the exact day kids tend to flag. Avoid food. Avoid anything the camp's policy excludes. Stick to small, light, mailable.
Quick Reference
The Day-Before Checklist
The night before drop-off, run through this once more before you zip the duffel.
- Have I followed the camp's official list (and crossed it off)?
- Have I labeled everything?
- Are prescription medications packed separately, in original containers, ready to hand to the nurse?
- Is the duffel a manageable weight for my kid to carry?
- Are the items they need on arrival (toothbrush, sleeping bag, shower shoes) on top, not at the bottom?
- Have I left a copy of the packing list at home in case something gets shipped after?
All this gear assumes your kid is ready for the experience. If you're still on the fence, How to Tell If Your Kid Is Ready for Sleepaway Camp covers the readiness signs that matter — and the question of whether you are.
— Kathy
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