What to Bring to Camp
Gear
- Water bottle (16 oz. or larger)
- Seasonally-appropriate clothes and change of clothes
- Comfortable shoes (that can get dirty)
- Water gear (swimsuit, small towel, and shoes for water time. Examples include a water shoe/sneaker hybrid like a Keen, Crocs, old sneakers, etc. No flip flops.)
- Sunscreen (we recommend spray-on, broad spectrum with SPF 15 or higher)
- Insect repellent (consider products with any one of these three active ingredients — deet, oil of lemon eucalyptus, picaridin. We discourage the use of products that combine a sunscreen and a repellent.)
- Pocket knife with locking blade 3” or shorter. (Pocket knives are optional for 8-12 year olds, but are NOT allowed for 5-7 year olds.)
Lunches
Please send a packed lunch with your camper each day that does not require refrigeration or heating.
Campers often eat more at camp than at school. Please pack a little extra food.
Snacks
Please send two snacks each day.
What to Leave at Home
- Toys
- Electronics
- Sports or Gaming Equipment
- Money
- Books
- Playing Cards/Trading Cards
- Valuables
Cell Phones:
Cell phones, like other electronics, are not allowed at camp. This includes watches or any other device capable of making a call.
If you need to reach your camper please call the number below:
- In Durham, please call the Program Coordinator at (919) 357-6032.
- In Wake, please call the Site Manager at (919) 717-0913.
- In Orange, please call the Site Manager at (919) 695-2178.
Tips from the Pros
Weight: Remember your child will be carrying their backpack for some or most of the day! Extra weight in a backpack can create an additional challenge.
Backpacks: Many school backpacks are fine for our programs. Please don’t send backpacks with string or rope straps. A comfortable backpack (size and style) will make for a better day.
Trash: Pack an extra plastic zip top bag for lunch trash. This can keep messy or unfinished food from becoming an unwelcome surprise for you later (lookin’ at you, Go-Gurt).
Juice Boxes: Please avoid sending juice boxes or juice pouches to camp. They often make a mess and based on our highly scientific research, their straws and wrappers are nearly impossible for campers to see on the ground. Please consider using small, resealable drink containers or encourage your camper to drink water at lunch/snack times.
Valuables: Backpacks and the things inside them can get wet, muddy, sat on, or dropped. Please don’t send anything that is valuable, sentimental, or otherwise not appropriate to get covered in mud.
Footwear: Many kids like wearing their water shoes (with or without socks) all day if they’re comfortable for walking. If they don’t arrive in water shoes, please send some shoes that can get wet.
Water Gear: Some kids prefer to arrive in water gear and change into dry clothes after water time.
Sunscreen first, then Insect Repellent: First rub in the sunscreen, let it absorb into your camper’s skin, then apply the repellent on top.