First Time at Sleep-Away Camp -- Packing

[Anonymous]

DD is attending her first sleep-away camp and the packing list for three weeks is long. The camp has recommended soft trunks which we have purchased. Are there any recommendations from veterans on whether to use packing cubes or something else to organize everything in the duffle or is it better to just put everything in the duffle and let DD figure it out when she arrives at camp?

[Anonymous]

My kids have never gone to camp for that long (I wish!!), and so I don't know if laundry service is available and how that might impact packing.

One thing that worked well for us was putting each day's outfit (socks, underwear, shorts, shirt) into a ziplock bag. Made packing and retrieving outfits super easy through the week. They could simply grab a ziploc and head to the showers.

[Anonymous]

I like the packing cubes. Instead of a whole outfit, we would put at least a pair of shorts and a tee together, rolled up, and then get about 7 of those paired rolls into a packing cube, Marie Kondo style you can zip open the cube and see each roll/outfit without having to remove all of them to get to what you want. Then, separate cubes each for undies, PJs, socks, etc. She treated it kind of like dresser drawers - if it was in the cube, it was clean.

[Anonymous]

I recommend ziplocks, too. Easier to deal with, and waterproof for easy transport.

[Anonymous]

Will your kid be unpacking stuff into cubbies? I had cubbies at camp when I was a kid and put all tshirts in one cubbie, all shorts in another, etc. So I'm packing each type of clothing together. Plus some ziplocks for odds and ends. Stuff will probably get mixed up a but in the duffle and I'm choosing to not worry about it since it will get unpacked once they arrive.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for all the great advice. There is a laundry service once a week, and it takes 3 or 4 days for the clothes to come back. It is my understanding that everything is kept in 3-4 cubes collapsible during the stay (I picked up cubes from the container store).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recommend ziplocks, too. Easier to deal with, and waterproof for easy transport.

+1

And the can put the dirty clothes back in after they change, to keep them separate them from the clean when they put them back in the trunk.

[Anonymous]

I think cubes and ziplocs might be good for a 1 week camp...but what are the chances your child is going to repack her cubes after getting her laundry back. My guess is it will just get dumped in the trunk. I just recommend a laundry bag to get dirty clothes out of circulation and the rest she will pick through. Maybe 1 cube for socks and underwear but when I was a camper we just picked through the trunk.

[Anonymous]

My kids definitely reload their ziplock bags! We do it by item, not outfit. Are you driving or flying? My crew likes to have a few shoeboxes to help organize their cubbies, too. Be sure to send a laundry bag and THIN towels. Thick ones don't dry out at camp.