Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
packing for camp (or anywhere)
Ah… it’s that time of year. The travel time. I love to travel, I love to pack. I especially love to pack my kids’ trunks to send them off to sleep-away camp. I realize not everyone shares my joy, so I thought I’d share a few tips to make the job simpler:
Camp makes it easy, because they send you a packing list. If you’re packing for yourself you are going to have to make your own list. Here is the one I used for my last trip to Florida:
Florida Packing List
Carry-on: Wear: Handbag:
White capris White jeans Pashmina
Floral skirt Black T-shirt Phone charger
T-shirts (3) Black wrap Kindle & charger
Cardigan Slip-on shoes Flight info.
Floral dress Trenchcoat
Swimsuit & cover-up
PJs
Underwear/bras
Flip-flops
Sandals
Toiletries kit (aloe vera, Benadryl)
I highly recommend keeping your packing lists in your computer. It gives you a place to start even if you are going somewhere new (always fun!) Pick a color scheme when you travel: It keeps things simple and prevents the impulse to bring a particular sweater or pair of shoes to go with just one outfit. Everything goes with everything else in the well-packed suitcase.
At the opposite end of the spectrum there is the camp trunk. One thing I have learned about packing my kids for camp is that they don’t wear all the clothes that the camp says they need, so I am not buying eight pairs of shorts if they are only going to wear the four pairs on the top layer. Disgusting, perhaps, but isn’t that the joy of camp? I think shopping for camp clothes is a waste. Who cares if it matches? Who cares if it is faded? To me, it is all going to come home disgusting and mildewed anyway, so why not send them with the freebie T-shirts they got at some event and the Ts that they love but are so grungy that I won’t let them wear them in public. Maybe they’ll lose them!
I label everything: the sunscreen, the epi-pens, the headlamps and, of course, the clothes. Here’s a great labeling tip I learned from a client who has five sons: Order labels with the first initial of each child’s name and your last name. For example, if your kids are named John, Robin and Eric, your label would read: J R E Smith. When John has the shirt, you circle the J, when he passes it on to Robin you cross out the J and circle the R. Genius!
So, pack, label and resist the impulse to buy.
Bon Voyage!