Packing up for the summer- going upstate

amother

Floralwhite

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 1:23 am

I want to pack the minimum, just basics! I'll be in a camp, so no cooking required. just probably a hot plate & maybe small frying pan.

other than that, I figured I'll just order whatever I'm missing or make a trip to walmart.
I'm just so overwhelmed with so many things going on in my life, that I want to eliminate the packing/unpacking & shlepping... & we're leaving Wednesday already...

am I crazy? any tips or tricks you can share would be greatly appreciated!

amother

Floralwhite

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 2:12 am

seeker wrote:

Nope, sounds like a good plan. Walmart is amazing and if you don't have to cook then that's half the headache gone already.

Thanks!

Bad if kids don't have sneakers/sandals? I got them shoes right before pesach & will (most likely) not fit them by the time school starts, so I feel like they might as well wear it.
I had ordered canvas mary janes from old navy (for $8) one never arrived (gotta call them for a refund!) & the other got ruined right away...
(kids are 6, 4 & 2 so not worried that they'll pressure me, they are happy with what they have)

amother

Amber

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 7:34 am

They will definitely need more than one pair of shoes because there can be an unexpected thunderstorm and everything can get soaked- it can be fake crocs and you'll probably want some type of rainboot because it can be extremely muddy out. You will need rain jackets and sweatshirts etc. Bedding like pillows blankets? Or are they providing for you?
I have found sometimes extremely cheap sneakers or fake Crocs in Walmart for $3 , so they do have cheap stuff there for fillins after you arrive and realize what you need ,
But I have always found that I need lots more all weather gear for the summer in the country than other time and place!

amother

Purple

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 8:06 am

amother wrote:

It seems that you will trade one kind of inconvenience for others. You will have to make trips to Walmart. Then you have to unpack that stuff. You will end up with duplicates and the packing, unpacking, and shlepping of that stuff. That's pretty much my program for the summer.

I don't like wasting summer time shopping in Walmart. I used to do something similar to what you plan to do, and I ended up with duplicates and triplicates of things.

Mommyg8

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 8:26 am

You've got to pack something, there's no way yo avoid that, but ...

I ordered from Wal-Mart (or you can order from Amazon or whatever) and have it delivered to the place you will be staying. I ordered things like shampoo, soap, detergent...

Just keep in mind that there are some things that are hard to find upstate, so for those things, it might be better to do your shopping where you live. Things like boots, raincoats, umbrellas, toys, crocs, bathing suits, sidurim, kinnus if you're staying through tisha b'av...

seeker

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 11:36 am

amother wrote:

Don't waste time shopping at Walmart; do it online and have it shipped. And stick with things that you won't have to worry about schlepping back/duplicates. You can leave behind toiletries, your $2 Walmart broom, etc.

amother

Coral

Sun, Jun 17 2018, 11:09 pm

gone to camp with family for many years. here's what I suggest. feel free to pick and choose what works for you.

food you wrote youre going to camp and getting food. please dont take a hot plate and frying pan. you'll have more use out of a small convection oven where you can pop in frozen pizza, fries, blintzes, etc... and uses less utensils. remember to take a small kitchen knife! shabbos in camp our first shabbos in camp was an experience for us. check with other staff members/families if you get candles/tea lights. dh had to borrow the first week bec we didnt know the camp doesnt provide tea lights for licht benshen. cup for kiddush? knife for challah? by the next week we had bought tea lights and fancy disposable cups for kiddush.

clothes/shoes your concern should rather be - are you having your washer/dryer in your bungalow? if yes, you can have just a few pairs of clothes for the kids, some long because there are rainy, colder days and youll need them. sweaters/sweatshirts are very important - I have a few for each kid. they get dirty from the food in the dining room, mud or activities. socks too! if not, you'll need A LOT more of everything I wrote above because laundry rooms are usually a headache, scary to walk to at night or full from other families' laundry and youll have to wait your turn. shoes - your kids will be doing water activities where they will need crocs. you can get away with rain boots by using the crocs as well. but crocs/natives are definitely a must. umbrellas and rain coats are important too.

entertainment for kids bec youre in camp, your kids will likely be entertained with most of the camp's activities so you dont have to shlep lots but I would suggest basics according to the ages of your kids. I take activity books, crayons, markers, sidewalk chalk, water balloons, bubbles, balls, etc...

Good luck. its going to be lots of packing/shlepping and unpacking no matter how lite you travel.