OOT mothers How do you pack dd camp stuff

amother

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 6:37 am

How do you pack the bedding. What quilt do you send. A heavy medium or light? What type of towels. How many suitcases and what sizes. And any tip that you think about. It’s my first child that goes to sleep away camp

Raisin

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 6:58 am

My kids go to a 3 week camp by plane. I find one large suitcase (20kg) and a small suitcase (the little pull along ones you can take onto an airplane) is sufficient. Plus a backpack with things they need on the way. That usually includes a lot of nosh as well.

I send a sleeping bag that rolls up really small, a bedsheet, and pillow. I think 2 towels. Beach towels are often lighter weight. Plus enough clothes for 10 days. They do laundry once.

If you can order nosh and other supplies by amazon or online directly to camp thats also a good option.

amother

Lawngreen

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 8:38 am

Every camp is different. My girls take boxes only- no suitcases. A little backpack for the bus/trips packed with food, snacks and drinks, blankets go in a big duffel or laundry type bag, no garment bag- all clothing get folded in boxes with hangers on top. They dont have enough closet space so they bring along a plastic three draw thing and pack stuff in there as well- tape it well. Oh- and a camp chair seems to be very important these days!
Oh lol- after I wrote my megillah I realized the “oot mom” bit- sorry! My kids are “in town!- local camp” I guess I’ll leave my post anyway for others! Hope your daughter has a wonderful time OP!!!

amother

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 11:31 am

amother [ Lawngreen ] wrote:

Why do you send a sleeping bag instead of a quilt?

amother

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 11:33 am

Raisin wrote:

In which suitcase do you put the sleeping bag and pillow and sheets?

amother

Lawngreen

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 11:34 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Why do you send a sleeping bag instead of a quilt?

My girls only take blankets- no sleeping bags- maybe some camps are different

amother

Plum

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 11:36 am

Are you flying? That definetly makes it harder because you have airplane rules.
Many buy the largest duffle suitcase on wheels from amazing savings or close out connections. But I don’t know if that is too big for plane sizes.
Can she carry one pillow on the plane?

Raisin

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 11:39 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Why do you send a sleeping bag instead of a quilt?

Because they take up a lot less space. But if its important to your kid to have a quilt, pack that. Our sleeping bag folds up to about the same size as a pillow. The camp my kids go to almost every single kid flies in so they all have the same space constraints, so I guess everyone in camp has sleeping bags. But if your kid will feel different, you may have to pay for extra luggage. (or maybe shipping is cheaper. It may in fact be cheaper to order new stuff from amazon then ship stuff)

I put them in which ever suitcase, although for some reason they often go in the little one. (my kids usually pack themselves) Its not really important. Pillow can go flat on top of everything else. If your child is taking one small suitcase on the plane, its a good idea to have some clothing in that suitcase since checked luggage may be late or lost.

Don't put liquids or sharp obects in any hand luggage.

amother

Plum

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 11:39 am

Don’t send towels that are too thick or large. They will just take too long to dry in camp. 3 thin bath towels 2 hand towels.
How thick quilt is depends on location of camp and how cold the nights are. Don’t send anything too bulky.

My sons camp says to send 3 sets of linen. I know he isn’t changing linen in camp at all. Will probably send 2 sets just in case something spills on it.

amother

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 12:09 pm

amother [ Plum ] wrote:

She is going on an airplane. Why is a duffle bag better than a suitcase? Can I get the duffle bag on amazon. How big should I get it?

amother

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 12:45 pm

amother [ Plum ] wrote:

The camp is in the Catskills

momo6

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 1:09 pm

I send several kids to camp by plane.

I buy llbean rolling duffles. The extra large is too big for the plane so I buy them each 2 of the large. I also buy a llbean small duffle as a carry on.

I pack the small duffle with a couple of days worth of clothes and a bathing suit in case any luggage doesn’t make it. I can actually get a lot of clothes into it. I send them each with a sleeping bag or blanket depending on their preference. Some of them like some plastic bins so I fill them to the brim and pack them between clothes.

I also send a full sized back pack as a second carry on. That’s mostly food and a book for the plane and whatever didn’t fit anywhere else.

I try to eliminate all the *stuff* that they feel they need. They don’t need it and it’s hard to pack.

Good luck!

ra_mom

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 1:25 pm

1 29" suitcase on wheels for clothes and such.

1 duffle on wheels for 1 blanket and 2 pillows (2 only necessary if that's what your child sleeps with). It's easier to press it all into a duffle than into a carry on size suitcase.

Use a medium weight blanket - it can get chilly in the evenings in the Catskills (more likely in August), but it can also be hot at night (small clip on fan gets wrapped in the blanket before placing in the duffle).

If you can fit the blanket and pillow in a 21" wheeled duffle (you should be able to press it all down), then you can take that as a carry on.

Then a good size backpack can be used as the personal bag that's allowed on along with the carry on.

amother

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 6:42 pm

ra_mom wrote:

I have a 21” suitcase. Why is a duffle bag better than a suitcase. Dd told me tha her friend is also using a duffle bag for all the bed stuff.

ra_mom

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 6:53 pm

It just seems to expand more since the sides are more giving.
Try the 21" suitcase with her blanket and pillows and if it all fits, you don't need a duffle.

animeme

Fri, Jun 21 2019, 6:57 pm

In some camps, luggage is stored in the bunks, and it's helpful when it can collapse flat. They'll also be bumped around, stacked on top of each other, etc, so some people don't like to send good suitcases.

amother

Sun, Jun 23 2019, 12:19 am

yerushamama wrote:

Try packing bulky items like pillows and quilts in vacuum bags.

What size is the duffle bag. How much is it. Does amazon has good ones?