Packing List

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

So I'll be gone for 2 months, but I have NO clue what to bring with me. Any good lists for a newbie? They will give us shirts as uniforms, so I just need to bring some bottoms, but what should I bring?

Thanks in advance for ideas!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

What are your living quarters like? I would bring some things to make it more "homey" like a throw rug, some fun stuff to put up on the walls, pics of friends/family, good, comfy pillows and a comforter to make your bed awesome! Good books to read for your time off...

Go to the camp website and look for a link for the packing list for parents of campers and see what is on there that you might want to include. Is your cabin air conditioned? If not, definitely bring a fan.

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Take your creature comforts. I always tend to overpack, but since I drive my own car, that is okay. After doing it for 10 years, I know as long as I have my good pillow, a makeup mirror and my comfy pjs I can make it. Don't take too many regular clothes. I really only take an outfit or two for days off. Do check to see if the camp has dress up type days. We have Wacky Wednesdays, and staff are highly encouraged to participate. And if you forget anything, there is always WalMart!

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I always bring a little fluffy rug for the foot of my bed, I bring slippers to walk around in my room, i always bring a fan, air condition or not, I like the white noise on the nights Im not on call. I bring a little lamp to use for reading. I bring my robe, sometimes when Im on call and cant sleep I will sit on our outside porch. I bring my coffee maker b/c the one tats usually left there is so darn nasty.

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Specializes in Home Health (PDN), Camp Nursing.

I wrote a little packing list here

Packing List — Campfire Nursing

i second the rug rug and coffee maker, just remember that everything you pack will have to be carried onto camp and then repacked. It's amazing how the car is full on the trip to camp, and stuffed to the gills on the way from camp.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Definitely pajamas/robe that you don't mind campers/staff seeing you in. This was the most annoying thing on my packing list since I'm a "less is more" kind of sleeper, so it always takes me the entire first week of camp to get over the sensory aspect of sleeping in pants.

The camp I'm at is electricity-free for all camper areas minus infirmary and where we eat and an office, so I suggest a head lamp instead of just a flashlight if you'll be similar. This way you still have both hands usable in evening and night if walking around. I wear mine as a necklace for the most part.

I'd check where the nearest "wal-mart" is. I drive 11hours to camp, so I don't bring 2months worth of stuff in my car. Nearest store is about 30min away, so I stop there during pre-camp to stock up on what I need. This year I have Amazon Prime so I plan to just free ship a lot of things directly to camp (ie: my dog's food, shaving creams, shampoo, etc).

I'd bring a couple pairs of shoes.

I take GOOD rainboots (our camp os full-force no matter the weather. I have a nice pair of Kamik rainboots that have lasted me 3 years. Fellow nurse had ones from Target and they fell apart after getting stuck in the mud a few times)

2 pairs of sneakers incase one gets wet mid day.

Trail/hiking sandals (Chacos)

Regular lounge-y sandals.

Slippers!

I go up to Maine from the Phialdelphia area, so I pack more clothes just because I can be wearing pants until 10am and then in shorts rest of day because the weather fluctuates so greatly. Camp does laundry once a week but I have access to the director's washer if I would really need anything cleaned in a timely manner.

I like to have some hobby stuff with me, too. Coloring books, reading books, cards (I do paper crafting), to kill time.

Also something to do on a boring or rainy night with fellow staff. A fun card game or something. There's been years that I never touched what I brought, and others where it was a weekly event coming to my cabin to play Apples to Apples.

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.

Well happily they sent a packing list and for us in the infirmary, we get unlimited wifi, so I can have electronics with me. I'm going by plane, so I'm trying to figure out how to take shampoo and conditioner with me, since there's not a walmart near by us.

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Have your stuffed shipped to the camp...

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Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
Have your stuffed shipped to the camp...
What's cheaper? Fedex?
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Specializes in School Nursing.

If shipping stuff, I'd order some things on Amazon. Love that Prime free shipping! Even though I'm driving, I'm not bringing 30lbs of dog food, I need that space in my car, so I'm going to bring a couple days work and have his food shipped to arrive when I get there or right before I get there. :)

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.
If shipping stuff, I'd order some things on Amazon. Love that Prime free shipping! Even though I'm driving, I'm not bringing 30lbs of dog food, I need that space in my car, so I'm going to bring a couple days work and have his food shipped to arrive when I get there or right before I get there. :)

Your camp lets you bring your dog? So lucky! I considered working at the camp my two kids go to this Summer but I would have no one to watch my dog back home and they said no way to bringing him :(

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