• 91 things to bring

What Should I Bring to Church Camp

Bedding, a wash bag, a flashlight, a swimsuit, a towel and a Bible: what to pack, part by part.

What Should I Bring to Church Camp

  1. Sleeping bagCheck your list: it will say sleeping bag or sheets. A bag is the quick one to make each morning.
  2. Fitted sheet for the bunk mattressYour list gives the bunk's size. It goes under a sleeping bag too, so you are not on a bare mattress.
  3. Pillow in a bright pillowcaseA case you can spot from the door tells you which bunk is yours.
  4. Extra blanketFor a cool night in the cabin, and to sit on at the campfire.
  5. One small thing from homeA photo or a stuffed animal, small enough to tuck inside the sleeping bag.
  6. FlashlightFor the path back from the campfire and the walk to the bathroom. Point it at the ground, not at faces.
  7. HeadlampIt leaves both hands free for your towel and your wash bag.
  8. Spare batteriesKeep them in a zip bag so they do not roll loose in your suitcase.
  9. Battery fan that clips to the bunkOnly if the cabin has no air conditioning. Ask before you buy one.
  10. Laundry bagHang it on the bunk post, so worn socks never get back in with the clean ones.
  11. Hook that hangs over the bunk railIt holds a wet towel or your day bag up off the cabin floor.
  12. Suitcase or duffel that fits under the bunkCheck its height against your list. Everything you bring has to live in it.
  13. Laundry marker for your nameWrite it on every tag, shoe and bottle. The lost and found fills up fast.
  14. Watch with an alarmIf phones stay home, this is how you know breakfast is in ten minutes.
  15. The packing list itselfTuck it in the lid of your suitcase and check it again when you pack to go home.

Next step Name your cabin

All 91 things to bring

Bedding and your bunk 15

  • Battery fan that clips to the bunk Only if the cabin has no air conditioning. Ask before you buy one.
  • Extra blanket For a cool night in the cabin, and to sit on at the campfire.
  • Fitted sheet for the bunk mattress Your list gives the bunk's size. It goes under a sleeping bag too, so you are not on a bare mattress.
  • Flashlight For the path back from the campfire and the walk to the bathroom. Point it at the ground, not at faces.
  • Headlamp It leaves both hands free for your towel and your wash bag.
  • Hook that hangs over the bunk rail It holds a wet towel or your day bag up off the cabin floor.
  • Laundry bag Hang it on the bunk post, so worn socks never get back in with the clean ones.
  • Laundry marker for your name Write it on every tag, shoe and bottle. The lost and found fills up fast.
  • One small thing from home A photo or a stuffed animal, small enough to tuck inside the sleeping bag.
  • The packing list itself Tuck it in the lid of your suitcase and check it again when you pack to go home.
  • Pillow in a bright pillowcase A case you can spot from the door tells you which bunk is yours.
  • Sleeping bag Check your list: it will say sleeping bag or sheets. A bag is the quick one to make each morning.
  • Spare batteries Keep them in a zip bag so they do not roll loose in your suitcase.
  • Suitcase or duffel that fits under the bunk Check its height against your list. Everything you bring has to live in it.
  • Watch with an alarm If phones stay home, this is how you know breakfast is in ten minutes.

Clothes 18

  • Bandana A team color, a sweat rag and a blindfold for a game, all in one square.
  • Big zip bags, one outfit in each Write the day on the bag and getting dressed takes one minute.
  • Closed-toe shoes you have already worn Games and trails need them. A new pair rubs by the second day.
  • Hat with a brim For the field at noon and for the dock.
  • Long pants For a cool evening, for tall grass, and for a horse ride if your camp has horses.
  • Old outfit for the messy game Mud, paint or foam: pack clothes you would not mind throwing away after.
  • One nicer outfit Only if your list names a banquet or a dress-up night. A clean shirt with a collar counts.
  • Pajamas for a shared cabin Pick a pair you are happy to walk to the bathroom in.
  • Rain jacket or poncho Camp goes on in the rain, and so does the walk to the dining hall.
  • Second pair of shoes The first pair will get soaked, and wet shoes take a day to dry.
  • Shorts that pass the dress code Your list may set a length. Read it before you pack your favorite pair.
  • Socks, more than you think you need Wet grass on the way to breakfast can soak a pair before the day starts.
  • Sweatshirt For early mornings, and for the campfire once the sun is down.
  • T-shirts, one for each day and two spare Camp shirts get wet, muddy and sweaty. Loose ones are best for running around.
  • Theme night costume If your camp sends its theme nights, build each outfit from things you already own.
  • Trash bag for muddy clothes Mud from the field game stays in the bag until the washing machine at home.
  • Underwear, a pair for each day and two more The two more are for the day you slip in the creek.
  • Your church group's T-shirt If your group has one, ask your leader which day it is for. It may be the ride there.

Wash bag 15

  • Bath towel Not the same one as your lake towel, or neither will ever be dry.
  • Case for glasses or a retainer Put your name on the case. Dining hall trays are where these go missing.
  • Clothesline and clothespins If the camp allows one, string it by the cabin so towels and swimsuits dry by morning.
  • Deodorant A week of field games. Your cabin mates will be grateful.
  • Hairbrush and hair ties Lake water knots long hair. Braid it before you swim and brush it after.
  • Insect repellent For the campfire, when the bugs come out. Put it on outside the cabin, away from other people's faces.
  • Medicine you take every day A grown-up hands it in the way the camp's form says. It does not ride in your suitcase.
  • Mesh bag or caddy for the shower Everything rides in one hand to the bathhouse, and mesh drips dry.
  • Period supplies, if you might need them Pack them just in case, in a small bag of their own.
  • Shampoo and conditioner Travel size is plenty for a week, and lighter to carry to the shower.
  • Shower shoes Flip-flops that live with your wash bag and go nowhere but the shower.
  • Soap in a container with a lid Lid on tight, then inside a zip bag. Suitcases get dropped.
  • Sunscreen lotion Write your name on the bottle and keep it in your day pack, where you can reach it at the lake.
  • Toothbrush with a cover The cover keeps it clean on a shelf the whole cabin shares.
  • Toothpaste of your own A small tube. One tube passed around a whole cabin gets messy.

For chapel and the campfire 19

  • Bible Write your name inside the cover. A small one fits in your day pack for the walk to chapel.
  • The booklet your church sent for the week If your leader gave you one, it goes in the bag first.
  • Bookmark or ribbon So you can find your place in your Bible again before the speaker moves on.
  • Cards for swapping addresses Without phones, a paper address is how you find each other after camp.
  • Colored pencil for marking verses A pencil marks a thin page without soaking through to the other side.
  • Guitar or ukulele Only if you play and the camp says yes. Use a hard case with your name on it.
  • Index cards Write down a verse or a line you liked and carry it in your pocket.
  • Letters from home, one for each day Ask a grown-up to hide them in your bag with the day written on the front.
  • Money for the camp store Small bills in an envelope with your name. Ask if the camp keeps an account for you instead.
  • Money for the offering Only if your camp takes one. Your leader will know.
  • Notebook or journal For notes in chapel, and for the things you want to remember on the ride home.
  • Pens, and one spare Pens wander off at camp. Clip one to the notebook.
  • Plain pillowcase and a fabric marker Friends and counselors sign it on the last night, and it goes on your bed at home.
  • Quiet thing for rest hour A deck of cards or a puzzle book, if your list allows them.
  • Single-use camera If phones stay home, this is how the week's pictures come back with you.
  • Small day pack It carries your Bible, bottle and sunscreen from cabin to chapel to lake.
  • Something for the talent show A song, a joke or a card trick, if your camp holds one. The props have to fit in your suitcase.
  • Stamps, envelopes and addresses Write the addresses on before you go. Nobody at camp knows your grandma's zip code.
  • Water bottle with your name on it You refill it all day, and the cabin may be a long walk from the nearest tap.

For the lake 10

  • Bag for the wet swimsuit Mesh or plastic. A wet suit on the bunk makes the whole bed damp.
  • Goggles Put your name on the strap. Every pair looks the same on a dock.
  • Lake towel A big one for the dock. It hangs outside and never goes near your bunk.
  • Old sneakers for the creek If your camp has a creek walk, this is the pair that never quite dries.
  • Second swimsuit Pulling on a cold, wet one after lunch is nobody's favorite part of camp.
  • Sunglasses on a strap The strap is the part that matters over deep water.
  • Swim shirt It covers your shoulders through a long afternoon on the water, and it dries fast.
  • Swimsuit that follows the dress code Camps set their own swimwear rules, and some ask for a one-piece. Read the list before you shop.
  • T-shirt and shorts to wear over your swimsuit Some camps ask you to cover up on the walk to the water and back.
  • Water shoes with a heel strap Lake bottoms are rock and mud. Slides come off in the first minute.

Leave at home 14

  • Leave at home: a speaker or headphones A cabin is for talking, and the music at camp is the kind you sing.
  • Leave at home: anything on your camp's own no list Read it once with a grown-up before you zip the bag.
  • Leave at home: chewing gum, if your list rules it out It ends up under bunks and in somebody's hair.
  • Leave at home: hair dryer and straightener Ask first. A cabin may have one outlet for the whole bunk room.
  • Leave at home: jewelry and anything precious Lakes and fields keep what they take.
  • Leave at home: more cash than the camp suggests A little goes a long way at a camp store, and a suitcase is not a safe.
  • Leave at home: perfume and body spray In a small cabin, one spray is everybody's.
  • Leave at home: prank supplies Shaving cream for pranks is on some camps' no lists, and the mess is yours to clean.
  • Leave at home: shirts with rude words A shirt you could not wear to school stays in the drawer.
  • Leave at home: snacks, unless your list allows them Where they are allowed, they go in a tub that seals. Ants find a cabin fast.
  • Leave at home: tablets and game consoles Camp is the week you will not miss them.
  • Leave at home: your best clothes Everything comes home muddy, damp or signed by your cabin.
  • Leave at home: your pet The dog will be very glad to see you on the last day.
  • Leave at home: your phone, unless your leader says bring it Some camps hold any phone they find until the last day. Tell your friends you are away.

How it works

These 91 things to bring to church camp cover bedding, clothes, a wash bag, chapel and the campfire, the lake and a row to leave at home.

Read the full guide

What do you need for church camp?

Bedding for your bunk, clothes for each day, a wash bag, a flashlight, closed-toe shoes, a swimsuit that fits the camp's dress code, a towel and a Bible. Pack those first.

Your camp's own list comes first

Your camp sends one, and it wins over this page. It can tell you the size of the bunk, how tall a suitcase may be, what the dress code is and whether phones and snacks stay home.

Packing for a first week away

Pack with a grown-up, so you know where each thing is. Write your name on all of it. Then pack to go home from the same list, and nothing gets left under a bunk.

Questions and answers

What should I not bring to church camp?

Whatever your camp's list rules out. Good guesses are tablets and game consoles, jewelry, prank supplies and pets. Ask your leader before you pack a phone.

Do I need a Bible for church camp?

Yes, if your camp's list names one. Bring your own if you have it, with your name inside. If you do not have one, tell your leader before the trip and ask about borrowing one.

What do you wear to church camp?

Clothes that can get wet and dirty: T-shirts, shorts, closed-toe shoes, a sweatshirt for the evening and a rain jacket. Your camp may set a dress code for shorts and swimwear, so read its list before you pack.

How much should I pack for a week of church camp?

One outfit for each day, two spare shirts, two swimsuits and two towels, in one suitcase that slides under a bunk. If the suitcase will not close, take out clothes, not the flashlight.

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