scoutmom 10 Posted July 19, 2003 Share Posted July 19, 2003 OK, my son is packing today for his first Summer Camp. He just turned 11 and has ADHD, so forgetting stuff is commonplace. Tell me the worst thing you or your son forgot to pack for a week at camp? I think we've got the basics covered, like underwear, socks, soap, toothbrush & toothpaste, etc. Or, what did you wish you had packed even if you did bring all the basics? Link to post Share on other sites
scoutldr 732 Posted July 19, 2003 Share Posted July 19, 2003 In my experience with ADHD 11 year olds, even if he packs and takes it, he won't remember he has it and won't use it! (lol) That goes for the items you already mentioned, like underwear, and toothbrush! For some reason, that never applies to GameBoys, YuGiOh cards and what we call "personal stash" (candy, softdrinks, etc). If we knew the location and climate of the camp, we could help narrow down the list for you! For instance the list will be different in So California than it will be for Maine. Link to post Share on other sites
evmori 11 Posted July 19, 2003 Share Posted July 19, 2003 Sleeping bag. We don't let our Scouts bring a "personal stash". Mom & dad & Scout pay a lot for a week at camp & if the Scout has a "personal stash" they probably won't eat the food that was paid for. Also, a "personal stash" invites animals! Ed Mori Scoutmaster Troop 1 1 Peter 4:10 Link to post Share on other sites
dsteele 20 Posted July 19, 2003 Share Posted July 19, 2003 Sad to say, but I packed better as a Scout on Ritalin than as a professional Scouter not on Ritalin . . . I had the honor in (I think) 1993 of serving on the staff of Akela Calls which was a kind of Regional Pow Wow held at Western Illinois University. When I got there and put on my uniform to go to dinner I discovered I had left my BSA web belt at home. I was embarrassed the whole evening and quickly found the nearest Scout Shop in the morning and bought two more. DS However, I can tell you that as a kid I rarely forgot to bring anything. Usually I forgot to bring stuff back home . . . DS Link to post Share on other sites
packsaddle 753 Posted July 19, 2003 Share Posted July 19, 2003 This line of questioning could be very humorous. When I went to camp as a boy, I was perfect (anyone believe that?). But really, I can't remember anything I forgot that was really needed. My son, on the other hand... Well, OK, one set of underwear (or other clothes) for the entire week is survivable. And you really don't need a flashlight. They don't normally brush their teeth anyway. H'mmm, I join with Ed on the sleeping bag thing. Also, a swim suit is tough to replace. If they are in open dwellings, a mosquito net is also good. If he forgets bug spray, he'll come home looking like smallpox. Scratch that, he'll come home looking like that anyway after using all the spray to create 'blow torches' with other boys. The 'personal stash' thing is risky. When I was a boy, a skunk raided my 'stash' one night. Right under my bed. I watched the whole thing. Scariest night of my life, well almost. Then after the skunk left we followed it to the counselors cabin and threw a bottle at it to make it spray. Great fun! The edited part: I would like to add, that extra towels are also good. Don't plan to ever use them again. Trash bags so you can conveniently dispose of all his fabric things are also helpful. You might want to go ahead and locate a burial site for the bag and contents. Check with your state for regs on hazardous materials.(This message has been edited by packsaddle) Link to post Share on other sites
Eamonn 61 Posted July 19, 2003 Share Posted July 19, 2003 I was taking the troop from London to camp in Holland. I took all the passports from the boys to make sure that they wouldn't lose them. The vans with all the equipment in, were going by road and boat. 64 Scouts and yours truly were going via Underground and rail. Trying to get 70 people on an underground train during rush hour in London, is not a lot of fun. Leaving the case with passports on the train is less fun. However a call to the London Transport Police, got the case back and we made the boat. Only after this London Transport Policeman, who was also a District Commissioner, gave me a "Good Talking too" I was only 22 at the time. A few weeks back, OJ, was at a development weekend for JLTC, I was also at the camp for a development for Wood Badge. We had not gone up to camp at the same time.(Me on Fri and him on Sat.) I was to bring him home, half way home he called me on my cell !!! Her That Must Be Obeyed, was not very happy. " Her poor baby" Link to post Share on other sites
scoutldr 732 Posted July 19, 2003 Share Posted July 19, 2003 Water shoes (or extra pair of sneakers that can stay wet). Sunscreen. Long sleeved shirt and long pants with belt for Swimming merit badge. Sheets, blanket, pillow. (may be too hot for sleeping bag). Medical form. Link to post Share on other sites
hops_scout 9 Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 My friend ( EAGLE SCOUT) forgot his cot, non arosal? bug spray, sleeping pad, and badanna, and a couple other things that I cant remember. I forgot to get more money from my mom. She only gave me ten bucks. Link to post Share on other sites
scoutmom 10 Posted July 20, 2003 Author Share Posted July 20, 2003 Thanks for the responses everyone. Based on your answers, I think he's pretty well covered. I don't expect everything to come home, (they prepared me for that one!0 but we put his name and troop number in everything, anyway. scoutldr, we're in New Jersey and he packed mostly shorts but I made sure he has a couple of pairs of long pants and a sweatshirt, you never know! Our Sm made it plain that no Game Boys are allowed. I'm not sure I would have let him bring it anyway, he's already lost it a few times. Fortunately he has always found it but I don't want to tempt fate. He does have a "personal stash" with approval from his troop leadership. Packed in a hard side cooler and it stays outside. I don't expect my picky eater to eat much of the camp food, anyway. OK, he's off to camp! Wish us both luck! Link to post Share on other sites
SagerScout 10 Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 For the most part, clothes are irrelevant. Socks are important. Swimsuit is very important. If the kids swim every day, the soap is considerably less important. In Texas, sunscreen and bug spray are both absolutely essential, far more important than spare clothes or other toiletries. If you have 2 t-shirts, you can wash one every morning and pull it off the line in the evening (so dew doesn't make it unpleasantly soggy). If it's raining, as long as you have dry socks nothing else much matters anyway. One of the salutory side effects of traveling in full Class A's is that you know every kid at least started out with all his uniform components. Scouts don't have a personal stash but the troop did, and a good thing too as a certain lame ASM and our "camp" SPL missed lunch due to being too far out on the reservation to be able to make it back before serving time. See, I went up to the COPE course to see my son and his buddy - a difficult 3/4 mile trail, rocky and steep, for someone with torn cartilage in one knee, a plate in the other ankle and a barely-healed sprained forefoot. (All of this to go along with my base condition of moderately severe fibromyalgia.) OK, so it was not good planning on my part, even with my walking stick, but I really wanted to cheer the boys on. My son's buddy asked for and received permission to escort me back, which meant he left the class a few moments earlier than the rest, but I'm so much slower than a boy scout that he was far behind the rest of the class getting to the dining hall on the other side of the camp. But he stuck with me like glue even when I encouraged him to go on ahead as it became clear we'd be too late to be served. "No ma'am, I want to make sure you're ok over these rocks..." We started back at about 12, got back to camp at 12:50, too late for lunch. The kitchen had held lunch for the rest of the COPE class but Sean was too late because he chose to make sure I got back to camp safely. We feasted at camp on tuna, crackers, and power bars. I tried to add praise for his gallantry to sweeten his, and I don't believe he missed the chicken nuggets much. Link to post Share on other sites
SagerScout 10 Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 OH, too late to help you but for other's reference: to help an ADHD kid pack what's needed without much help from you - buy a box of gallon-size ziplocs or larger, and help him write his packing list ON THE NUMBERED BAGS in magic marker. Something like this: BAG 1: Underwear BAG 2: Socks BAG 3: Troop T shirts BAG 4: Shorts BAG 5: Deodorant, soap (in it's own small ziploc), toothbrush/toothpaste (in their own small ziploc- nothing like having leaking soap on the toothbrush to discourage good oral hygiene) BAG 6: Bug Stuff, sunscreen, first aid cream and band-aids BAG 7: Pen, paper, handbook, merit badge books, knife, whatever else . Drawstring trash bags for dirty clothes. Towels and jeans won't fit in a gallon bag, so they go in separately. You can add the "won't fit" items to the end of Bag 7's list, or pony up for the 2.5 gallon size. Once the bags are labeled he can fill them himself, and as long as he can count to 7 he should be all good. Depending on filth and wear-n-tear, they can be left in the footlocker for next time too. For Brownie girl scouts, we made a set of these in a troop meeting before camp and it helped them and their parents a lot. Link to post Share on other sites
hops_scout 9 Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 Sorry to tell you, SagerScout, you're wrong. Jeans will fit in a zip bloc bag. It will be tight, but will do. I use Walmart bags usually because you can get more in each one and its cheaper, a Scout is thrifty. Link to post Share on other sites
SagerScout 10 Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 Well, OK, my SON's jeans might fit in a gallon ziploc but I'm calibrated on my own clothing - and I don't think MY jeans will... not to reveal anything about my weight... Link to post Share on other sites
hops_scout 9 Posted July 20, 2003 Share Posted July 20, 2003 I wear men's clothing. I'm not talking some 11 year old's stuff. Link to post Share on other sites
Eamonn 61 Posted July 21, 2003 Share Posted July 21, 2003 It was good to see that he is doing his own packing. At times when I'm running late Her That Must Be Obeyed, will take pity on me and pack for me. I have a heck of a time, I can never find anything. She also never puts in the much needed extras, that us big kids seem to misplace: woggles,Q-Tips, extra cell phone. Link to post Share on other sites
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