Chels Badger - Littlek

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This is the story of how summer camp impacted my life.

In 2015, I participated in the IEP Summer Camp USA program for the first time. I was 20 years old; I had just finished two years of university at two different universities in two different degrees and I felt stuck. One day while I was dragging myself to a university tutorial I had no interest in whatsoever, I walked past a notice board with a flyer pinned to it. In bold bright letters, it said,

I was immediately drawn to this Summer Camp USA flyer. I then proceeded to spend the entire tutorial distracted and researching into it. I later signed up to the IEP Summer Camp USA program, a decision that little did I know at the time- would influence the entire course of my life and career in the next few years!

And then before I knew it, I had deferred university for a year and I was by myself on a plane heading to New York City. And oh boy was I ready to embark on a brand-new adventure.


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Photo: On my way to New York City (2015)

I was hired by a small campus styled summer camp in Thompson, Connecticut called Camp Stonewall. My role was as a General Counsellor. After I landed in NYC, I got myself to the HI Hostel (a camp counsellor hot spot) and I met the other international counsellors who would be working at Camp Stonewall. We all jumped in a few taxis, headed to the train station and travelled to New Haven, Connecticut where we were picked up in traditional yellow school buses by the Camp Stonewall Head Staff!


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Photo: The 4th of July weekend spent in Connecticut with my CSW co-counsellors (2015)

Camp Stonewall was run a little different to traditional summer camps. The biggest difference was that every child at CSW got to pick every activity they did throughout the day and every counsellor was assigned to run a different activity every period of the day. This meant that one period I could be teaching a fuse bead activity in the art room, the next period I could be running a gaga game and the next period I could be teaching a cooking activity! As general counsellors, we did get a preference of which activities we liked to lead however occasionally we would be asked to teach areas new to us- for me this was soccer. I ended up spending the majority of my teaching time in the Arts & Crafts room where I felt the most confident and passionate about the classes.


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Photo: Modelling hand made clay 'diamond' rings (2015)

The main advantage of Camp Stonewalls camper/counsellor preference system was that every camper was happy because they were doing the activities they wanted, and every general counsellor was happy because they were teaching the activities they liked. This worked super well at Camp Stonewall because it was a very small summer camp- only about 40 counsellors! It also really helped to integrate every child with each other and helped them to form friendships with people they might not have because of the school-age difference. I noticed that the older campers took a lot more interest in wanting to help the younger campers when they were in the same activity together. I would often take a mini step back and always felt very proud of my group of campers (13-year-old girls) when I saw them taking initiative and assisting others younger than them. It was a really lovely thing to experience.


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Photo: Colour Wars at Camp Stonewall (2015)

I had such an incredible summer working at Camp Stonewall and it was my experience there that made me fall deeply in love with everything that is Summer Camp culture. I woke up every morning at camp so ready and excited for the day, and I beg of you... if you ever find a job that makes you feel like this- protect it at all costs! I will forever be grateful for the people, values and experiences that Camp Stonewall introduced me too.


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Photo: Camp Stonewall Staff (2015)

When the summer at Camp Stonewall was over, I did a 26-day Trek America trip called The Americana Road Trip. It started in New York and ended in San Francisco. I made friends for life on that trip who I’m still in close and regular contact with! It was so awesome to be able to see such a huge variety of different places in the US on this trip. The J1 Summer Camp Visa gives you 30 days after camp to travel the US and I highly recommend you make the most of that!


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 Photo: The Americana Roadtrip Trek America (2015)

Some of my highlights on the trip were visiting Nashville (I'm a massive Taylor Swift Fan), swimming at the stunning Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, seeing the Grand Canyon, Sandboarding on the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado and trying clam chowder for the first time in San Francisco!


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Photo: Grand Canyon (2015)

I really loved the camping aspect of Trek America as it meant we were able to see the big cities, small towns and beautiful national parks. I also loved that we got to cook together every evening at the campsites. This really helped us bond as a group. Since this trip in 2015, I’ve done a pretty decent amount of travel around Asia, Europe and North America and my Trek America trip is still one of the absolute favourite trips that I’ve ever done!


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Photo: Sandboarding in Colorado (2015)

I returned to Perth, Western Australia from the US in September 2015 with one clear goal; to finish my university degree so I could go back to the USA and work at a summer camp again.

And that’s exactly what I did. It took me 3 and a half years, a few major/minor changes and an eventful exchange semester to Spain... but I finally finished my undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations & Photography at Murdoch University.


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Photo: A map of all Murdoch Universities Partner Universities (2019)

I loved my university degree and adding Public Relations was a massively positive thing for me that opened a lot of doors and opportunities. While studying, I managed to get a job working in the Study Abroad and Exchange Office. In this role, I was responsible for managing their social media, promoting the overseas programs and coming up with new ways to get students interested in studying abroad. This gave me my first taste into working within global mobility and then it clicked...

"Wow, I've actually managed to find an industry that combines my love for travel, public relations, social media and inspiring/helping others to have overseas experiences!"


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Photo: Murdoch University Graudation (2019)

Since it had been 4 years since I did my first summer camp experience, I made the decision to apply as a first-timer so I would be placed on a new summer camp. My experience at Camp Stonewall made me realise how passionate I was about teaching arts and crafts, so I was absolutely over the moon when I was hired by Camp Echo Lake in Warrensburg, New York in my dream position as a Fine Arts Activity Specialist. 


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Photo: Jenny (Fine Arts Activity Specialist) and I at Camp Echo Lake (2019)

From the very second I stepped off the bus at Camp Echo Lake, I felt it again. The magic of summer camp. And I immediately knew I had found a very special place to call my summer home. Camp Echo Lake is located in the Southern Adirondack Mountains, about 3 and a half hours North of New York City. They have about 500 co-ed campers and a mixed domestic/international counsellor team of 250-270 people! So it was a very different but even more amazing experience compared to my camp experience at Camp Stonewall that's for sure!

Camp Echo Lake is the most special place I've ever worked in my life and will always hold an incredibly important place in my heart.


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Photo: Camp Echo Lake Staff (2019)

Unless you’ve actually experienced working at a summer camp and the magic of camp, it is very difficult to explain how much of an everlasting impact it makes on you. But regardless of this difficulty, I’m going to try my very best to put it into words.

"Working at a Summer Camp is the hardest job you'll ever love."


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Photo: Cooling off at General Swim (2019)

Working at a Summer Camp gives you so much more than just a job, accommodation and meals for two months.

Camp gives you a family. It gives you a community of people who have your back no matter what. These people don't see barriers, makeup, or fancy fronts! Just you when you're covered in paint, when you're smiling and sharing your passions, when you're exhausted, sunburnt and homesick, when you're laughing so hard you cry...these people see you 24/7 for two months and still see you and value you, just for you!

Camp gives you confidence. It gives you the ability to stand up in a bright yellow tutu at 10am on a Tuesday morning for no reason at all and scream ‘Hey this is who I am and that’s what makes me cool!’ without having to say a single word.

Camp gives you the chance to make a lasting impact on a child's life. It gives you the best feeling ever- getting to see a child learn something new after getting the courage to extend their comfort zone. Getting to see your campers grow and develop in a positive way is addictive and will always stay with you, and them forever.

Camp gives you opportunities. It gives you the chance to be yourself, try new things, work with likeminded people and learn about yourself in a very safe and non-judgemental environment.

Finally and most importantly, the magic of camp changes stays within you forever. You will never, ever be the same after camp.

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Photo: Halloween at Camp Echo Lake (2019)

I returned to Australia in September 2019, attended my graduation ceremony the next day (would not recommend doing this a day after 45 hours in transit) and flung myself into the absolute joy that is searching for a full-time job. A month went past, many cover letters were written and many jobs were applied for but I still hadn't been hired so I started working as a swim teacher, delivering flowers and working as a photographer again to fill the gap.


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Photo: Working casually delivering flowers, photographing and swim teaching (2019)

I was starting to give up hope a little on finding a full-time job and then if, by magic, the opportunity to work fulltime at IEP (the agency that sent me to summer camp both times!) in Auckland popped up! Without a thought, I jumped on the chance and moved my life across the Tasman from Perth-Auckland for my dream role working as a Work USA & Summer Camp USA Program Coordinator. For me, knowing I'm helping so many people get the opportunity to work in the US and on summer camps, brings me the ultimate amount of happiness. And I couldn't be more grateful for my journey that got me to where I am right now.

Be nice try hard,

Chels

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In the past, I was always a tad nervous about the impression that having 'Camp Counsellor' on my CV might give to future employers...

"Just don't include it then" was common advice I received. However, if check my resume- you'll see it's still there, twice actually! And that's because my camp experiences are some of my most valuable and have impacted my working and personal identity the most. But how do you communicate those skills and experiences to someone who has never experienced camp?

The reality is, it's very difficult to. From colour wars, lake swims and theme park visits- there is absolutely no denying that when you look in from the outside- working as a camp counsellor will appear to be all fun and games. Don't get me wrong, this viewpoint is partially true. Working as a camp counsellor is a very enjoyable and rewarding job... However, it is also a 'real job' that is a lot more physically and mentally demanding than first meets the eye. And because of this, it gives you a wealth of skills and experiences that are transferrable and super valuable in the 'outside of camp' world! Things that I'm very proud of and I believe deserve to be on my CV.

Working as a Camp Counsellor is a real job that requires an ongoing amount of...

Hard Work & Commitment. The truth is, the normal 9-5 does not exist in the camp world. You work 24 hours a day, 6 days a week, for 8-10 weeks and on top of that- you do it all at 120%. You make the commitment to do this because if not you- then who? I've worked many different jobs in my life, but I've never worked as hard as I have at camp! I enjoy working hard, because of camp.

Adaptability. If it's raining and all activities have been cancelled, you don't mope and complain about it at camp. As a camp counsellor, you laugh it off and come up with a new plan on the spot to make sure the kids are entertained, happy and distracted from the fact their favourite activity isn't happening. You learn to become adaptable because as they say 'your vibe attracts your tribe' so an unhappy counsellor = unhappy kids -which is what we try to always avoid! I'm adaptable, because of camp.

Resilience. Camp taught me the ability to be resilient and manage high-stress situations calmly and quickly. Camp doesn't ever stop. It's a fast-paced go-go-go environment that constantly demands your very best and nothing less. Even when you're tired, homesick and/or sunburnt - you just keep going and going with a big smile on your face! I'm resilient, because of camp.

Responsibility. You instantly become a role model at camp and you realise the importance and responsibility you hold because of this. Not only are you working with kids every day, but you are also living with them so everything you do or say can (and most likely will) influence them. You want your campers to be the best they can be, so you have to be your very best 24/7 too! I understand responsibility, because of camp.

Connection. Camp taught me the importance of making connections and nurturing bonds. You're not just a camp counsellor to the kids. You're a friend, a shoulder to cry on, their biggest supporter, the person who keeps them safe and the person they look up too. You wear many hats at camp but they all come from the connection shelf. That connection doesn't happen instantly, it's formed over time and maintained with a lot of patience, trust and kindness. I connect well with others, because of camp.

Cultural Understanding. At camp, I gained a huge amount of cultural understanding and hands-on experience working with people from different countries, from different backgrounds and with different personalities, beliefs and values. Camps hire staff from all around the world and it's one of the things that makes camp experiences so beneficial for not only the counsellors but also the kids. I enjoy working with different people, because of camp.

Endless enthusiasm and positive morale. Camp is an extremely high energy environment and you are expected to keep up with it! This is also known camp attitude, which is what keeps you positive, enthusiastic and motivated even when you're exhausted, missing home, stressed and/or rundown. Everything can be made positive and enjoyable with the right attitude! I'm always optimistic and see the silver lining, because of camp.

I could keep going with this list forever but for now, I'll leave it at that. So in conclusion, if those aren't some of the perfect qualities that any employer would want in an employee... I'm not really sure what are!

As a person and employee- I am who I am, because of camp.

And that's why I'll never take it off my CV.

Be nice try hard,

Chels

p.s If you've gotten to the end of this article and thought to yourself "Why on earth would anyone want to work as a camp counsellor- it sounds exhausting?" I don't blame you. It is exhausting. But what makes it all worth it... is the kids. You get the honour of watching them grow as individuals over two months. Like a lot of things in life, you get out what you put in. And that couldn't be more true at camp. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing a kid enjoy trying something they were nervous about doing or learn a new skill after trying so hard to get it right! That feeling makes everything hard, worth it and that's why there is a very popular saying among the camp community that goes like this- "working as a camp counsellor is the hardest job you'll ever love".

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A Day In My Life at Camp!

I worked as a Fine Arts Activity Specialist at Camp Echo Lake in Warrensburg, New York in 2019 and I’ll be returning in 2020 for my second summer! My group of campers were 13 years old and their group name was Lower Village Girls (LVG). I lived in a cabin called ‘Yale’, that had six sets of bunk beds and I shared this cabin with 2 of my co-counsellors and 9 of my campers. The rest of my co-counsellors and campers lived in the cabin next to us and their cabin was called ‘Penn’. My co-counsellors were Jess (Group Leader), Taylor (Yoga Specialist), India (Ropes Specialist), Nicole (Cooking Specialist) and Haley (Cabin Specialist). This is a little run down of what a day in my life at camp was like!

 

Wake-Up / Clean Up

8:40am

GOODMORNING! It’s time to start the day! I live in the Senior Village at the camp so we get a little sleep in which is awesome!  

 

Breakfast in the Lodge

9:00am-9:20am

Once we have freshened up a bit, we walk down the hill to the Lodge which is the building we had breakfast in. For breakfast we always have a hot option (scrambled eggs, pancakes, breakfast potatoes or eggies etc) as well as porridge, fresh fruit, cereal, juice and most importantly COFFEE! My keep cup is probably my most used item at camp! We sit together for breakfast and my group leader will go through the activities for the day and tell the campers what they are signed up for, where they are meant to be throughout the day and if they have any special activities such as private tennis lessons, water skiing etc. After breakfast, the campers go back to the cabin and they do a clean up which means they neaten up the cabin, sweep, wipe down the bathroom, make their beds etc.  

 

Period 1

9:30am-10:20am

I usually leave breakfast a little early to walk over to the Fine Arts Centre to meet my activity team and get organised for the day. We set up the first art lesson and then wait for the campers to arrive so we can get into it! At 10:00am, the senior village has morning line-up. I didn’t get to go to morning line up very often because I always had to head straight to art to start lessons (unless of course we didn’t have a lesson in the first period!) however, morning line up is when all of senior village gets together and they go through announcements, sing songs, talk about the day etc.

 

Period 2

10:30am-11:20am

We clean up and pack away from the first lesson and then we set up the second art activity for the day. Then we wait for the campers to arrive and we get straight into it!  

 

Period 3

11:30am-12:20pm

We get to take one period off a day, so this is my allocated period off for today. I head over to The Rox, which is our staff room. The Rox is awesome, we have vending machines, air-con (the best), couches, table tennis, tv’s, computers, WIFI and it’s just a nice place to relax and hang out with other counsellors during your down time. We would often go on Dunkin’ runs into town to get ice coffee on our periods off!  

 

Period 4

12:30pm-1:20pm

My time off is over now so I head back across campus to the Fine Arts Centre and help my team get ready for the next art lesson.  

 

Senior Village Lunch

1:30pm-2:00pm

Finally time for lunch! Lunch is served buffet style and we also have an amazing salad bar with loads of different fresh salads and other cold options. I really enjoy being able to have lunch with my campers and find out how their mornings were and what they have been up too. My favourite lunch at camp is grilled cheese. I keep vegemite in my daypack, so I like to open the grilled cheese and spread on some vegemite on it… YUM! My campers are always super curious about Vegemite so showing them ‘practical’ ways to eat it is a nice way for me to share my ‘culture’ with them.

 

Period 6

2:00pm-2:50pm

After lunch, my campers head back to the cabin for rest hour. However, since I’m an activity specialist I head back to the Fine Arts Centre to set up and teach another art lesson. If we don’t have a lesson scheduled in this period (or any period during the day) we usually can go re-join our group of campers and do an activity with them. After lunch, one of my co counsellors (Either the Group Leader or the Cabin Specialist) will take one of the campers to go collect the mail for both cabins (Yale & Penn). Letter writing is a super popular thing at camp and the campers get mail basically every day or second day.  

 

Period 7

3:00pm-3:50pm

We have another art lesson in this period, so I stay at the Fine Arts Centre and help with that.  

 

Snack

3:50pm-4:10pm

This is the one time of the day the entire camp comes together all in the same place. One counsellor of each group will head into the dining hall and get the ‘snack’ of the day which I usually icy poles or cookies and we then hand them out to our campers. The campers love to see their younger siblings and other friends during snack and as counsellors it’s nice to see other counsellors we don’t see much off during the day. Even though we have between 250-270 counsellors at camp, we are an incredibly tight knit family and we all just love each other so much!

 

Period 8

4:15pm-5:00pm

We have another art class scheduled for this period, so I head back to the Fine Arts Centre to help with that.

 

General Swim

5:00pm-5:45pm

Once Period 8 is over, I head straight from the Fine Arts Centre back to my cabin. I quickly get changed into my swimsuit and head down to either the lake or the pool depending on where my group is allocated for the day. General swim is hands down my favourite part of the day! This for me, is the best part of the day because It’s such a good way to cool down after a long day plus I love to be able to re-join my group of campers and co-counsellors and talk to them about what they got up to during the day!

 

Showers

5:45pm-7:00pm

We grab our towels, slip our crocs on and then we all head back up to our cabin all together. Every group has a different allocated time to shower so because my group is the youngest group in the Senior Village our shower time is the last one. While we wait, we hang out in the cabin, play cards, chat or sit outside in our crazy creeks. Usually we have a little co-counsellor meeting during this waiting period which is good to find out if anything happened during the day that we need to be aware of. Shower time is madness, but we managed to get it done every day somehow!

 

Evening Line-Up

7:10pm-7:30pm

We usually rush straight from showers to evening line up. Line Up is when everyone in Senior Village sits together and we talk about the day, go through announcements, sing happy birthday, sing the tooth song if someone loses a tooth and we hand out fuzzies! It’s a fun way to all come together before we walk over to the dining hall for dinner.

 

Dinner

7:30pm-8:15pm

DINNER TIME! We have dinner in the main dining hall every evening. Sometimes we have ‘cook out’ which is bbq styled food and we usually sit outside for these dinners. For normal inside dinners, we have 2 people go up to the kitchen window and they get food for the entire table. We then all sit together and eat, sometimes there are chants that randomly happen in the dining hall so it’s always loud and there is always lots of laughs. Once we have had our dessert, cleaned up our table and taken up our dishes etc it’s time to head outside.

 

Evening Activity

8:15pm-9:00pm

Evening activity is different every evening. Sometimes it could be a group game, a movie night, a challenge, a campfire, a show, a silent disco or anything really. But whatever it is, it’s always fun!

 

Canteen

9:00pm-9:30pm

We have canteen in the Lodge with the whole of Senior Village. The kids get to pick two snacks, we play music and the campers hang out. Sometimes we have karaoke set up too. This is mainly just a time for the Senior Village campers to all come together and be social with each other at the end of the day.  

 

Back to Cabins & Circle Up

9:30pm

After canteen, we go back to our cabins and we do a circle up. A circle up is when we all sit in a circle and we discuss the day or a topic. A popular thing we do is play ‘valleys and peak’s where we go around the circle and talk about something we loved about the day (peak) and something we maybe didn’t like so much or something we struggled with (valley). The group leaders usually leads circle up and it’s a really nice way to conclude the day before we go back to our respective cabins and start getting ready for bedtime.  

 

Official Time Off

10:00pm

Every day we get 10pm-1am as our time off, unless you are on OD (On Duty) for the evening. If you are assigned to do On Duty for the evening, you are responsible for staying with the cabin of campers, making sure they get ready for bed, and once lights are out (for my group lights out was 10:45pm) you sit on the porch of your cabin and make sure the campers are settled, being quiet and preferably sleeping. This is a great time for us as counsellors to read, write letters, make bracelets or anything else to pass the time until your co-counsellors come back from their time off. There is head OD staff that come around during OD and give you snacks (usually yogurt, fruit cups or chips). We also have so many coffee machines scattered around on campus, so we are always welcome to make a coffee or a tea to have while we are on OD.

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The Original Live Sea Monkeys

I get a lot of people asking me questions about Sea Monkeys! Here are some of the most common questions I get asked!


Question:

Where can I get Sea-Monkeys from?

Answer:

  • Australia/New Zealand/International Sea Monkeys Store (code CHELS for 10% off)
  • USA/Canada Sea Monkeys Store
  • UK Sea Monkeys Store


Question:

Do I need to change their tank water?

Answer:





Question:

Do I need to clean my Sea Monkeys tank?

Answer:






Question:

Even though I'm not supposed to clean the tank, I still want to. Is there a way to do it safely?

Answer:




Question:

Do I have to use the tank that comes in the Sea Monkey Kit or can I use my own?

Answer:



Question:

What do I do when my Sea Monkeys die?

Answer:


Question:

What is the best water to use in the tank?

Answer:



Question:

What is distilled water?

Answer:




Question:

Do Sea Monkeys need plants in their tank?

Answer:



Question:

How do you aerate your Sea Monkeys tank with the bubbler tool?

Answer:




Question:

How do you manually aerate your Sea Monkeys tank if you don't have the bubbler tool?

Answer:



Question:

How do you know the difference between female and male Sea Monkeys?

Answer:




Question:

How long does it take for Sea Monkeys to grow?

Answer:



Question:

How big can Sea Monkeys grow?

Answer:




Question:

How long does it take for them to hatch?

Answer:




Until next time,

Chels x


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Tiktok - @chelsbadger

Instagram- @littlek

Twitter- @littleksnap

Youtube- http://www.youtube.com/c/ChelseaBadger 

Portfolio- www.littleksnap.com

Facebook- facebook.com/littleksnap

Email- littleksnap@gmail.com

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ALL OPINIONS AND IMAGES REMAIN MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE

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I had the most AMAZING summer working as a Fine Arts Specialist at Camp Echo Lake in Warrensburg, New York! Prior to coming to camp, we were sent a packing list (YEAH PACKING LISTS) to help us pack. It was a really great list, however, there were a few things that I didn't pack that I probably should have. A lot of the time you have to actually experience something to understand so I've decided to write up a packing list that explains why certain things are on the packing list! Plus some other things that really helped me at camp! So if you're going to work at a camp - hopefully you find this helpful!


  • 6x White Staff T-Shirts: You'll be given these during orientation and it's deducted from your pay. You have to wear a staff shirt from 9am-5pm every day.

  • 2x Tank Tops
  • 6x T-Shirts: You won't want to wear your staff t-shirt after 5pm trust me! American's LOVE a t-shirt and I picked up a lot of my favourite shirts while on days off! Lake George apparel is very popular.
WE LOVE T-SHIRTS

  • 1x Nice White Shirt: Every Friday evening you'll be required to wear a white shirt to Services / Friday Night Live so it's a good idea to pack something for this.
  • 1x Party Shirt: The brighter the better and yes it's essential.
YEAH PARTY SHIRTS

  • 6-7x Pairs of Sports Shorts: You will live in these so make sure they're comfortable.
  • 1x Pair of Demin Shorts / Jean Shorts
  • 1x Pairs of Jeans: Personally I never wore jeans at camp but a lot of other people did 
  • 1x Pair of Trackpants
  • 1x Pair of Active Leggings
ACTIVEWEAR

  • 1-2x Sweatshirts: A hoodie and a pullover are the perfect choices.
  • 15-20x Pairs of Underwear: I believe it's impossible to overpack underwear.
  • 1-2x Normal bras
  • 6x Sports bras
  • 14-20x Pairs of Socks: Honestly you can't overpack socks either, especially for camp.
  • 2-3x One-piece swimsuits: You will swim every day so it's handy to have 2-3 on rotation.
  • 1x Pair of summer PJ's
  • 1x Compact rain jacket: It rains randomly more than you would think
  • 1x Warm fleece jacket: This is 100% worth bringing, some nights it can get super cold.
  • 1x Pair of Thermals: Not an essential but handy to have if you get cold easily.

You get one DOFF (day off) a week, you will either be allocated 'Saturday 8pm- Sunday 11pm' DOFF or 'Wednesday 8pm-Thursday 11pm' DOFF and this will be the same for the entire summer. It's also nice to have something nice-casual to wear for the last night at camp!
  • 1x Bikini
  • 2-3x Nice tops
  • 2x Dresses or playsuits
  • Makeup & Makeup remover
  • Small purse / bag
  • 1x Nice pair of sandals: I just wore my Birkenstocks and still managed to get into bars etc
Last night staff banquet 


  • 1-2x Pairs of Sneakers: I did the whole summer with 1 pair but I would advise bringing 2 because there is NOTHING worse than wet shoes. I personally love Skechers as they're SO comfortable! 
  • 1x Pair of Hiking Boots: I didn't need this because I was an activity specialist but you might need a pair if you're a cabin specialist/group leader.
  • 1x Pair of Flip-Flops: You need to wear them in the showers to prevent tinea. 
  • 1x Pair of Sandals: Such as Birkenstocks or Chacos. Or both.
  • 1x Rain Boots/Gum Boots: You could go without packing these and be okay but if you want to be prepared, pack them!
  • 1x Pair of Crocs: the best shoes to ever grace this earth and a heavily worn and loved item at camp.
These are 'normal' at camp


  • 1x Cap: America doesn't have 'no hat no play' rules like Australia does however you should bring a hat to camp, I promise you will wear it and use it regularly. 
  • 1-2x Pair of sunglasses: Same reason as above. I ended up ordering a custom prescription pair from Zenni.com straight to camp for $42 usd (about $62 aud) and they were amazing- PLUS so cheap!! Highly recommend if you're blind like me!
  • 1x Wristwatch: One of the ESSENTIALS of camp! I don't think I could have survived camp without my watch. Mine is the Casio LA-20WH-4A1 . The alarm sucks on it, it's more of a reminder beep but I love it regardless and it's water proof.
Love this watch so much!


  • Shower caddy: You can get these from Amazon or eBay for super cheap and you will use it every single day!
Shower caddy 

  • Toothbrush 
  • Toothpaste
  • Soap
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Face wash
  • Face towel
  • Face moisturiser 
  • Hair Brush
  • Deodorant
  • Body spray / Mini perfume
  • Razors
  • Lip balm
  • Bug repellent: You'll need lots of this!
  • After bug cream
  • Nail clippers & tweezers
  • Sunscreen
  • Hair elastics/head bands

There is a health centre on campus but I find it so much easier to have my own stuff.
  • Cold & Flu tablets: I can't stress this enough- bring like 2-3 packets!
  • Allergy tablets: these are a must-pack even if you don't have issues with allergies at home.
  • Painkillers / Period pain tablets
  • Hydralite tablets: Highly recommend packing these!
  • Vicks
  • Sanitary items
  • Small sewing kit: I fixed so many things this summer.
  • Other personal medications


When you arrive, Camp Echo Lake will give the Internationals counsellors the following-
  • 1x Pillow: most of us ended up buying new pillows from Walmart though as the ones they give you can be a bit hit & miss
  • 1x Blanket
  • 1x Set of bed sheets: this is a fitted sheet, a top sheet and a pillowcase
  • 1x Towel: I would recommend also bringing a light towel (Turkish towels are great) to use at the lake/pool. Having 2 towels helps a lot.
My beloved Turkish Towel


I always travel with a laptop so I can do my photos and make videos etc but the majority of people didn't bring a laptop to camp.
  • Phone, cord and charger
  • International power plug adapter
  • Portable power bank: The brand Cygnett is super good 
Cygnett Powerbank Options

  • Laptop & charger
  • Headphones
  • Camera & charger. I use the Canon Powershot G7X Mark II  and it's awesome! It was so nice to be able to reach for it and shoot video and take photos instead of using my phone!
Canon Powershot G7X Mark II

  • Mattress topper: They call them 'egg crates', you can get them for $10 from Walmart and they make the world of difference. This was one of the best things I brought while at camp.
  • Speaker: this is was one of the best things I brought to camp and used every day  while at camp and on DOFF's 
The speaker I have is the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom

  • Sleeping bag: I didn't bring one and I didn't end up needing one. If you have a super-compact sleeping bag I would recommend bringing one but if not you can always borrow from someone at camp. The only time you would ever really need one at camp is if you were doing a trek overnight trip which usually only cabin specialists or occasionally group leaders would go on!
  • A costume for Halloween: Halloween happens after the parents leave on visiting day so it's a good idea to have a costume idea packed!
Halloween

  • Velcro wrap towel: One of my favourite items to use at camp. I got mine from Walmart and it's a game-changer. I would recommend getting one of these instead of a robe.
Velcro wrap towel

  • Headtorch & spare batteries: Essential and a must-pack.
  • Reusable water bottle: a good investment and you'll use it every day. Popular brands were Hydrofask but for a cheaper option that works just as well try Simply Modern. 
Waterbottle & reusable fork/spoon/knife

  • Reusable compact knife, fork & spoon:  a good item to keep clipped to your water bottle or in your bag to use at lunchtime instead of single-use plastic items.
  • Laundry bag: I got this awesome one from Walmart that has a carry strap which makes it so much easier to carry from your bunk to the rox (staff room).
    The dream laundry bag
  • Reusable straw: A good habit to get into using instead of plastic straws.
Reusable compact straw

  • Lunchbox or plastic container: I used mine basically every morning to take away breakfast or to fill with fruit.
Lunch box

  • Keepcup: if you're a coffee drinker this a must-pack item,
My one true love, and Jenny

  • Personal photos from home & blue-tac: makes your space feel like home
Photos and small fairy lights

  • Small battery-powered fairy lights: Not an essential but I had mine next to my bed and they were a great little light source when I would come into the bunk after nights off.
  • Paper/Envelopes: letter writing is a massive thing at camp and a good habit to get into. At the end of camp, the majority of the counsellors will also write 'bus letters' for all their campers/friends so it's handy to have supplies in advance for that.
My finished bus letters

  • Stamps: I went to the post office in Lake George and got a bunch of international stamps at the start of camp and that lasted me throughout the summer.
  • Green & Yellow Bandana: These are super handy for tribal events - staff don't have a tribal team so you want to wear an equal amount of green and yellow stuff always!
  • Lollies/Sweets from your home country: For the Post Visiting Day Candy Party plus your campers will love trying something from your home country!
Post-Visiting Day Candy Party

  • Eyemask: I can't sleep without one so it's a must-pack for me.
  • Earplugs: Kids snore.
  • Day pack: Just make sure it's big enough to hold a water bottle, sunscreen, a towel etc.
  • Polaroid camera: I regretted not bringing mine this year and it will 100% be something I pack for next summer. 
In NYC before we got the bus to camp!

  • Friendship bracelet string: a great time passer activity while on OD
Camp wrist

  • 1x roll of Duct Tape: It has SO many purposes at camp.
  • Crazy Creek: you will 100% need this and use this almost every day of camp. You can get cheaper ones from Walmart. Don't come to camp without one
YEAH CRAZY CREEKS & CROCS


This is what I've learnt from Summer 2019 about what to pack and what not to pack- I really hope it's helpful to you!

Until next time,
Chels x

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