"Luxury" items to make living at camp feel more like home

I worked at boy scout camps for nine summer seasons. After my first year at camp I started figuring out what simple things could make my 10 weeks in the woods 100 times better.

1. Rug

Whether you are sleeping in a wall tent or a cabin a rug will make your space feel like home. It also can help prevent you from stepping on nails in the wood platform or getting splinters. When it gets dirty you can sweep it off or take it outside and give it a good shake. I always preferred rugs made for patios since they were more durable and easier to clean. Really, even a dollar store bathmat by your bed is nice.

2. Pop up laundry basket

I used a pop up yard bag/trash bin for YEARS. They are more durable than the pop up laundry bags at most retailers and they do the same thing. It was nice that packing it to/from camp I could fold it up if I needed to. Having a laundry basket that you could just throw clothes in is seriously a luxury. It sounds weird but this was a lifesaver. it kept my space always looking clean compared to my tent/cabin mates who would throw their clothes back into a suitcase or on the floor. 

3. Trunk

I used a Sterilite 16 gallon footlocker. It fits under a cot and you can put a lock on it. It keeps the animals out and is roomy enough to have clothes and snacks in it. It was easier to keep organized than a suitcase and it is also easier to clean. It is also fairly cheap and you can get it at most Walmart stores back by their totes.

4. Night stand 

You need a place to put your watch, alarm clock, phone, name-tag, etc,...  To be honest most of the years I worked at camp I just used two milk crates stacked on each other. It made a nice little bookshelf and didn't take up a lot of space.

5. Sheets

If you are planning on sleeping on a foam mat or a camp mattress bring some twin sized sheets! It feels more like home. It also helps to keep your sleeping bag from slipping around if there is a fitted sheet on the mat.

6. Extra blanket

I've loaned out so many blankets to unprepared staff over the years. Nights can get really cold. Especially if there is a storm or it is just June in the mountains. I would always bring a few extra blankets for myself and my friends who couldn't sleep because they were way too cold. I would lay the blankets over the top of my sleeping bag at night and fold them in the morning.

7. Foam Mat

Queen sized foam mat - cut in half for perfect cot size. Camp mattresses are gross. I've never seen one that a mouse has not chewed up or pooped on. Bring some bleach in a spray bottle to camp and sanitize the crap outta those things. OR bring your own foam pad that you know is clean. One year I brought a memory foam topper for my camp foam mattress and it was heavenly. I also knew staff members who would bring up wood planks to put on the metal cots to make them sturdy.

8. Hangers for clothes and a bar to hang them on

Sometimes you have to get creative in tents for this but it makes life so nice. Hanging up your uniform is respectful. It is also nice to put on a uniform that is not full of wrinkles.

9. Shower caddy tote

Carrying your shampoo, body-wash, loofah, and towel is so much easier with a shower caddy tote/basket. You can get fabric ones or plastic ones. Mine was plastic and was from the dollar store but it worked great! I stored it under my cot and it was all ready to go for when I headed to the shower. ALSO buy full sized bottles of shampoo/conditioner/wash. You are taking more than one shower a week at camp (hopefully) and you will fly through that stuff.

10. Journal

I am the worst at journaling. But I love looking back at what I did write and will treasure those entries forever. I actually drew a lot of sketches in my journal of places around camp and it was an amazing way to get rid of stress. I would highly recommend trying to draw some of what you see or taking lots of pictures of the day to day stuff at camp.

11. Spices/hot sauce

Camp food can get boring. Creole seasoning works wonders. So does hot sauce. I would keep some in my little backpack I carried everywhere. Bland eggs for breakfast? No problem. Bland mashed potatoes? Say hello to your new favorite side dish.

This was my cot one year. You can see the blanket covering my sleeping bag and my plaid sheet over my personal foam mat. Oh and the milk crate night stand. ;)