The Canadian Adventure Camp Staff Kit List

I decided to write a “staff kit list” with some hints and tips, especially for those of you new to spending your summer on Adventure Island.  I arrived for my first year as a counsellor from Scotland totally unprepared – being under the impression that Temagami would always be hot and sunny I definitely needed to beg and borrow from fellow counsellors to make up for all the key items of clothing that I failed to pack.  Luckily everyone was very accommodating!  So here is my staff version of the kit list:

Clothing:

r  Swim Wear – bring three or four sets if you can.  Bear in mind that we will be in and out of the water a lot (including during staff week) and putting on wet swimming gear can be unpleasant!

r  Socks – you will get your laundry done for you once a week (there’s your guide!).

r  Underwear

r  T-shirts and/or tank tops for the ladies

r  Sweatshirts – definitely bring at least two as damp clothing can sometimes be hard to dry.  Fleece and wool are great because they keep you warm even if they are wet.

r  Shorts – hopefully you will be spending the majority of your time in shorts so bring a few pairs (mixing it up is good – athletic style and quick drying board shorts)

r  A PAIR OF SHARP WHITE SHORTS – these (along with the staff t-shirt that we’ll provide) is the staff uniform that we wear on visitor’s day.  I know white shorts can sometimes be a bit challenging to find but, trust me, you don’t want to have to wear a pair from the tuck shop!!

r  Pants/Trousers – bring at least two or three pairs as (again) damp clothing can sometimes be hard to dry.  Sweat pants and cargo pants are the best for day to day wear (wool pants are great if you are hardcore enough to own a pair).  Jeans aren’t suitable for day to day wear at camp (too restrictive/hold moisture/ not “campy”!) but most people bring a pair to wear for the change-over staff social when everyone is off together.

r  Banquet Outfit (for the awards ceremony and banquet at the end of each session) – guys need a pair of white shorts and a collared sports shirt, and ladies need to wear a skirt or a dress.  Some female staff members bring a couple of different banquet outfits, but one outfit works fine if you have packing restrictions.

r  Rain Gear – A rain jacket is vital and some folks also bring rain pants, but that is totally up to you.  CAC is a very outdoor based camp and we try to keep things running even if we have a little liquid sunshine!

r  Footwear – you will probably spend most of your days wearing sandals (if you wear flip flops make sure you bring extras – they will break!).  You will also need a pair of sturdier shoes (running shoes or hiking shoes) for activities like climbing, hiking, aerobics, …

r  Hat – a cap can be great to keep the sun off (especially when you are guarding/on the water) and I would also recommend a toque (or beanie/woolie hat for you non-Canadians) – it may sound extreme but it is great for staying warm during the cooler moments of the summer, especially if you’ve got wet hair after swimming.

r  “Dirty work” clothes – during staff week there will be some random (messy) maintenance tasks that we will be helping with.

Toiletries and Towels:

r  Towels – three or four will be plenty, and will leave some “drying time” between uses!  If you have one of those quick-drying travel towels I’m sure it would come in handy.

r  Toothbrush/paste/dental floss

r  Shampoo/conditioner/soap – must be biodegradable as we mainly wash in the lake (these are getting increasingly easy to find as people are becoming more environmentally conscious consumers).

r  Insect repellent – you can go for the DEET version of insect repelling, but you may also want to consider natural insect repellents such as citronella.

r  Sunscreen

r  Razor/shaving cream for men – you are expected to be clean cut when working at camp

Bedding:

r  Sleeping bag – you will need this for your overnight canoe trips and many people use this as their cabin bedding too.

r  Pillow – obviously not totally necessary, but it is nice!

r  Extra blanket – fleece is amazing mainly because it doesn’t get damp, and is really light for those of you flying to Canada.

r  “Real” bedding – some people will bring regular bedding to use in their cabin, but this is totally up to you.

Random:

r  Utensils for the overnight – don’t worry about bringing a full dish set.  A plastic bowl and spoon (or spork) is good enough!

r  GOOD Flashlight (and extra batteries OR a windup flashlight) – it might be worth getting a headlamp which keeps your hands free and makes life easier.

r  Life jacket or PFD – understandably this is not always possible for folks flying in, but we have some old abandoned-by-camper life jackets at camp that you can borrow when required.

r  Battery operated alarm clock – for when you do wakeups!

r  Campfire Blanket

r  Waterproof watch – important so that you can be sure to be on time for meals/activities/etc.  and so that it doesn’t break the first time you jump in the water without taking it off…

r  Sunglasses – especially important for activities on the water.

r  Fun campy “things” - a crazy hat, costumes/dress up items…

r  Books  - books for your own personal use (and to share around) and storybooks can be great for younger children especially for bedtime.

Optional (but you may be happy that you did!):

r  Paper/pens/pencils/envelopes/stamps/journal – good old letter writing is a big part of camp and a nice way to keep in touch with friends.

r  An MP3 player with headphones – although we have a policy that we don’t use electronic devices when campers are around (the point of camp is to build relationships and live communally – these devices isolate campers and take away from the full camp experience) HOWEVER during time off listening to music can be a great way to de-stress.

r  Small backpack – to keep your things together during the day.

r  Coffee mug – the camp provides plastic mugs, but if you would rather take you own to camp then feel free!  I would suggest trying to get an “individual” mug which will be easier to keep track of!

r  Water bottle – the camp has water fountains, but it is good to always have water with you to stay happy and hydrated.

r  Camera – for all those memories…!

r  Calling card – the one and only phone on the island is in the staff lounge (campers do not have access to a phone) but you will need a calling card to be able to use it.

r  Guitar (or other instrument) and music – for campfires, staff show, random moments…

r  Photos/posters/flag/random decorations – can be a nice way to make your cabin more “homely”, but just make sure that the photos are all camp-appropriate (i.e. no alcohol/smoking/stuff…in them)

r  Bath robe - for morning dip…if you want.

r  Whistle (Fox 40) – for life guarding.  We have whistles attached to the guard shirts, although you may want you own…

r  Febreze – this may sound a little random, but nearer the end of the summer you will understand!

We ask campers not to bring MP3 players, cell phones (which don’t work on the island anyway) and make-up (although realistically most girls do, but we discourage it because it attracts animals, and is time consuming and unnecessary at camp), so if you do bring these things they should not be used when campers are around.  At CAC we expect staff to lead by example.  There are also a few items that we don’t want on the island and I would ask that this is respected.

Please do not bring:

r  Gum – nothing makes more of a mess than gum (sticks to floors, tables…) and it is a choking hazard when children are involved in active camp activities.

r  External speakers – is our policy that we don’t have electronics on the island.  We have changed this policy to allow staff to choose to have them for their time away from campers, however, external speakers don’t help with keeping it on the down-low which can lead to issues!

r  Food – due to the animals on the island, having food around seems to be more trouble than it is worth (mice in the program office, squirrels in cabins…).

Camp seems to destroy things so don’t bring anything with you that don’t want to break.  Bear this in mind if you choose to bring an MP3 player – the dampness doesn’t work too well with electronics and the occasional chaos of camp does mean that things sometimes get lost.  Also, make sure that all of the clothing you bring can go in the dryer – and I would recommend leaving your favourite/expensive items of clothing at home!  

Coming from overseas is definitely a bit more challenging due to weight restrictions on aeroplanes, but sometimes tricks like buying toiletries when you get over here can help.  We also have a lot of things available in our tuck shop (like water bottles, flashlights, hoodies, sweat pants, yoga pants, golf shirts….) so you can get some items at camp.  Remember too, for those of you with a shorter journey to make, that taking too much luggage can end up being a huge pain (especially for car sharing, moving gear, packing and trying to keep track of your “stuff”).  Definitely don’t pack bags that you can’t carry by yourself!  My advice is to think carefully about what you really need and try to avoid bringing everything that you might possibly need, maybe!