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I have been to a camp every summer since I was 12, so I have a bit of experience in the packing department. First rule, do not pack it if you will not need it. Having excess baggage can really become a hassle, especially when you're packing to go home. Say you're going to band camp and you're packing and you pick up a book you like. 'Hmm,' you say to yourself, 'maybe I'll read this while I'm at camp.' Stop right there, put the book down and move to the next object. Reading doesn't occur at camps because you are usually too busy doing something that has to do with the camp. Keep in mind that they usually have activities planned for most every part of the day. Start by packing only what you need. Bring enough clothes for the days that you will be there, but don't take something that you're not going to wear. When you pack clothes, think about the climate and type of camp you're going to. If the camp is mostly outside and it's hot, don't bring pants and sweaters. If the camp is outdoors and you're active and doing sports and such, don't bring skirts and dresses. Also make sure to bring toiletries and bedding. If the camp supplies the bedding, you still might want to bring your own pillow just to be more comfortable.
When you have those essentials packed, turn your attention extra things. You might want to bring some snacks and drinks. You never know when you'll get hungry. In my experience it has also been a good plan to bring a CD player, since music makes awkward silences with new people seem less awkward, because you need to keep in mind that you will be meeting new people at camp. That is, unless you completely isolate yourself from everyone which totally defeats the purpose of going to camp. You may also want to bring a deck of cards to play card games with friends in your down time. There will be short periods of time after lunch or dinner where you might not have anything to do and playing cards passes the time quickly into the next activity.
Finally, bring money. If you don't have cell phone, you'll want change to use the pay phone and call home every now and then. If you don't bring snacks, you'll want to buy something out of a snack machine if there is one at camp.

Learn more about this author, Alycia Keavy.
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