Please label all items brought to camp. An order form for name tapes will be included in the parent mailing in March or April. This is the best way to ensure that the items brought to camp will come home from camp. Use a permanent laundry marker to label items but put more than just initials.

This is a two-week list; campers attending session 1 should bring fewer clothing items based on the number of days.

Note especially the "Do Not Bring" list, which applies to all campers.

Packing List

Clothing

• 8 shirts or T-shirts (different colors for Olympics!)
• 4 pairs of long pants
• 5 pairs of shorts
• underclothes for 14 days
• socks for 14 days
• 2 or 3 swimsuits (to be sure you always have a dry swimsuit)
• 2 or 3 beach towels (to be sure you always have a dry towel)
• 1 light jacket
• 3 sweaters/sweatshirts/fleece
• 1 poncho or light raincoat
• 2 pairs of pajamas
• 1 hat or cap
• 2 pairs of gym shoes
• 1 pair of sandals or crocs for walking around
• 1 pair of flip-flops for shower use only
• 1 or 2 pairs of shoes, gym shoes, or athletic shoes for running-around games and/or horseback riding

• sleeping bag (cabin use and overnights)
• stuff sack for sleeping bag
• pillow
• 2 pillow cases

• soap and soap container
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• washcloth and bath towels
• shampoo
• comb and brush
• water bottle, with filter if desired
• writing tablet, pens, and pencils
• envelopes (pre-stamped, pre-addressed)
• postage stamps
• flashlight (pack batteries separately)
• bug repellent
• sunscreen
• something "wacky" to wear on Wacky Wednesday
• bag lunch for the bus ride to camp

• sheets and blankets (cabin use only)
• laundry bag
• sunglasses
• musical instrument
• deck of cards
• comic books or magazines to share
• book to read during Saska (rest hour)
• travel-size board games
• sports equipment (must be labeled with your name because camp already has all of these things and more.) Permissible items (call about items not listed): baseball glove, ball, tennis racket, fishing pole, lacrosse stick, Frisbee(R).
• handheld tape, CD, or digital-MP3 player - no WiFi or video capability (e.g. iPod Shuffle is OK) (click here for more information)

Do Not Bring

• radios, televisions, computers, calculators, PDAs
• cell phones, electronic games, or pagers (click here for more information)
• digital music players with Wi-Fi or video capability (click here for more information)
• hair dryers
• cases of bottled water
• food, other than what you can consume on the bus ride
• glass containers (aerosol cans discouraged but permitted)
• self-medications (aspirin, cough drops, ex-lax -- anything!)
• valuable jewelry or keepsakes
• money (except for Adventure Trip participants)
• pets
• matches or lighters
• knives of any type (even camping knives), or guns
• firecrackers, sparklers, snakes, or equivalent
• alcohol, tobacco products, illegal drugs, or intoxicants

There are many sources for camp gear, and you may already have a favorite.

Uncle Dan's (with stores in Evanston, Highland Park, Lincoln Park, and Wrigleyville) offers a 10% discount to Camp Echo families; print the Packing List or trip Gear List and take it with you. Alternatively, you can order online from Uncle Dan's; click the logo below to transfer to their website. To get the Echo discount, type the word ECHO into the 'media code' box in the shopping cart.

Everything Summer Camp is an online source that has linked their products to the Camp Echo Packing List. After clicking the link below to transfer to their website, click on the red "Enter Code" button under the 'Everything SummerCamp' logo to take advantage of Camp Echo's promotional code and their summer camp discounts. Note: Standard (hard) footlocker/trunks less than 13.5 in high will fit under our bunk beds, but taller footlockers and "Soft Trunks" will not.

Everything Summer Camp 1-800-535-2057 Our campers get great discounts on camp trunks and lots of other camp gear.

Other trusted sources for camp gear include REI, Campmor, and Moosejaw.

Yes, we have mosquitoes at Camp Echo! Counselors are trained to remind campers to apply bug spray prior to outdoor evening activities. If your child is particularly prone to mosquito bites, you might consider Insect Shield camp apparel, which is treated with odorless, invisible Insect Shield technology to repel mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers, and midges (no-see-ums). The treatment lasts through 70 washings, is EPA registered, and CDC recommended.

GoPicnic.com is an online source for pre-packaged, healthy lunches and snacks. Meals are provided at camp, and sending food by mail is not allowed, but for the bus ride to camp, everyone needs to bring a lunch. Buy a bunch and use them for school lunches or family road trips! Click the logo below to transfer to their website. Please specify CAMP ECHO as the ordering code as you are finalizing your order, so Camp Echo gets credit for your order.

iJourney Adventures is an online source for "camper kits" that include commonly needed items such as toiletries, sunblock, lip balm, sun screen, post cards, tissues, a flashlight, a water bottle, and so on. Kits can be customized for pre-teens or teens. If you have not purchased these items separately, this could be for you. Click the logo below to transfer to their website. Please enter McGAW YMCA CAMP ECHO in the comment field as you are placing your order, so Camp Echo gets credit for your order.

Electronic Gadget Policies

Allowed: Digital Cameras and Personal Music Devices

We allow, but do not encourage, digital cameras at camp. As with all cameras, we encourage proper and positive use. We ask campers to take pictures only in appropriate settings, and never to use a digital image, modified or otherwise, particularly on a website or sent as an email attachment, in a way that would be hurtful or harmful to others.

We allow, but do not encourage, personal music devices with no video capability at camp. Campers are allowed to listen to them on the bus ride, during Saska (rest hour), and at bedtime. We allow their use at these times because these are times we ask campers to quietly relax and reflect on their own, and music can help them do that. At all other times during the day campers are expected to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, and their use is not allowed. For Adventure Trip participants, personal music devices will be collected before the trip leaves camp and stored at camp in a locked bin until the trip returns.

WiFi-capable cameras and music devices, and cameras and music devices that are also cell phones, are not allowed.

Personal music devices and digital cameras are brought to camp at the risk of the owner, who must understand that they can get lost, damaged, or even stolen. Campers are responsible for storage (there are no locked storage areas in the cabins). Campers should not loan their device to anyone, even a counselor. The electrical outlets in cabins are not available for campers to use to recharge their device. Before bringing these items to camp, consider the risks and complications carefully.


Not Allowed: Cell Phones, Electronic Games, DVD Players, PDAs, Radios, TVs, and Computers

Program participants may not bring cell phones to camp. When children come to camp they - and you - are making a leap of faith, transferring their primary care from you to us. This is one of the growth-producing, yet challenging aspects of camp. As children learn to trust other caring adults, they grow, and learn, little by little, to solve some of their own challenges. We believe this emerging independence is one of the greatest benefits of camp. It is one important way your children learn to become resilient. Contacting you by phone essentially means they have not made this transition. It prevents us from getting to problems that may arise and addressing them quickly. We will call you if your children experience a challenge in their adjustment to camp! You can help by talking with your child before they leave for camp and explaining that there is always someone available to help them solve a problem - their cabin counselor, the Head Counselor, or any staff member they trust.

For Adventure Trip participants, we believe that your adventure begins the moment you board the camp bus or van, or get dropped off at camp, and does not end until you are picked up from camp or returned to the YMCA by camp bus or van. While it may be tempting to bring your cell phone so you can "check in" with parents and friends on the way to or from your trip, your counselors have been instructed not to allow it. Leave your cell phone at home and enjoy camp this summer!

Hand-held electronic games (e.g. Nintendos) are not allowed at camp. There are no appropriate times to use electronic games. The majority of the day is spent participating in activities in the outdoors, and Saska (rest hour) is a time to nap, quietly rest, read, or write letters. While electronic games can be a quiet activity for an individual, campers are too often tempted to play as a group, which gets rowdy and noisy and does not respect the right of others to rest in a quiet environment.

Program participants may not bring DVD players to camp. There is plenty to do at camp besides watch movies. Campers who spend extended time in the Health Clinic may be provided with a DVD player. Also, watching movies is one of the ÒspecialÓ activities that we allow during layover; at that time, camp sets up a DVD player and provides pre-approved movies.

Program participants may not bring personal desk assistants (e.g. BlackBerry), radios, televisions, or computers (laptop or desktop) to camp. The camp schedule is posted in every cabin and upcoming activities are announced at meals. Parents should send printed address lists or pre-addressed envelopes with campers. Radios and TVs have no place at camp; the Camp Director will announce newsworthy events if appropriate. For those who choose to participate, the Bunk1 system allows campers to receive printed emails and to hand-write replies without the need for the camper to actually use a computer.