Polyester is a fabric that you definitely want to avoid during the summer. Rayon is another one that will heat you up. Natural fibers tend to be a little tougher too, which is great for the wear and tear of camp. Cotton tends to wash easier than other fibers as well. If you need to wear dress clothes for a dance or special event, it’s a good time to choose cotton dresses, skirts, and button up shirts over other fabrics. Cotton isn’t just for your shirts, as many shorts, capris, capri, ankle, and bike short length leggings, and pants are also made of cotton.
If you tend to wear t-shirts with large graphics, the thickness of some graphics will also make you hot faster. Stick to shirts with less printing on them. Since white does show dirt more easily, maybe light shades of other colors like blue, yellow and red will be better if there’s a chance you’ll get dirty.
You don’t want to wear clothes that are too big, so find the balance there. You could wear one size bigger than usual, as long as it doesn’t seem like it’s falling off of you. It’s also good to wear clothing made of thinner material that won’t feel heavy on you.
Sports bras or unlined bralettes are a good option as they have less material but still offer the proper support especially since you will be doing many physical things at camp like hiking, sports, obstacle course, capture the flag, etc. You should also wear socks to keep your feet cool. Take plenty of extras, as you’ll most likely need more than you think.
On a related note, it’s good to make sure you shower consistently while at camp. As you get sweaty and shed skin cells, it’s good to wash all that off and keep clean. So don’t forget to bring soap, shampoo and other hygiene items you are using like deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, mouthwash, hair brush, shaving items if started using, and for girls bring your period items if you’ve started.
If you are going to be away from your bag throughout the hot afternoon and cool evening, you probably don’t want to wear your warm clothes all day, but you’ll definitely want to keep them with you. As long as you follow the dress code at camp, it’s always good to have a sleeveless shirt or tank top on under your t-shirt so you can take the top layer off as the day warms up.
Summer camp may include a lot of spontaneous swimming, so wearing your swimsuit as clothing, or under your clothing, makes it easier to take a quick dip. Once your suit is wet, it probably won’t be the best for walking around in, so you may want to go switch out for dry clothes after you swim.
You can still look nice enough to impress your peers without going overboard. Since you probably won’t have access to an iron, you want to pack clothes that will hopefully not get too wrinkled in your bag.
Even with a swimsuit, you may want to wear shorts and a shirt that you can take off before you swim. Wear something old that you don’t mind possibly getting chlorine on.
To avoid the need for tucked in shirts, aim for shirts that are the appropriate length, which is just a few inches past the waistline of your pants.
Sunscreen, bug repellant, and water are also super important. If you’ll be gone for a long time, being without those could lead to serious discomfort or even illness. Many brands of sunscreens now have sunscreens that can last up to 80 minutes even in the water and are sweat proof so they don’t run in your eyes. And some that are made with no oils or fragrances if those things bother you. And if you wear a sports watch with a timer you can set yourself a reminder every so often its time fora drink of water.
You probably won’t need to carry this around all day, every day, but pay attention to the weather and grab your gear if it seems like a chance of rain, is raining or is muddy. It’s better to carry something around for a while that you don’t need than it is to be soaking wet and uncomfortable. Wet clothes, shorts and pants especially, can irritate your skin from all the rubbing if you walk around in them for too long.
On the other hand, don’t wear shoes that are so old they are barely staying together. You want to have good arch and ankle support, so shoes that are falling apart aren’t good for camp either. Flip flops or sandals are good to have on hand for time at the beach or pool, but they probably aren’t the best for all day walking around.
It’s also good to keep hair ties or scrunchies handy as long hair will most likely make your neck and shoulders much hotter during the summer. Consider wearing hair in a ponytail or bun more of the time.
