Packing for Camp

Everything You Can Fit in a Trunk

Camp Agawam is a uniform camp. All campers wear a gray Agawam t-shirt and official Agawam camper shorts (gray or maroon) each day. Uniforms should be purchased from our official camp outfitter, Maine Camp Outfitters. We have a limited number of camper uniforms available for rent.

What to Pack

We recommend reviewing Agawam’s packing list to ensure your camper has everything he needs during his stay at camp. At least one of your bags should be a trunk/footlocker, which will be used for storage during the summer. Laundry service is included in the camp tuition. Please be sure to label everything you send to camp, either using name tapes or a permanent marker. Baggage can be brought to camp by car or shipped for boys arriving by bus or plane.

Agawam Packing Inventory

The Camp Uniform

A complete set of the required camper uniform includes:

8 Agawam camper t-shirts
4-6 pair of Agawam camper shorts (at least two must be gray twill)
2 Agawam camper sweatshirts

These can be worn as part of the camp uniform, but are not required:

Maroon shorts
Agawam sweatpants
Agawam baseball cap
Agawam fleece pullover

Ordering Uniforms

Our official camp outfitter is Maine Camp Outfitters (MCO). You can purchase Agawam uniforms and other useful items from their website. The only mandatory clothing is listed above. While other items may have the Agawam name and/or logo, only clothes labeled “Official” in the MCO catalog may be worn as part of the Agawam uniform.

Name tapes/labels can be ordered through MCO or other sources. If you include name tapes with your order and it is received before May 1st, MCO will attach name tapes to items purchased from their catalog free of charge.

Renting Uniforms

We have a limited number of camper uniforms available for rent. To rent uniforms, you can find a Uniform Rental Request in your CampMinder profile. If you would like to rent uniforms for your son, please fill out the form no later than April 1st. Rental requests received after April 1st will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis until our stock is exhausted.

If you are renting uniforms, please send us 20 name tapes by April 1st, and we will put name tapes in your son’s uniforms.

Other Required and Recommended Clothing

The following items are required but may come from your camper’s regular wardrobe:

Waterproof, hooded raincoat
Blue jeans
1-2 sets of informal clothing (for dances, day out, traveling home, etc.)

For boys 12 and older:

Hiking boots or sturdy walking shoes (please break-in new boots/shoes ahead of arrival)

For boys 13 and older who plan to participate in more challenging trips:

Wool or polypropylene socks
Polypropylene (or other non-cotton synthetic material) long-sleeved undershirt
Polypropylene (or other non-cotton synthetic material) long underwear
Wool or fleece winter hat
Frame pack (recommended)
“Camelback” or comparable hydration bladder (recommended)
Nylon wind pants (recommended)
Dry bag for canoe trips (recommended)

Additional Equipment and Personal Items

Please avoid over-packing. The guidelines outlined here and on the camper packing list are meant to help you and your camper in preparing and packing for camp. Items that are optional are so marked.

Personal trunk/footlocker
Bedding, including sheets (2 cot sets or 2 fitted and 2 flat), blankets, and pillow
Honor Band (new campers will receive Honor Bands at camp)
Pre-addressed envelopes with postage (optional – these are especially helpful for younger boys or boys whose parents will not be at their home address this summer)
Personal sports equipment (optional – see below)
Acoustic guitar or other non-electric instruments (optional)
Appropriate reading material (there is a paperback book fair early in the summer where boys can purchase good quality summer reading)
Daypack (optional – daypacks are used for day hikes and other possible out-of-Camp excursions)
Sleeping bag (optional – most boys prefer to bring their own sleeping bag for use on overnight trips. Sleeping bags may not be used in place of linens for cabin cots.)

Please note: Personal equipment brought to camp must be used and stored under the same guidelines as camp-owned equipment. Camp has equipment to borrow, but if your son anticipates lots of participation in a particular area, we suggest bringing carefully marked items from home.

After packing, please attach a complete inventory of your camper’s equipment and clothing to the inside of his trunk cover. A trunk list for this purpose will be sent out with our May mailing to parents.

Labeling

Please label all of your son’s gear. Our experience suggests it is best to sew name tapes into articles of clothing. Please use a permanent marker to label equipment and other items. Laundry bags should be labeled in the center of the bag so that they can be easily spotted when laundry is returned. Please write your son’s first and last name. Remember to label cases for items such as contact lenses, glasses, retainers, cameras, tennis rackets, lacrosse sticks, baseball gloves, fishing poles, beach towels, swim trunks, raincoats, books, sneakers, and socks!

Prescription Medications

Please mail prescription medications to camp in quantities sufficient to last through the summer before your son’s arrival. If you are bringing your son to camp by personal car and you do not mail prescription medications, parents or guardians may hand deliver medications to the camp nurse. Medications will be stored and administered by our health care staff, except for self-administered emergency medications as specified by Maine state law. Please refer to the Self-Administered Emergency Medication form.

Items that Should Not Be Brought to Camp

The following items should not be sent to camp, as they do not support the Agawam philosophy and detract from our camp environment:

Candy, food, or gum (Please share this information with friends and relatives who might consider sending such items in the mail to your son at Agawam)
Skateboards, rollerblades, and bicycles or vehicles
Aerosol spray cans (deodorant, insect repellent, etc.)
Pets or other animals
Electronic equipment (Agawam places great emphasis on a boy’s ability to interact directly with fellow campers and staff. Electronic games, computers, iPods, cell phones, etc. should be left at home.)
Wristwatches (Agawam’s schedule uses bugle calls and bells, so watches are not necessary)
Knives (Agawam provides knives for outdoor living skills and for other crafts, and boys are taught the proper safety techniques for care, use, and storage of such items)
Weapons or fireworks (Agawam has a strict policy forbidding the possession and use of weapons and fireworks. Boys who participate in riflery and archery are taught the proper safety techniques for care, use, and storage of such items.)
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and illicit or controlled drugs (Agawam has a strict policy forbidding the use or possession of such products. These items may not be brought to camp, nor may they be acquired during a boy’s stay at Agawam. Items that are not permitted at camp will be confiscated and, when appropriate, shipped home. Shipping costs will be charged to your son’s personal account.)

Baggage

Boys use their trunks daily throughout the summer for storage or as a work surface.

If you are planning to have your son travel to camp by any means other than private car, please arrange to send his trunk ahead, as there is no room for trunks on the chartered bus.

All baggage should be sent at least 10 days before your son arrives. Properly marked items are sorted and waiting in your son’s cabin when he arrives. Please be sure to include both first and last names on tags.

Baggage can be sent to camp by your preferred shipping company. Be sure to follow all guidelines provided by the shipping company. If the baggage you send is locked, please send extra keys/combinations to the Agawam office. Labels should be affixed with clear tape and sent to the address below.

Shipping Label:

Camper’s Name
Camp Agawam
54 Agawam Road
Raymond, ME 04071

Please include two tags on each piece of baggage. In the case of brothers, please be sure each boy’s name is on the proper trunk and duffel bag so baggage can be sorted correctly upon arrival at camp.

If baggage will be shipped home at the end of the season, please indicate this on the Travel Form found in your CampMinder profile. Agawam will arrange return shipping with UPS.