Arrival & Packing

Preparation for camp is a vital step in making the summer successful for campers and parents. Although the time when campers are living at camp with their friends, enjoying a day filled with fun activities, is what we all look forward to, the seemingly simple organization and logistics behind packing a camper’s bags, getting those bags to camp, and getting on a bus to come for the start of their session are truly important and not as easy as they sometimes seem. 

By this time of year, many of our families – especially those who have had campers at Chestnut Lake in the past – may have started getting ready for camp. But there is still plenty of time. Families with us in the past are familiar with our usual plans for arrival and how we like to start the session.

ARRIVING AT CAMP

The arrival experience is really important. We know as long-time camp leaders and as camp parents ourselves that the start of the session can be the most crucial tone-setting aspect of the whole summer – both for the campers and for the parents. Especially in a camper’s first summer, a smooth and positive separation between campers and parents and arrival in Beach Lake can make such a difference. These are the keys to a successful arrival:

  • Parents that are getting a child ready for camp – especially for the first time or when there are concerns or some trepidation – should begin early. There’s unlikely to be any benefit in waiting to discuss and work on your child’s readiness for camp. Use the time you have for all the different steps and conversations needed, and enjoy the time during the ramp-up to summer to fine-tune and work through anything that comes up.
  • If you have not already reviewed the Camp Handbook – specifically the Appendixes (B and C) for “First-Time Advice” and “Camper Prep’”, we recommend doing so now. There are some helpful suggestions shared there.
  • We strongly recommend using our usual charter bus transportation to/from camp. There are stops in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. More than 95% of our families will choose bus transportation, and we feel that it offers campers a superior experience to being dropped off at camp because the goodbyes are easier, they ride with other camp kids and staff, and when they arrive at Chestnut Lake they enjoy a more fun welcome. 
  • Here are the bus pickup locations we expect at this time for 2025 (locations may be updated on/after January 2025):
      • GREATER DC AREA | Bethesda, MD
      • BALTIMORE AREA | Hunt Valley, MD
      • PHILADELPHIA AREA | Wynnewood, PA
      • NORTH JERSEY AREA | Livingston, NJ
      • LONG ISLAND AREA | Manhasset, NY
      • WESTCHESTER AREA | White Plains, NY
      • NEW YORK CITY AREA | 92NY (Upper East Side)
  • Your decisions regarding transportation to/from camp will be shared through a Transportation Form in your MyCLC account. 
  • Florida-based campers are offered options for group flights to/from camp. Florida-based campers and others flying in from great distances will be expected to arrive the day before the start of the camp session but will leave on the same day that the session ends for everyone else.
  • Any international families or others who will need to arrange flight/airport pick-ups/drop-offs will be able to complete a special online form.
  • For those that may opt to drop campers off at camp by car, please keep in mind that only campers will be permitted to enter camp beyond the drop-off point – no parents will be given access to cabins or other facilities. 
  • Once campers arrive at camp – no matter how they come – we take care of getting them acclimated, settled, connected, and excited about the start of their session at Chestnut Lake. 

GETTING BAGGAGE TO/FROM CAMP

The arrival and departure of campers is a very important consideration. One key dimension is ensuring a camper’s baggage arrives in advance. This process allows counselors the time to unpack each camper’s belongings in the cabin completely, make their bed for them with their bed linens, and store their baggage for them until the end of the session. When campers arrive for the start of their session, they feel welcomed and ready to start having fun at Chestnut.

At Chestnut, we believe giving our families options is important. We know that families have various needs and priorities, and therefore we try to be as flexible as possible. At the same time, we do make recommendations to families that are thoughtful, reliable, and aligned with Chestnut’s commitment to service quality. In that regard, you will see our recommended options for 2024 below, and we look forward to a successful summer with the camp baggage process.

  • Visit your MyCLC account to review the 2025 Guide.
  • All families must submit (for each camper) an online Baggage Plan form through your MyCLC account (in “Forms & Documents”).
  • Parents can choose any method of baggage delivery/pick-up they like, but we recommend the following (see more details included later in this Baggage Guide):
  • Please make sure to use this address for delivery: 
    • Chestnut Lake Camp | 326 Trails End Road, Beach Lake, PA 18405
  • Baggage delivery/pick-up deadlines are as follows for 2025:
    • First Session/Full Summer: Bags must arrive by June 23rd
    • First Session: Bags must be picked up/shipped home by July 26th
    • Second Session: Bags must arrive by July 26th
    • Second Session/Full Summer: Bags must be picked up/shipped home by August 17th  
  • If your child will be attending Discovery Camp, their bags should come with Disco campers to camp and will NOT need to be shipped separately. In terms of the return of their bags, they will be picked up by parents on the last day of the Disco Camp program.
  • Parents will choose the baggage solution that makes the most sense for them, but it is important that:
    • The bags are labeled very clearly;
    • The bags are very durable;
    • The bags can be stored easily during the session at camp;
    • The bags should not be oversized (please try to use bags that – when filled with supplies – weigh less than 75 pounds, at most). We recommend soft (but durable) bags, if possible.
  • Campers can always bring a backpack, hand-carriables, and other small items on the bus (or by car/flight). If you are looking for recommendations for baggage, you can search for options provided by Everything Camper. Please make sure that ALL BAGS ARE MARKED WITH YOUR CHILD’S FULL NAME.

PACKING

Gathering, organizing, and packing all the stuff a child needs for camp is a big part of preparing for the summer. We know that the Packing List (also available in MyCLC) may seem big to some, but we can assure you that our team has thought about and rethought what is included every year. We’ve also added some helpful hints in our Packing Pointers. These are the keys to packing: 

  • Look for durable, inexpensive, and informal apparel and supplies. There are so many ways to shop today (online, retail outlets, specialty stores, etc.) that it may take some time to find the best options. Sometimes, hand-me-downs or borrowed items can be an alternative to spending lots on new products, but most stuff should last for more than one year. 
  • All sessions (except for Discovery Camp) will have the advantage of weekly laundry service. We will provide a special camp bag for each camper (but they do need their own as well), and this bag will get picked up once each week by our outside service. They will empty the bag (keeping the items together), wash the clothes, dry the clothes, fold the clothes, return the clothes to the bag, and bring the bag back to the cabin. This whole process usually takes two days. Be sure to send a small mesh bag for delicate items that your child will be able to include in the laundry bag.
  • Discovery Campers have a special Packing List available on their MyCLC account.
  • Remember that we have towel service for all cabins, the pool, and the lake. No towels need to be brought from home (but hand towels and/or washcloths may be helpful).
  • If we told you one million times to LABEL EVERYTHING being sent to camp, it would not be enough! If an item (apparel, supplies, or really, anything!) has a child’s full name on it, there’s a chance it will be returned when it is lost. If there is no label, it may be lost forever.
  • There are some special activities at camp (including our Color War program called “Tribal”) that are made better when campers bring some specific apparel/supplies. We will share these recommendations before the summer. Starting in 2022, we also provided new campers with a great “Tribal Starter Kit” that has some great basic supplies that campers receive once they learn about their Tribal team at camp.
  • In previous years, Chestnut had a policy that required only one-piece bathing suits. After great thought and discussion (including with our campers), we altered this policy in 2023. We now allow two-piece bathing suits (like “tankinis” and “bikinis”), but only with this understanding: Chestnut Lake prides itself on being a low-key, down-to-earth, and wholesome environment for campers and staff. In keeping with this philosophy, we ask parents to ensure that swimwear sent to camp will be comfortable for their child, will support their child’s development of a positive body image, and will be suitable for physically active programs in the lake and pool throughout the summer. We also want to stress that swimwear should not be sexually suggestive or immodest. While we recognize that this is a subjective criteria, we ask parents to avoid string bikinis and other suit styles that they feel might in any way be deemed inappropriate by Chestnut’s leaders. If we feel that a camper should change into a different bathing suit, we will ask them to do so discretely. If you have questions about this policy, please contact Ann.
  • Although we are not a “uniform camp,” the Packing List includes the REQUIRED uniform apparel items that ALL campers must have each summer. These are 4 T-shirts, 1 sweatshirt, and 2 pairs of shorts. You must get the T-shirts and sweatshirts from Everything Camper. The shorts do not have to be branded with the Chestnut Lake logo (but you are welcome to get those through Everything Camper if you would prefer). We have pared down the required items in the last year and have simultaneously started to give campers some other Chestnut Lake apparel for free when they are at camp. There may be delays with the delivery of items through Everything Camper, so we implore you to contact them and review the Camp Store options ASAP. You can reach Everything Camper using the Customer Service information on the document linked here. 
  • We know that there are other vendors or individuals who make and sell camp-branded apparel and supplies. In some camp communities, it seems that many families utilize these for their kids and purchase additional items. Please note that this is NOT the case at Chestnut Lake. Some families will purchase extra items from Everything Camper, and some will get other items from third parties, but we do not want any parent or camper to feel social pressure to do the same. There’s nothing wrong with doing this, but we don’t want people to feel like they have to. If you would like some help considering how to approach this occasional challenge, please contact us. 
  • A line of products that we are recommending to families comes from our new partner, Mayday. Please review the Mayday Flyer in your MyCLC account, or click here to read a bit more about these products that can support good health for campers this summer.
  • Here are some additional suggestions and links for more resources related to packing:

Want to access the rest of the Chestnut Essentials? Just click here to review the full series.