Your complete guide to summer camp success: what to pack, prepare & expect in 2026

Landing a spot on a US summer camp is the first big milestone — but the weeks between your visa appointment and the moment you actually walk into the staff lodge are where real preparation happens. Everyone who has done this will tell you the same thing: the counsellors who enjoy the summer most are the ones who arrive organised, packed properly, and with the right expectations.

This is the guide we wish every Exchange Path applicant read before they got on the plane. Read it once now, bookmark it, and come back to it the week before you fly.

Start with paperwork, not packing

Your documentation is the single thing you cannot replace quickly from a cabin in the woods. Treat it like cash — only more valuable. Before you leave home, make sure you have two physical copies and at least one cloud copy of every document below, stored in different bags and email accounts.

• Passport (valid at least six months beyond your return date)
• DS-2019 form from your sponsor
• Visa and SEVIS receipt
• Camp offer letter and contract
• Travel insurance confirmation and the 24-hour assistance number
• Signed flight itinerary and hotel confirmations (if any)
• Two passport photos — US consulates sometimes request replacements

Pack for the job first, the trip second

US summer camps are casual environments, but you are still working — and you are a role model for teenagers who will copy what you wear and how you behave. Think "active, tidy, versatile" and you will not go far wrong.

A realistic clothing list

• 7 t-shirts (mix of activity tees and plain tees)
• 2 long-sleeved tops for cooler nights
• 2 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of trousers, 1 pair of lightweight joggers
• 1 hoodie or fleece — evenings near lakes get cold
• 2 swimwear sets (one is always wet)
• Waterproof jacket — summer storms are short but heavy
• 1 smart-casual outfit for day-off trips into town
• Closed-toe trainers broken in before you fly
• Flip-flops for the shower block, sandals for the lake

Leave dressy clothes at home. If you need something for a wedding-type evening on your post-camp travels, you can buy it cheaply in any US mall. Luggage space is the most expensive currency you have — do not waste it on clothes you will wear once.

Learn the culture of the camp before you arrive

Every US camp has its own pace and set of traditions, but a few cultural norms are universal: punctuality is non-negotiable, staff meetings run on schedule, and meal times are sacred. Leadership looks like showing up five minutes early, carrying an extra clipboard, and noticing the kid who’s quiet.

Initiative is what separates good summers from great ones. If an activity block gets rained out and you can sprint to the arts and crafts barn to set up a backup, do it. The reputation you build in week one is the reputation you keep for the whole summer.

Money: plan for two budgets, not one

At camp, your salary lands in your bank account roughly every two weeks. Your accommodation, meals and medical cover are all included, so day-to-day costs inside camp are low — laundry, snacks on day trips, and maybe an occasional Uber into town. For the summer ahead, the salary you need to plan for most carefully is the Exchange Path minimum of $2,050 and whatever you bank on top.

The bigger budgeting question is the 30-day travel period you get after your contract ends. Most counsellors blow through money faster than they expected because they book nothing in advance. A tight plan for your first week of post-camp travel — flights booked, hostels reserved, buses mapped — protects the rest of your budget.

Look after your head and body

Camp is relentless in the best way — early starts, evening activities, big emotions, non-stop kids. Most first-time counsellors hit a wall around week four. It is normal, it is predictable, and you can plan for it.

• Use your breaks. Phone home, nap, or just sit by the lake in silence.
• Drink more water than you think you need — shade and altitude trick you.
• Use the gym or trails on your day off, even for 20 minutes.
• Your medical insurance is comprehensive. If something is wrong, say so early.

Think about the story you will tell afterwards

Summer camp is one of the most CV-friendly jobs a young person can do. Cross-cultural communication, child welfare, crisis response, outdoor leadership, teamwork under pressure — graduate employers pay real money for people with that mix. Keep a small notes file on your phone as the summer goes on: an incident you handled, a programme you improved, a camper you turned around. Those concrete stories are what make your interviews memorable in September.

And finally — stay curious

The best camp summers are the ones where counsellors get involved in everything: stepping in to run an extra activity, volunteering for the overnight campout, saying yes to the road trip on the day off. Bring your skills, bring your personality, bring a small notebook, and let the summer do the rest.

When you are ready to start, our WhatsApp line is open 7 days a week (and we check email just as often) — real people, not a bot. We will help you from application through to the moment you land in the US.