Top 5 things to pack for camp (that most counsellors forget)

We asked 40 returning Exchange Path counsellors the same question this year — "what is the one thing you brought on your second summer that you wish you had on your first?". These five came up over and over.

1. A proper head torch

Not a phone torch. Cabin checks at 10pm, torchlight story time, the walk back from the lake, the sleepover hike — you will use a head torch every single day. Spend £15, get one with a red-light mode, and pack spare batteries.

2. A lanyard for your whistle, your cabin keys and your name tag

Camp is a "hands free" environment. A decent lanyard with breakaway clip keeps every essential on your chest where you can find it. Bonus: campers love personalising them with the pin badges you collect all summer.

3. A small wash bag with a hook

Most staff shower blocks are old and the hooks are always taken. A hanging wash bag with a rotating hook is five dollars on Amazon and will make your twice-daily shower the most functional part of your day.

4. A waterproof phone pouch on a lanyard

You will take your phone on a canoe trip. You will take it paddle-boarding. You will drop it. Buy the pouch.

5. Two outfits that pack small for your post-camp travel

The single best packing trick for the 30 days afterwards is to keep one "travel-ready" packing cube at the bottom of your camp duffle all summer. When camp ends you do not have to unpack and repack — you grab the cube and go.