Camp Hi-SierraFriends of

Staff members may find this list helpful in planning on what to bring to Camp. If you like it, please help and EDIT this page to add more information!

Staff Living Quarters at Camp

Depending on space requirements and facility availability (the nice way of saying that you don't get to pick), CHS staff will find themselves living either in our Staff Bunkhouse or in a tent identical to the ones Scouts use.

In the Bunkhouse, you'll live in a room of 4-8 staffers (of the same age/sex per BSA regulations) with bunk beds - half are lower bunks, half are top bunks. You'll have a twin mattress on a hinged frame providing a small compartment to stow your clothes and belongings: this is pretty much the only space you have to yourself, as the rooms lack closets or much corner space. The space is plenty for all of the clothes you'll need for Camp as well as a good selection of books, music materials, snacks, etc. - but it's definitely a tight space. Imagine about two decent-sized duffel bags worth of clothes, etc. That's your packing goal. A sleeping bag and pillow work fine, though you also have the option of using ordinary sheets, since it generally stays warm in the Bunkhouse at night. Most staff members will stay in the Bunkhouse.

In a tent, your space is less defined but not a lot larger. You'll share a tent platform (8' x 10') with another staffer (of the same age/sex per BSA regulations) and you'll probably have access to a metal spring cot if you like - probably a mattress too. In a tent it gets pretty cold at night, so you'll want a sleeping bag or at least considerable blankets.

Unfortunately, in most years, it is not possible for Camp leadership to determine in advance where each staff member will sleep. Most staff members will sleep in the Bunkhouse and should plan accordingly.

What to Bring

• Sheets (unless you ONLY use a sleeping bag) & pillow
• Sleeping bag (for overnighters, and possibly as your main bed too: a great trick is to safety-pin a normal sheet into your sleeping bag so that you can pull the sheet out to wash it without having to take the whole bag to the laundromat)
• Staff uniform
• Street (non-uniform) clothes (you only have 24 hours off each week, so you don't need many outfits here, just a few)
• Goofy clothes for fun program opportunities:
  • Hawaiian shirt - the gaudier, the better!
  • Western and/or train clothes - a few theme days will make your costume particularly fun!
  • Tie - for crazy tie day?
  • Socks - not just any socks, but perhaps crazy socks if you have them
• Shoes
  • Hiking boots - something comfortable and broken in, many staff members prefer to wear boots daily
  • Tennis shoes - something comfortable for going to town, playing sports, etc.
  • Water shoes - if you like to use sandals or water shoes for the shower or the waterfront
• Towel for aquatics & showers
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Backpack - at least a day pack for overnighters, and for many staff, a backpacking backpack will be valuable for High Adventure excursions
• Journal
• Book(s)
• Musical Instrument(s) and accessories

What to Leave at Home

• Really valuable stuff - things do get lost at Camp, and it's generally not fun. Obviously you might really want to bring your nice camera to take outdoor pictures, but your fancy new laptop that you won't really have time to use anyway? Leave it at home.
• Anything BIG. See the "Living Quarters" section above, in general you don't have a lot of space.

A Note on Electronics

You'll no doubt notice that electronics were not included in either list here. Staff members are allowed to bring personal electronic devices (campers are not allowed to do that), but you may only use them in areas out of campers' sight and hearing. This means that you MIGHT enjoy listening to your music device or playing your video game in the Staff Lounge on your off time, but you won't have a lot of that time free. Getting granite dust in your expensive electronic devices can also be a big pain, so be warned - Camp dust has been known to mess with CD player lenses, iPod disk drives, laptops, DVDs, etc.