My oldest niece leaves in two weeks for her first overnight summer camp.  I remember going to Girl Scout camp when I was eight years old and I loved every minute of it.  Except for the lack of chocolate and my turn at dish duty!  One of the most anticipated times of day was mail call.  If you were really lucky, you received a care package from home!  With these memories in mind, I decided to create a little camp survival kit for my niece.  I will mail it to her camp a day before she is supposed to arrive so she will be sure to have mail early and will be able to use the stuff I included.  Take a look at what I put in her survival kit:

First, I ordered a few of these Provo Tin boxes to use to hold everything. I also ordered a circular one, a domed top one, and a Band-Aid style one with a handle for some future projects. Any of these styles would work great for this use but the Band-Aid one is quite small.  These white tins are quite plain for a reason, so you can customize to your heart’s content.  I created this small label (and a slightly larger one) for you to download if you like using some free clip art and Microsoft Word.  I printed mine onto regular paper and used my sticker machine to affix it to a mat and then to the front of my box.  You can also use clear sticker paper,  white sticker paper, or a large mailing label. The extent of your decorating is completely up to you!

Then, I started gathering the items to put inside the tin.

• LED keychain flashlight:  I know she will be taking a large flashlight but thought this mini one would be good for rooting around her bunk at night if she needs to and not disturb the other girls.
• Wet wipes travel pack:  These are great for her to freshen up when she doesn’t have time to take a shower.
• Band-Aids:  The camp nurse will have some but at least she will have a couple in her bunk just in case.
• Hand sanitizer:  Perhaps she will think to use it before having those midnight snacks.
• Moleskin:  A hiking friend shared the wonders of this stuff with me before I went on my last trip to Europe.  Great for treating blisters that inevitably emerge from hiking.
• Mini card game:  A little fun before lights out.
• ChapStick:  To help her lips not get sunburned.
• Stationery with stamps on the envelopes:  Perhaps if I address one of the envelopes to myself, she will write me!
• Neosporin Neo To Go! Spray:  With a toddler, I tote this stuff around with me all the time in my purse.
• Benadryl Ready Mist:  My niece is like me, a feast for bugs!  This is another staple in my purse and something I thought would benefit her as well.
• Mad Libs:  Another bit of entertainment on a rainy afternoon or at night.
• Sunscreen:  Her mom is sending a large bottle but this she could toss in her pocket or beach bag to reapply, again, if she thinks about it!
• Kleenex pocket pack:  She suffers from allergies so a pocket pack of tissues is a must.
• Hair ties:  I assure you, every one of these hair ties will have mysteriously disappeared by the time she is ready to go home!