first beaver camp - any tips?

[cheminotte]

Ds1 has his first beaver camp in a few weeks.
It will be his first overnight without either us or ds2. Any tips? I also need to find a couple of small bags to put crockery and cutlery in and another for washing items. Sewing them myself is not an option! Thanks

Don't send sweets.
Send a carrier bag for wet stuff.
Don't expect him to wash, they never do.

As George says, plus:

Make sure he packs his own kit with you supervising. He will know what's in it and where to find it, especially the torch.

Spare torch batteries and show him how to fit them.

Mid-size tough carrier bag for the crockery stuff (the sort you get in clothes shops, not supermarket type), add a parcel tag or luggage label with his name on. Otherwise, a drawstring shoe bag from a shoe shop.

Mark crockery (all plastic/melamine please) and cutlery with his initials using nail varnish.

Label everything if you want to see it again. Initials on clothing labels in biro are fine - all we need is a clue.

Turn up early not late at the end and don't believe him when he bursts into tears, says he hated it and missed you/home/the rabbit/whatever. The story changes after a good night's sleep.

Thanks George and Waltons.
Would not have occurred to me to send sweets but I do need to bake a cake.
I think I will decide with him what he is taking for each day, write name / initials on the label there and then and pack with him. I think 1 1/2 days of clothes plus wash kit, torch, crockery would probably fit in his school bag but then there is his sleeping bag and camp blanket as well. Is it better to have one big bag that he can't carry or 2 /3 smaller that he can carry some of at least?

Ooohh! You are required to bake cake? I like that idea very much!

Do you not have a kit list from the leaders? PM me if you need one.

Sleeping bag goes in a thing called a "stuff sac" - buy from Millets or any camping shop. Same goes for the camp blanket, although they don't fit in so well.

Don't worry about him being able to carry all his own kit. I wouldn't expect that even for a Cub.

Well maybe not required but more requested. I do like baking but with 2 birthdays and 2 parties over the last 3 weekends needing 3 cakes I'm feeling baked out. But I shall make something that does not have to be cut and shut into a tractor or dinosaur but can be a cake in its own right.

Yes I do have a kit list and its certainly comprehensive,. Several bags sounds fine then. Laundry marker arrived today so can use that.

With Cubs, I have seen clothes bagged up by day in separate carrier bags. So for a two night stay there is a bag labelled "Saturday" and a bag labelled "Sunday", each with pants, socks, shorts, tshirt etc in.
I never did this for DS but thought it was a good idea for the less diligent child :o

Thanks Fox. Sorry hadn't seen your thread as it had fallen off my TIO.
Ds1 now back from camp and he had a brilliant time. Didn't use half of the stuff I sent (bagged up by day/night) but of course you have to cover all weather possibilities from swimming to wellies. We shared lifts so I dropped off but did not pick up. I would actually like to have done both (he is my pfb!) but knew that would be silly.
It was also lovely having some time with just dp and ds2 of course and I think ds2 was a bit jealous when ds1 got back. Now I just need to sew his first badge on to his camp blanket!