5 Things I Sent My Boys To Camp With

For a health-conscious, biohacking parent, sending their child to overnight summer camp can involve carefully considering what items to pack. My boys went to camp Monday for five days. Here's a list of some items that I packed with them:

1. Water Bottle: Hydration is key. Consider a high-quality, durable, and preferably insulated water bottle to keep the water cool. We use the Hydro Flask lightweight for backpacking, but any stainless bottle will do. If your child is old enough, you might opt for a bottle with a built-in filter for purer water. While I didn’t do this, their camp water is infamously “soapy” tasting, so I probably should have.
2. Sunscreen: A mineral-based, natural sunscreen can protect your child's skin from harmful UV rays without the use of harmful chemicals. We use the Alba 30 SPF.
3. Bug Spray: Opt for a natural, DEET-free bug spray to keep insects at bay. This is even more important now with the rise in new US-based mosquito-borne illnesses.
4. Sleeping Gear: High-quality, comfortable sleeping gear is important for good sleep hygiene. This might include a supportive camping pad, a lightweight sleeping bag, and a comfortable pillow. Eye masks and earplugs can also be beneficial for light sleepers.
5. Nutritional Supplements: If your child takes any vitamins or supplements regularly and the camp permits, remember to pack these as well. Since it’s only a five-day camp, I’m not too concerned about packing supplements. This year, however, both boys asked for enough BrocElite, CurcElite, and SleepElite to take throughout the week. 

Specifically, with camp food being so different than what they normally eat, they wanted the gut barrier protection the BrocElite provides, since last year they had upset stomachs the whole week.

Remember, it's always important to check the camp's guidelines about what items are permitted. Nutritious snacks that are easy to carry and won't spoil such as nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and high-protein snack bars are also smart to pack, however, my boys’ camp doesn’t allow food.