WHAT TO BRING
At Kippewa, we want the focus to be on fun, so we ask that our girls wear non-designer, “camp-friendly” clothing. Most girls wear cotton shorts and a t-shirt or tank top. Girls also need to bring appropriate footwear for whatever activity they are participating in. If trying an activity for the first time we do not expect specialized equipment but if a girl is a tennis player, for instance, she should bring her racquet with her to camp. While we do not require a uniform, we do ask everyone to bring two logo’d Kippewa shirts and two logo’d Kippewa shorts for special events and trips out of camp.
We partner with Amerasport for our uniform and other camp clothing.
A copy of our packing list is available here.
Bed linens and towels are provided at no additional charge. We provide sheets and blankets, please bring your own pillow and pillowcases. It can also be nice to bring a blanket or comforter to help personalize the space and make it feel “homey”.
Laundry is done once a week so plan on packing a week’s worth of clothing (factoring in extras and changes throughout the day for different activities) plus additional items that may be needed.
Fun dress-up clothing items for special events are always welcome, although not essential!
Here are some items we suggest to help with your packing needs:
- Equestrian gear and attire: Check out these options from Adams Horse Supplies, specially selected by our riding director. We also recommend Flexars for their comfortable machine-washable riding pants.
- Duffels: Usually two large or extra large duffels will accommodate all of your packing needs. There is no need for wheeled duffels at camp. We recommend Amerasport duffels and L.L.Bean duffels, both are very popular with our camp families.
- Bug Spray: Deep Woods Off – Our first choice. It’s effective against ticks and other bugs.
- If you prefer a non-deet version of bug spray, Sawyer Bug Spray is a good option.
We also would like to encourage support and donations to Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed, a local foundation working hard to protect our beautiful lake!
TRAVEL AND BAGS TO/FROM CAMP
Camp Transportation
We provide coach bus or van transportation to / from camp from Port Chester, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; and the jetport in Portland, Maine.
We also provide transportation to / from Portland airport in Maine (PWM). Please note, we are able to chaperone unaccompanied minors to/from flights at PWM only. Please see your Family Handbook for flight arrival and departure windows in Portland and for the pickup and drop off times for the buses.
Campers can also travel to/from camp by car. Opening day arrival time is between 1 – 3pm. Departure day arrival timing is 9am to pick up your camper, or stay and enjoy our Visiting Day (morning) until 11am!
Baggage
There are several options for sending camper bags to and from camp. We do not have space on our camp vehicles to transport everyone’s luggage so if using camp transportation (bus or van) we ask you to send your bags another way:
1. Camp Baggage: Camp Baggage is our preferred outside vendor. They provide door to door pickup and delivery for families in their service area.
2. LuggageForward: A luggage shipping service that can accommodate our families all over the country. Please visit www.luggageforward.com for more information and shipping options.
3. ShipCamps: A luggage shipping service that can accommodate our families all over the country. Please visit www.shipcamps.com for more information and shipping options.
3. UPS/Fed-Ex. Families can coordinate directly with UPS or FedEx to schedule and ship bags to/from camp. Use your personal or business account or visit their websites for more information. Please note, you will need to provide labels and schedule pickups if you use one of these carriers.
4. The Mailing Center: A luggage shipping service based in Augusta, Maine, near camp. They can help coordinate shipping bags to and from camp from across the country. Please visit https://www.mailingctr.com/ and follow the links for shipping to / from camp.
5. LugLess – A luggage shipping service that can accommodate families all over the country. Please visit www.lugless.com for more information.
6. When bringing your daughter to camp, or picking her up, you are welcome to transport bags yourself!
Directions to Kippewa can be found here.
A list of Nearby Accommodations is available here.
STAYING IN TOUCH AT CAMP
Campers receive mail daily at Kippewa during rest hour after lunch. All letters are delivered to campers daily as received. Packages are not allowed.
Campers are also able to receive one-way emails from parents through their myKippewa accounts. All emails arriving before 11:00am will be delivered that day. Those received after 11:00am will be delivered to following day.
After the first week, campers at Camp Kippewa (our 3 1/2 week camp) are given the option of one outgoing 10 minute phone call to their parents. Not all families choose to schedule a call. Parents can schedule calls online through their myKippewa accounts once the session has begun to arrange the time and date of their call.