Wow have I become a camping pro? I have mastered the caterpillar roll of "want something from the other side of the tent but don't want to unzip sleeping bag"
Hey I applied for NYS and signed up for the summer crew! I'm really excited but kind of nervous for what to expect and what kind of "gear" I should get (like clothes and hygeine stuff). I also like stalked your blog yesterday and it sounds like you had an awesome experience. It'd be great to get some advice 😀
Oh my god!! First of all, congratulations!! You're going to have so much fun.
Second of all, sorry it took me so long to answer this. I just wanted to make sure I had notes on all that I wanted to mention!!! I feel so honored that you stalked my blog on this haha!
Under a read more link because it got long.
Okay! Gear Stuff first. Sorry if any of this is stuff you've heard before!
-I'm not sure if you've already got a tent and sleeping pad and stuff like that, and I'm sorry if this bit is all old info, I just wanted to put it out there in case it isn't! I brought my own tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad. Biggest thing with your tent is make sure it doesn't leak!! Mine did! It was unpleasant. REI has decent tents for relatively cheap, Eureka isn't too bad either! A two person tent is better because you'll have more space. I had a 0* sleeping bag by Big Agnes, and it was great. I was cold a few nights (granted, I was on a spring crew) but it was nice. Also, sleeping pads. I had a closed cell foam pad by Therma-rest and it was SUPER comfy. It does have a lower R-value (insulating number, the higher the number the warmer it is) than like an inflating pad would be, but for a summer program you'd be fine with a closed cell foam pad. Or an insulating pad! I just worried about an insulating pad ripping. If you don't have a tent, sleeping bag, or pad, contact your program coordinator and see if you can borrow one from NYC.
-Clothing!
Definitely the most important gear for clothing you will need is boots. MAKE SURE THEY'RE WATERPROOF!! I personally bought mine ahead of time because I wasn't sure where I was working and if I would need to supply my own boots or not. I have Carolina Elm Logging boots, and let me tell you I LOVE THEM. NYC will let you buy them on your first day for significantly cheaper than you can buy them online. When I did my session, NYC had the Elms as well. That's an option, but if you can buy them ahead of time and break them in, that's definitely going to be better. Otherwise, you might deal with the pains of breaking in boots while on your first week of session. It's nothing unbearable, but blisters and stuff aren't fun.
Pants or overalls - this is more personal preference. Some people wore jeans on other crews. Just something sturdy with pockets! A few people on my crew had Carhartts, someone else wore sturdy jeans, and I wore 5.11 Bdus or carhartts. Arborwear is really nice and great quality, but they are pretty expensive. If you're an overall person, they work really well for NYC too!
NYC will provide you with two button down work shirts. They take the money out of your first living stipend check. They're pretty comfy!
Base layers! I always wore something under my work shirt, either long sleeve or short sleeve depending on the temperature. I highly, highly recommend wearing polyester base layers. They'll keep you warm no matter what. If you're looking for a more cost effective way to find base layers, go to a thrift store and look in their athletic clothes. It's how I've gotten. all of my base layers lol.
Socks - holy hell. Bring more socks than you think you're going to need. I think on the packing list I got, they said like 7 pairs. Bring more. Bring like. 9 pairs. At least. You go a week without washing clothes, so figure on enough socks for that, and bring extras in case your socks get wet and you want clean, dry ones to put on. Wool socks. They're so much better than cotton. If I was going to do another session with NYC, I would bring 10 pairs of wool socks without question. REI, Smartwool, Carhartt, Wigwam, and Darn Tough are all great brands for wool socks. Also check the sales at REI on socks, they're usually a lot cheaper.
Gloves - oh boy. Bring at least two or three pairs of gloves. At least one pair of leather gloves in case you're pulling out thorny things like blackberry. I had a pair of Tillman Truefit that I wore out within a week. Have more than one pair of gloves! Personally, I like gloves with that rubbery coating on the palm, it's better for gripping things like a pulaski or a chainsaw. My crewleader had a pair of Kincos that he really liked and they lasted him the whole session.
Layers - Bring an insulating layer or two! I had a Columbia fleece that was really nice. Polyester again is your best friend. A few people had cotton hoodies which are great if you're not going to get wet. If I was doing another session, I would definitely bring another warm layer (but again, I was on a spring session so it was definitely a little cooler!)
Rain jacket - I do think NYC provides a rain jacket? They do supply you with rain pants. I have the Carhartt Shoreline jacket, which is warm and pretty rainproof. Someone else on my crew had Patagonia rain jacket (pricy! very rainproof but so expensive!) Just have a rain jacket of some kind, or borrow one from NYC. I liked having a warmer jacket that was rainproof.
Hygiene
Okay. The number one thing I wish I could tell myself about NYC is. Lower any expectations you have for your personal cleanliness, okay. As bad as it sounds.
You're going to be showering once a week. You'll get used to it! Your hair will stop being so greasy at some point. You will go nose blind and not be able to smell how bad you or the rest of your crew stink. It is a blessing.
Get baby wipes. Use them at night or whenever to clean the important stuff on your body. They are a life saver. If you have sensitive skin, test them before you go out there to see if you'll have a reaction.
2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner, if that's a thing you can do, do it. It takes less space in your bag and less time in the shower. More time you can scrub ash or dirt of yourself. Really.
I still wore deodorant. I don't know if it did anything or not. But I liked that bit.
Obviously, toothbrush, toothpaste, that stuff. My crew would brush our teeth together sometimes because we'd forget.
Some kind of skin powder is really great to have too for cleanliness!
Get a microfiber towel! PackTowl is great. It dries faster than a cotton towel and takes way less space. I wish I would have had one out West!
Random Things that are good to have
Good headlamp. AND extra batteries.
Bring a camera!! If you're on an adult crew, you'll be able to have your phone on you. Not sure about youth crews but. Make sure you have something that can take pictures! A phone, a disposable camera, or like a regular camera if you're into that. I brought my camera and I am so glad I did. I love all my pictures so much!
Journal! If you don't already journal, NYC is a great time to get into it. If you're worried about rain or wet ruining a journal, they make waterproof ones that are SO cool.
Have a comfortable daypack. You'll be wearing it all day.
Waterbottles! Bring two at least. People used anything from plastic LifeWater bottles to Nalgenes. I'm personally a Nalgene fan.
Dry bags. They keep stuff dry. Super good to have.
Ziploc bags. Use them for trash or whatever, also super good to have.
Hand sanitizer. Your crew will have some on hand but it's nice to have your own personal one in your bag or something.
External battery for your phone. You usually won't have electricity.
Music. Okay, this one's a little different but. I wound up getting Spotify Premium a week into session because everyone else had music to listen to and I didn't. Music is great for making dinner to, driving to, working to. It's such a little thing but it makes all the difference. I have a playlist of songs I liked from my crewmate's playlists and the whole thing reminds me of my crew :')
Okay I think! That is all of it. Overall! Just go into it with a good attitude. It is going to be so, so, so, fun. It is also going to miserable at some points. That's just how it goes. You're going to be tired and sore, but it is SO worth it. Also working out, hiking, carrying heavy stuff, doing stuff like that ahead of time will make it a lot easier on your during the session! But yeah, just be prepared to work. And have fun! Just be in the moment. It's really such an incredible experience. I had so much fun. I would love to do it again one day. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to send me another ask or dm me! I absolutely LOVE talking about my time with NYC and parks in general and tbh getting this message made my week :'). Have fun!!! Good luck!!!
Good day today. Saw pronghorns on the drive back to camp then got back and half of the people from the 4ish crews training here played calvinball with a soccer ball, football, volleyball, hackeysack and a frisbee just kinda standing in a circle lobbing things at each others heads. Great time. Crew members are all talking to each other and seem to like each other. We stopped at the corner store and taco truck. Nobody cut themselves in half with a chainsaw
