What to bring

A list of things that CTY Coordinators don't know you need.

General

The items here are universal, but they may not apply to a site or two. Please do not repost this list for individual sites.

Room Stuff

• Flashlight - forbidden at some sites (CAR)
  • As of 2019, book lights are not considered contraband
• Scissors - can be considered as a weapon at some sites and are therefore contraband (CAR)
• Snacks!!! (no nuts or nut products at LAN, LOS, or JHU!)
  • Ramen and other instant noodles (if you know how to cook them)
    • Plastic forks or chopsticks (unless you plan on robbing the dining hall) and a microwaveable container (Ramen containers are NOT microwaveable)
• Drinks that aren't energy-drinks or highly caffeinated (Coffee tends to be fine)
• Enough clothing to get through the week without doing laundry
• Make sure to bring extra long sheets if you have them. Regular sheets will keep falling off the beds. ESPECIALLY at JHU
• Curling/straightening iron
  • Very useful for dances in girls' dorms
• Tissues (they can be hard to find on site for some reason, and there's a good chance you'll need them on the last day)
• Headphones/earpphones
• Laundry bags for dirty clothes
• Bug spray or some other form of bug repellent
• There's no need to buy a desk lamp to do work as many dorms may also have lamps fitted into desks (JHU)
  • Bring desk lamps for ISO's
• A dressing gown or REALLY long towel.
  • Not everybody wants to stand partially naked in front of their colleagues after the fire alarm catches them in the shower. (Some kind of bathrobe also proves useful when moving between your dorm and the showers)

Traditionish Stuff

• Masking tape/duct tape for Love Tape Day
• Glowsticks or poi sets - for raving
  • Lanyard-type objects for stringraving (shoelaces are recommended)
• Rubik's Cube (3x3 is essential. Other shapes are also recommended)
• Clothes to lend for cross-dress day (in a range of sizes)
• Old CTY lanyards
• Any staff lanyards (if you can keep them HIDDEN)
• A copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
• Fishnets, corsets, and other RHPS or goth day items
• Sharpie/Fabric Marker if you want people to sign your shirt
• Old Casino night money that you make copies of//Monopoly money (For Casino Night)
• DVD or physical copies of any CTY traditional films you may want to watch

Other Stuff

• Camera(s)
• Computer (required for some classes and recommended for most others)
• Deck of cards and Poker chips - forbidden but unenforced at CAR
  • Bring your best deck as there are sometimes wars for who has the best card deck design
• Audio devices and speakers
  • Bring batteries/chargers for them
• Towel or picnic blanket to sit on during quad time; many campuses don’t have any pest services during the summer, so there are a lot of bugs that you might not want to sit on.
• Frisbees, balls, or sports equipment such as tennis rackets
• Permanent markers (fabric markers if you want your shirt signed)
• Reusable water bottles (Unless you go to JHU, where they're readily available from the cafeteria)
• Extra batteries / charger for your calculator
• A hairbrush and plenty of hairties (for dances)
• SO MANY BANDAIDS
  • All forms of First Aid are encouraged
• Nail clipper
  • Especially if you bring a string instrument to camp
• Bubble mix
• Tide To Go
• Umbrella
• Tide Pods are great for laundry, but DO NOT PUT THEM IN THE DETERGENT SLOT. THEY GO IN THE DRUM. (This caused 2 of the washers to break in EST 16.1 and 16.2)
• Don't forget chargers! (Port-adapters are A MUST for international students)
• Comfortable walking shoes for the more active afternoon activities
• Gum/mints (MENTOS)
  • If you're not great at talking to people, offering mint or gum is an easy way to start a conversation and/or make friends
• A considerable amount of Cash, especially at CAR and JHU

Lancaster

• Strawberry Kiwi Lemonade (or money to buy it on weekend trips)
• Snacks cannot contain peanuts; they cannot even have been made in a factory that also processes peanuts or makes peanut products. RAs WILL confiscate contraband food.
• Bathrobe and extra towels for Thursdays
• Bulk pack glow sticks [to give to Jack Flash/King James in case (read: when) someone steals the entire bag]
• Bathing suit (if the pool is open)
• Clothes for CTY Holidays, particularly Halloween
• Lab-safe or field trip safe clothes [closed-toe shoes, long pants, long sleeve shirts (especially PBIO and ANSC!!)]
• Fancy clothes for dances
  • There are five dances at LAN, so unless you don't feel like dressing up for all five, bring enough fancy outfits.
  • If you find a friend your size, you can always swap fancy clothing for a dance or two
• Be prepared for random themes for dances. Themes include Neon, Hawaiian, pj day (2022 summer)
• Nail polish remover
• Spare eyeliner
• Umbrellas, raincoats
• Full strength insect repellent!!!!!!!!!
• IF YOU EAT KOSHER, don't bother getting the kosher meal plan. costs extra, and the KIVO has good kosher food every day anyways. (The problem with KIVO is that it has the best (READ: only edible) food so be prepared for lines.)
• If you get sick of eating the cafeteria food go to the left of the gluten free section

there are quesadillas!

• • As of 22.1-22.2, KIVO access has been limited due to other camps having priority.
• Frisbees!!!
• Duck tape!!!!! for love tape day (3rd Monday!)

Carlisle

• Sidewalk chalk
• Assorted clothing for various theme-days
  • Fishnets and copious amounts of eyeliner for girls (Goth Day)
  • Clothes for the opposite sex to wear for Drag Day (clothes you don't mind getting ripped, stretched out, dirty, etc.)
  • America themed clothing for America Day
• Large beach towel for Passionfruit (Lower Quad is wet in the morning) and just for sitting on outside.
• Nail polish remover for Drag Day
• Eye makeup remover for Goth Day
• Speed Queen App (As of '18, laundry no longer takes quarters, but rather uses the speed queen app. Money must be added to an account on the app for laundry to be done)
• Rain jacket or umbrella (bring with you everywhere, as rain in Carlisle is like a light switch)
• LED lamp light (contraband but not monitored. Useful for studying during free time at night.)
• LED poi (for glowstringing), as they tend to stand out more than glowsticks at meet market and dances
• Portable battery/phone charger
• At least $75 worth in cash to be used at Devils Den, Walmart, etc. (not including textbook purchases)
• Glowsticks- thick for glowstringing, thin for bracelets at dances.
• Trash can (in '19 none of the room had trashcans because Dickinson is big on sustainibility)
• Paper towels (for the same reasons as above)
• Warm clothes (nearly all buildings can get pretty cold)

Saratoga Springs (Skidmore)

• Insect repellent (!!!!!)
• Fans - if you're in Howe/Rounds, then no fans are needed.
  • 17" box fans fit perfectly in the windows and are recommended
• Extra towels/bathrobes
• Hats (especially snapbacks for Drag Day)
• Extra Clothes to give away for Drag Day
• Ballerina-like clothes (for Rina Day)> RIP Rina Day
• Boots
• Rain jacket
• Sweatshirt
• Expo Markers
• Rainbow items for Pride Day
• Black nail polish/lipstick for Goth Day
• Glowsticks and Shoelaces (if you want to learn how to rave...which you do)
• Love tape (White masking tape)
• Frisbees
• Swim suit or water clothes for water day
• 'Flip Flops' and closed toed shoes
• Any and all microwaveable foods/snacks
• Plastic spoons/forks if you plan on eating in the dorms
• A screwdriver of sorts for taking apart things (for the daring)

Loudonville (Siena)

• Duct tape, strong string, and clothes hangers for Fairy Princess Day
• Clothes for Naughty Catholic Schoolgirl Day
• A backpack
• Snacks or change for vending machines
• Fans - Ryan Hall, the boys' hall, is cramped and has no A/C
• Alarm clock
• Long-sleeved tee and/or hoodie - the movie theater and the classrooms are freezing
• An umbrella, raincoat, and rain boots
• Lots and lots of clothes - there are few working laundry machines

Los Angeles (LMU)

• Bathing suits (and waterproof camera, if you have one)
• Bathrobe - if you get caught in the shower during a fire drill (Note: Fire Drills happen the day after they tell you they will happen) (not required with or without fire drills)
• Candy
• Dressy clothing for dances
• Comfortable shoes for dances - NO HEELS! They kill your feet.
• Cup of noodles (the food at the cafeteria can become bad by the third week)
• Drag day outfit or clothes to lend on Drag Day.
  • Girls: baseball cap
  • Boys: Fake hair/ hair extensions
• Fan (electric) - Huesman or Doheny are hot; Whelan & Rosecrans are better, and Desmond is by far the best (Desmond, however, is not perfect. Depending on the year, Desmond residents may need to use a fan every day or never.)
• Flip flops that don't break easily and can be used in the showers (which, at least in Desmond, get nasty as the session progresses)
• Hats
• Laundry hamper/bag
• Magazines/some form of entertainment for the weekends, in which you will have large amounts of personal time)
• Masking and duct tape (for Love Tape Day, and to mark your lanyard/room card holder if you're prone to losing things)
• Popcorn (can be popped in the 4th floor lounge in Desmond)
• Sidewalk chalk - they often run out in the activity
• A casino outfit (People wear a black dress/suit. Some talented youth bring heels, but wear pumps if you're comfortable going up and down stairs for three hours in them.)
• Sunblock
• Sunglasses
• Sweatshirt (for breaks during night class, when it's freezing in Sunken Gardens)
• Tennis racket/balls (If guys, both kinds are needed)
• Towels: Beach towel, hand towel, full-sized shower towel for Last Thursday
• Your lovely self!
• xkcd

Baltimore (JHU)

• Sneakers, walking shoes or durable sandals -- in case [read: when] the rain soaks the Gentle Slope
• Hand-held Fans and sunscreen because we're hot
• Umbrella, poncho, and/or rain jacket -- there may [read: WILL] be thunderstorms or at least heavy rains
• Hoodie/Sweater for cold classrooms
• Dressy clothes -- for girls, for guys, for dances.
• Flashy clothing for Casino Night and site-wide events (depends on how you want to dress for that)
• Clothes that you don't mind being damaged (outdoor activities, clothing swap day)
• Ghost Stories, horror novellas or other sleepover scares
• Laundry basket/hamper/bag and detergent. Washers are free, but do not provide detergent
• Power strip/extension cord -- power outlets may be hard to find or obstructed.
• Any desired personal technology (Phones, laptops, etc) -- JHU runs a guest wi-fi network and allows use of personal devices.
• A non-trivial amount of spending money -- the local Barnes and Noble bookstore, Insomnia cookies, CVS, etc
• Musical instruments and/or sheet music -- you will be able to practice during some activity periods in JHU's music rooms
• Something to do outside after lunch period -- books, frisbees, or footballs, chalk because you are not allowed back in the dorms between lunch and the afternoon class
• Food (Cup noodles and packaged snacks are recommended & ramen can be scarce at the CVS)
• Glow sticks and string/shoe laces (or poi, if you have it)
  • The administration has a history of buying crappy glow sticks
• Speakers (if you have them) to blast "It's the end of the world as we know it on towel" day
• Bug repellent (for yourself and your dorm) -- lots of bugs with large appetites
• Tape (masking or duct) -- Love tape is not usually provided by staff (and monarchy all have limited suitcase space to pack) <3
• Athletic clothing -- There are usually morning runs and other times for workouts which may interest you.
• A volting pole or ladder so you can get onto the raised beds (just kidding)

Bristol

• Nice clothes for dances, Casino Night etc.
• No need for desk lamp (schoolwork isn't allowed in the dorms)
• Food (popcorn, ramen, and mac and cheese)
  • Microwaveable food
• Plastic silverware and bowls for Ramen
• More underwear than you think necessary
• Tissues
• Casino night money from past sessions
• Multiple Sharpies of assorted color for t-shirt signing
• Lots of money for pizza (Domino's) and Chinese take-out for after dances and Casino Night
• Perhaps a soccer ball or tennis racquet (be careful of confiscation)
• Band-Aids because there are a lot of places for people to trip
• Bug spray
• More sweatshirts, pants and blankets than you think necessary
  • The site is near the ocean so you get a breeze
  • The classrooms are HEAVILY air-conditioned
• Wipes if you're planning to do paint twister
• Clothes that can be torn or dirtied

Easton

• Clothes of every color for Swashbuckler (Colors/teams: red, black, white, blue, orange/yellow "Reese's", green, pink, purple)
• At least 10 pairs of underwear in case you run short before Laundry Day
• NOT a desk lamp - we don't even do homework in our dorms
  • I disagree. Although we don't do homework, desk lamps are great for providing light during sleepovers/ISOs.
• Random looking clothes for the dances: neon, sea-themed, movie/Hollywood, outer space, etc
• Nice looking clothes for Casino Night & Semi Formal
• Extra Money for:
  • Wawa
  • Bookstore trips
  • Ordering Domino's/Pizza Doro/Chinese food
• Tennis racket
• Bug spray<especially if in Easton dorms>
• I SECOND THAT: there are gnats on the quad and OMG BRING BUG SPRAY
• Girls: Lots of hair products for dances
• NOTE: There is no need to bring quarters for washing machines/ dryers. As of 2008, all washing machines/dryers are free.
• Expo Markers to write on the white-board on your dorm door, or on other peoples', or even your RA. (see Illuminati wars from 16.2)
• Guys: Bring cologne and nice clothing for the dances. DON'T MAKE OUT IN THE UPSTAIRS FARINON BATHROOM!
• SPOONS: Blammo is likely, so bringing unofficial decoy spoons is a good idea.
• BRING WATER. The only functioning water fountains in Keefe are in the basement. The tap is fine to drink, however.
• For those of you taking Great Cases - bring appropriate clothing for field trips.
• No glitter
• EXTRA PHONE CHARGERS!

Princeton

• Flashlights are not banned
• Tennis racket if desirable
• PASSIONFRUIT JUICE! There was none available in 2012
• Badminton racket
• Bathingsuit if desirable
• Dress clothes for semi-formal dance
• Your heart
• Your brain

Berkeley

• Non-flashy clothes which you don't mind getting dirty
• Water bottle
• Tennis racket (playing depends on the availability of courts each day)
• Spending money for the local area, thrifting etc.
• Power strip/extension cord -- power outlets are in awkward corners
• Sidewalk chalk
• Henna cones

Seattle

• Kleenex. Unless you want to use paper towels to blow your nose, bring some.
• Fan. During the summer of 2017 and 2018 it was hot, and in 2018 the front desk only rented out five.
• Curtains. If your room faces the sun, YOU WILL NOT SLEEP UNLESS YOU BRING CURTAINS OR TAPE TOWELS UP AS CURTAINS
• Unlimited data - We are not given the wifi password, but you can use your own data or find a friend with a hotspot and unlimited data

Santa Cruz

• A fan. There is no AC in the Porter dorms.
• Dance clothing options for themes. Common ones include Neon, Prom, and Western.
• Extra toiletries, especially soap. You will want to shower every day.
• Small mirror for your room. It's annoying to go to the bathroom every time you want to check how you look.
• Command hooks. Useful for holding your lanyard at night, towels, laundry bag, or other things.
• Snacks and drinks that can be consumed lukewarm. The dinning hall and vending machine options are subpar and rarely restock.
• Good walking shoes. The poor souls attending class at Oaks climb nearly 600 stairs a day.
• Foursquare or volleyball for class breaks and quad time.
• Face paint is helpful for color wars, CTY Olympics, and Braveheart.
• Paper towels
• Extra duffel bag or backpack for bedding and last-minute packing additions like pajamas and toiletries. You bring your main suitcase down to a quad adjacent room on the last Thursday night, and this lets you sleep with bedding for the last night.
• Tape
• Highlighters for reading-heavy classes (Great Cases, Philosophy, Logic, Fiction and Poetry, Writing your World)
• LOTS OF SUNSCREEN
• Massive water bottle
• Scissors (not banned)
• Hair ties
• Good layering clothes. It is cold in the mornings and at night, but gets hot in the afternoon.
• Formal and/or black clothing for Casino Night
• Past summer lanyards
• Money for the bookstore