Merritt Island Equipment List
The Outing Club has a limited number of backpacks, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads for students to borrow. As such, we encourage bringing your own of these items, or borrowing from friends or family. If this is not possible please be in contact about borrowing these items before August 5th. Additional items will be available for purchase at the BOC upon arrival including wool socks, long underwear (tops and bottoms), headlamps, and water bottles; financial aid is available for those who qualify. If you have any questions about gear please contact bocOtrips@bowdoin.edu.
What to pack in: You may pack in anything that you like. A backpack is easiest to carry, but a duffel bag is perfectly acceptable. No wheeled luggage please! You will want a day pack to take with you during the day.
Essential Gear
Clothes
▢ 2 tee-shirts
▢ 2 pair of shorts
▢ 1 bathing suit/clothes to swim in
▢ 1 pair of pants; no jeans – they get wet and and cold. Leggings are fine.
▢ 2 wool or fleece sweaters, or 1 fleece and 1 lightweight puffy jacket
▢ **1 set (top & bottom) synthetic long underwear, such as polypropylene or capilene. Any types containing cotton are not acceptable.
▢ 1 wool or synthetic fleece hat
▢ 1 hat for sun and bug protection
▢ Underwear for 4 days
▢ *2 pairs wool or synthetic socks. 2 additional pairs
▢ Rain jacket
▢ Camp shoes: sneakers, crocks, sturdy sandals work well
▢ Water shoes: old snekears, or sandals with heel strap will work well. No flip flops.
Gear
▢ *Sleeping bag (pack this inside a tough garbage bag inside its regular stuff sack to help ensure dryness).
▢ *Sleeping pad (closed-cell pads or Therma-Rests® please, open cell foam pads act like sponges)
▢ Day pack (a small backpack or bookbag is fine)
▢ 1 of each: cup, bowl, spoon (no glass)
▢ **2 water bottles (no glass)
▢ **Flashlight/headlamp and extra batteries
▢ Sunscreen
▢ Sunglasses
▢ Small towel
▢ 2 garbage bags
▢ Toilet kit: its contents should be those things that you cannot live without (toothbrush, toothpaste, pads/tampons/menstrual cup, prescription medication, contacts and contact solution, etc.)
Optional Gear
▢ Camera (the Outing Club loves copies of good photos)
▢ Journal and pen/pencil
▢ Reading material (a small paperback)
▢ Bug spray
▢ Rain pants
▢ Musical instruments for around the campfires
*= Available to borrow from the Outing Club. Please request by August 5.
**= Available to purchase from the Outing Club
Printable List (PDF)