Showering situation

[techgirl]

Okay I realize this makes me sound like a complete rookie, but I'll be at my first camp ever this summer as a counselor and I know the showering situation isn't always the best. I know there might not be a lot of time for it.. so I was wondering, what do you do to keep your hair from looking gross (for the girls mainly!)???:p

[YUrocks!]

Wear a hat.

[speedx5xracer]

Take a shower during your time off.

[Flukie]

Ignore it and keep going. Lol.

[prettysocks]

Heck yes, Flukie! Don't care about it, since you're at camp, not the mall!

[Flukie]

I'm totally guilty of NOT showering at camp - sometimes, I have to schedule in my shower time. I've definitely washed my hair in the unit sink or shaved my legs with the hose...

But my CITs shower each and every day. :) I make sure that they can if they want too.

[laurathistle]

You could try dry shampoo, the stuff you spray on and brush out.
I am planning on taking some!

[Pooka]

If you have long-ish hair, braiding it (espescially french braids) seems to keep it neater and a little cleaner, since it's not dangling all over in your sweat. Uuurgh.

[Gramma]

My solution about 5 years ago was to shave it off (it was nearly to my butt at the time). Since then, I've shaved it every summer as a "back to camp" sort of ritual.

[LifeIsGood]

Bandanas. I have about 15 of them in every color imaginable. They can be a thin band for decent hair days and more coverage for gross hair days.

[happy_camper]

Ditto the the bandanas!
They come in every style and color, and can be headbands, hats, slings, bandages, anything!

[tigerfan]

I think braiding it helps; so do hats. I do try to shower almost every day if possible though. On the days I can't, I just deal with my hair because hey, its camp so no one else is showering all the time either!

[techgirl]

All those ideas sound great! I don't mean to sound like I'm super worried about my looks at camp cuz I know that the main point of camp is to get dirty and have fun!

[Life_Saver]

If you swim every day it really won't be a problem...

[campCardinal]

If you swim everyday you should probably shower though... or your hair will be shot by week 2.

Honestly, if showering is a priority you'll make it happen. I shower 6 days a week during the summer... so, it's not a problem at all. It just means sometimes I might pass on the trip off camp during my off time, or I might pass on a night of talking on the porch to grab a quick shower. I've never felt like I've had to sacrifice too much to shower (like 10 minutes). You've just got to do it if you want to.

[guttst]

Or you could just wake up 15 min earlier & shower in the morning like I do...

[Flower]

I always seemed to find some time to shower at camp at least every other day. We got every other evening off, so the start of that time was very popular for counselor showers. I've also gotten up a few minutes early in the morning and showered during my free period. Most of our cabins are connected through the counselor rooms, so I've also worked with the counselor in the next cabin to alternate showers while one of us is there in case there's a problem. I find that being flexible in when you're showering is the key to finding time, and a shower has never felt so good as at camp. It's a wonderful pickme up and relaxer all in one.
When my hair was short, I used a lot of the bandana over the top look, and as it got longer just a hair tie was great for keeping it up and running.

[campnerd99]

My hair is always up at camp. It happend to be down one day and the director was shocked to find out my hair was so long!

[Mouse...]

I've got fairly long hair so braids are my salvation.

[facade1138]

My hair is suppperr dry so going a couple days without washing it is actually good for it!

[Flukie]

Keep in mind too, that a lot of this depends on the type of camp that you work at and what the facilities are like. It might be easier for you to get a shower if there is one in the cabin that you can jump in and out of in a few minutes. For me to shower, I have to either use the camper showerhouse when it isn't in use by the girls or try to get into the shower at the lodge during my TO. It doesn't quite always happen! :) And some camps have no issue with you going out of the unit/cabin if facilities are elsewhere before the kids get up and others might. So a lot is camp dependent!

[gabor85_hungary]

Interesting topic: ) Altough I'm not a girl, but I saw a possible solution from my female counselor assistant: we went almost every day to the swimming pool and when we finished with bathing she took out a shampoo from her bag, and went to the public shower besides the pool (where people need to take shower before going to the pool). So she usually finished with the whole process before the kids changed their swimming dress.

[camper]

it's hard to make a suggestion when each camp is most likely somewhat different, but at my camp counselors usually have a perior off each day where they can shower or they just hop in really quickly right before reveille in the morning! hopefully your camp makes sure you have time to shower at least every other day...i know i take one 99% of days at camp.

[Thumbelina1988]

The cabin I will be sleeping in has a bathroom adjoined so I don't think I'll have to worry much about not showering. With three counselors to one cabin I'm sure having a shower before the kids get up will be fine. But I'm planning to take a multi-use body wash and shampoo. As it will cut down on the amount of bottles I'll bring and will also make life easier.

[Belay06]

We have 5 day long sessions at my camp and to be honest... I might get two showers in. We start sunday afternoon at camp and we end on friday at noon. On the weekends when I go home, I try to shower both days. While I am at camp I try to shower on tuesday and thursday. It's hard though. Honestly, in my opinion your best bet is to just invest in bandanas. I love the things and I own a ton.

[Smudge]

I would try to shower ever 2 or 3 days but with just 2 hours off a day you can find that time goes fairly quickly doing things like laundy, emailing home, prep for the unit and a 101 other things that take your time.

My first summer at camp I went 2 weeks without showering - i never had time cos I was either swimming (in a spring fed lake) doing laundry or other stuff and it wasn't until realised my hair needed washed that i sat down and thought about when I had last showered.

I am also really bad for remembering to brush my hair - i have fine hair that doesn't tangle so will stick it up in an elastic and then catch the bottom up in the same elastic.

[c3divers]

I usually take a shower at night after all the munchkins have gone to bed. Or I will jump in the shower while the girls are swimming at the pool. We have a staff shower area at the pool - but the only time I do that is when we have night swim because I hate taking a shower than have to hike around camp and get all hot and sweaty again. I don;t sleep really well when I am hot and sticky.

[Cat]

I almost always shower every day at camp... Although it never fails that my shower will get interrupted at least 2x's a week!! Being the camp nurse, you are on duty 24/7 and most of the time i don't leave camp on the weekend to stay with the kids that stayover for next session. The weekends aren't a huge issue cuz there are less kids, but during the week I just try to shower either in early morning or about 30-45 minutes after the rest of camp goes to sleep. There was one particularly bad week at camp where everyone was getting sick or hurt, and I handed out lunch meds and then went directly for the shower because there was no other time in the day that it was "safe" to have 10 minutes to myself. At least at lunch it was relatively calm!

When I was a counselor it was ok to leave and take a shower as long as one counselor was in the unit at all times. My Co counselor and I alternated nights and mornings but you could just both take turns staying in the cabin while the other showers.

Also, if you're finding that you just don't have time to shower, throw a shower party for your bunk during bunk time! Everyone gets in swimsuits and goes to the shower house, put on kid friendly music and us some extra soapy to soap up! Check your camps policy on this though... Im not sure if all camps allowed it. I just know it was one strategy we used to get girls who didn't want to shower at camp to become less stinky! Good chance for you as a counselor to quickly rinse off the stink as well.

[happy_camper]

me too, c3divers!! :)

[happy_camper]

Cat -- we do the same thing but we use tear-free baby shampoo and a hose and call it a Shampoo Party! I was with the 4-6 year olds last summer and it took 2 hrs for 17 showers. THe next night my co- and I decided we weren't going through that again so we had a shampoo party. The kids LOVED it and went home raving about it!

[Smudge]

At the 2 of the 3 camps I have worked at the staff weren't allowed in the shower house at the same time as the kids - we had to stand/sit at the door of the building and shout in to make sure that every one was ok, or mediate arguements etcs.

[armadillo]

Some of our staff shower before the kids get up, some shower after they go to bed, and many shower on their break. I am a big fan of the pool shower -- I take my break in the hour before or after swim time. I swim my laps in the pool ( exercise is soooooo good!) and then I will have to lifeguard while my kids are at the pool. When it is time for us to hop out, I hop in the pool shower for 5 minutes and wash up (while the kids are taking forever to put their shoes and socks on).

I typically get sweaty and nasty almost immediately after showering, but that's life at camp. It is sweaty and nasty all the time, even at night -- so I would be sweaty and nasty if I showered at night or in the morning. At least I (usually) get in a one shower a day.

[prettysocks]

*inspired by post above*

It was pretty gross for about a week last year at camp, when it was about 40 degrees Celcius for a week straight. We'd have a nice cold shower, and be drying ourselves off after.. and immediately after, you're like "what? I'm still damp! What the heck!".. It was instant sweating, because it was JUST THAT HOT.

----

Most staff at my camp shower during 'hang time' (break in the afternoon for about 75% of the staff, rotating each day), or after the campers go to bed. I'm all about the cold showers before bed!

[happy_camper]

At the 2 of the 3 camps I have worked at the staff weren't allowed in the shower house at the same time as the kids - we had to stand/sit at the door of the building and shout in to make sure that every one was ok, or mediate arguements etcs.

Same here!

[these.city.lights]

Luckily I'm going to Washington State this year where the weather isn't as hot as most other states (In fact, in my CCUSA guide book its the coolest state) So I wont be sweating as much as what seems to be going on by other counsilors.

[prideeinpynk]

That's why I decided to leave Florida for my job. I had several offers down here,but who wants to deal with the heat and the humidity?! Seriously, if you've never been to Florida in the summer just know that its something to avoid!

[ArtisticEric]

Lol, Well i thought i'd avoid the heat working at a camp in Maine but it got fairly toasty last year.... and then today i fellow counselor friend of mine said it may hit 100 one day in june
....we'll see i guess.

[prideeinpynk]

I lived in Maine and yeah it can get hot sometimes but there's practically no humidity which is what kills you. That's what makes you stick to yourself and you can't dry off. But I don't believe that I've EVER seen it hit 100 there (and I grew up there). But who knows! :D

Its funny because when I go to visit up there I don't really notice the difference too much until I get off the return plane at Orlando Airport. OMG...

[carrottop]

THe problem with showers was as soon as you're clean you'd have to put more bug spray on or you'd get eaten alive...or you'd go boating or have swim and end up in the pond again. I spent the summer with my hair under either a bandana or a hat although we had to take them off for mealtimes. sometimes went 4 days without a shower but at least a dip in the pond washes you...kind of! :-) Days off always included a shower!

[Smudge]

I know what you mean, well sort of I never use bug spray so that wasn't an issue - i just never seemed to have time to shower as I was always busy doing stuff during my 2 hours off but I tried to at least a couple of times a week. Showers are what days off are for.

At my first camp it was nearly impossible to take a shower during day light (the shower stalls weren't lite cos they were open air and the whole day was camper showers (we only had before breakfast, meal times (when we had to be in the dinning hall unless we were on our day off) and after bed time (when it was dark). Until someone took one of the shower booking tokens and wrote staff over what ever unit was writen on and everyday someone would book an hour for showers. Caused some probs cos it meant that campers could no longer shower every day (cos there weren't enough time slots left) but that are at camp and don't need to shower everyday - but the staff do need to have time to able to shower 2 and certain things are not easy to do in the dark.

[sarahuk]

What is the weather like in Connecticut?

[Flukie]

Connecticut will range from probably low 70s to high 90s over the course of the summer. You'll get some rainy days, most likely and some sunny. You may get some VERY humid. On occasion, we'll get a chilly spell that drops New England into the 60s - anyone else remember Summer 2005? We had two weeks of rain and weather in the low 60s - the girls were MISERABLE and WET! Nights cool down and generally aren't overly hot. Pack a few warm items and plan for hot and you'll be good to go!

[sarahuk]

Aww thanks for that. I'll make sure to bring some warm clothes for the chillier nights.

[ceri-with-a-c]

how about Maine? is it similar...?
:)

[Smudge]

I would imagine so - was there once for afew hours the weather was nice during the day but got chilly at night, maybe someone who has worked there would know better.

[Flukie]

Yes, all of New England is pretty similar, but nights will get cooler in Maine because you are further North.

[prideeinpynk]

The thing I'd remember most about New England is that when it rains, it rains for a few days usually. Or at least that was my experience in Maine. Some people aren't used to that. Now that I'm here in Florida where is rains for an hour or two and then SUN, the whole overcast for days thing is so mindblowing when I go back.

[Flukie]

That's a really good point! For the most part, when we do get rain, it'll be at least a day long or, at minimum, a few hours. Only occasionally do we get the hour and then sun!

[CampFreak]

I usually take a very cold shower on my time off (hot water is used up by the kids first). If for some reason I cannot shower like I have raggers and come back so late I prefer to go to bed, I can do a quick shower for my hair by sticking it under a fosset and use shampoo and rinse. That way I am near the cabin when I need to, and I have hair that goes everywhere and wouldn't be good for ticks, so the showers lets it down.

[Smudge]

This last summer I hated using the camp showers - cos the staff ones the you couldn't fix the hoses to anything - so I would shower when i had time but usually I would swim and then just rinse the lake scum out my hair. I have been know just to turn the hose on it and wash it out side - did that day of our staff treat (tubing) on the last day of post-camp - everyone camp back wanting a shower and I was one of the last to arrive back on camp so knew the showers would be cold so went for the hose option!