Surprise them?

Going to camp soon? Have questions about camp? Post them here for those that have gone to answer.

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ecchs
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Surprise them?

Post by ecchs »

Hi everyone,

My husband turns 40 this year so for his birthday, I booked a family 4 Day camp. I haven't told my son or him yet about it and originally, I wasn't going to tell them until we got to the airport. I like the idea of a surprise, but I also wanted to ask you veterans if there is anything you needed to do before camp that would require telling them sooner than the day we leave?
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Vincent
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Post by Vincent »

Go ahead, surprise them!

As long as they pack enough for the trip, and you've got what Space Camp suggests (they should provide a checklist, if memory serves), it'll be great!

Granted, there could be a few things they will have wished they had packed had they known, but it shouldn't be anything too important.
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Post by SpaceCanada »

What a great surprise! I echo Vincent's suggestion - as long as they have the required and suggested items from the kit list you should be fine. The excitement of a surprise could really add to the experience. Have a wonderful adventure and let us know how it goes.

As for things that need to be done in advance, I am uncertain of whether or not a medical fitness form is required for your camp, so that may be one thing you would have to get your doctor to do without them knowing, as the Space Camp logo is on it. (The one I had to required my own signature as well as the doctor and my parents, so I'm not sure how to work around that.)

Good luck with the surprise!
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Post by Hotdog »

Duct tape. Make sure that's on your list of stuff to bring :D

Not sure if you are booked for a summer session or not, but Alabama summers are sweltering compared to Washington. I would advise packing very light clothing and maybe even some sunscreen. If you're staying on-site and not in a hotel, you will want some warmer bed clothes, maybe even some long johns, since the space camp dorms can get very cold at night.

There's a few threads on this board that cover "What to bring" in more detail. Keep us posted on how it goes!
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Post by p51 »

Hotdog wrote:Not sure if you are booked for a summer session or not, but Alabama summers are sweltering compared to Washington.
Pure truth. I currently live between Seattle and Portland, but grew up in Florida, and I can attest that Alabama in the summer is like the surface of the sun that time of year comared to the Puget Sound (especially as we had no summer in 2010 and a short/late one last year and haven't had a summer yet). I'm reminded of a scene from the movie, "Biloxi Blues..."
Man it's hot. It's like Africa hot. Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot.
:wink:[/i]
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ecchs
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We have summer here?

Post by ecchs »

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone! I'll definitely heed your advice about packing for the weather. We haven't had anything close to a "summer" in Seattle yet.

I was looking into getting the blue flight suits as part of the surprise. Think they'll be too hot? O are they not worth it for other reasons? I was going to try ebay first...
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Flight suits

Post by Conan »

I would definitely go for the flight suits. They add to the feeling of being a real astronaut. They are not too hot for indoors. I usually wear mine for the missions, but not for all of the training. And they are particularly good for graduation ceremonies. (although I usually take it off for the drive home afterwards)
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We're off!

Post by ecchs »

Well folks, I managed to keep the surprise until Tuesday night when he caught me looking at flight paths around the hurricane. Not too bad. We leave for family camp tomorrow night. I found one flight suit for him and we'll get another for my son when we get there. I've got the duct tape and the warm pajamas. We won't need anything else, right? :wink:

Thanks for all your help!
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Post by SpaceCanada »

Great job keeping the secret for so long! Be sure to chime in after you return and let us know how it went! Have a great time!
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Re: We're off!

Post by gt0163c »

ecchs wrote:Well folks, I managed to keep the surprise until Tuesday night when he caught me looking at flight paths around the hurricane. Not too bad. We leave for family camp tomorrow night. I found one flight suit for him and we'll get another for my son when we get there. I've got the duct tape and the warm pajamas. We won't need anything else, right? :wink:
Wouldn't hurt to toss in a couple of small flashlights. They're mostly helpful for things that can happen during missions (power outages and all). But also helpful to have around the Hab if you need to get up/get something after lights out. The rooms are pitch black. And definitely take water bottles for everyone. You'll need them if you're outside for any length of time.

Hope you have a great trip and don't forget to report back after you return.
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Post by p51 »

Who was more excited to go, your husband or your son (or was it about equal)?
As for the flashlight thing, I'd further suggest getting red lenses for the covers if you can find them. A white light kills your night vision if it's dark and a red lens keeps the pupils open. It also isn't as likely to wake other people up when you turn it on. We used red lenses on all our flightlights in the Army (when we weren't using night vision gear, that is).
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