Product Planning & Mixing: The Third Step to Creating Elevated Camp Merch

Planning and Product Mixing for Camps: Start with the End in Mind

When planning your camp merch—whether it’s for staff, campers, parents, donors, or retail—the key is to work backwards. That might feel a little strange at first, especially if you’ve seen another camp launch a wildly successful product. But just because something worked for them doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for you.

Camps are unique, and so are your goals. Smart product planning should be personal, purposeful, and designed to drive a specific response.

Personal

Every camp has a feel—whether it’s rugged and outdoorsy, spirited and silly, or peaceful and reflective. Your merch should match that vibe. What do your campers and families associate with your name? What colors, styles, and product types feel like you?

Maybe it’s vintage-style tees that feel like the early ’90s, or sleek water bottles that campers carry everywhere. The right merch reinforces your camp culture and helps your people feel more connected to it. The wrong merch just adds to the pile of forgettable swag.

Purposeful

What’s your goal for this merch? Are you building a retail store for opening day? Fundraising with limited-edition gear? Creating unity for your staff team? Giving campers a piece of the experience to take home?

If it’s retail, you’ll want elevated designs and retail-quality products—things parents would be happy to pay for. If it’s about staff identity and unity, go for something that’s practical, repeatable, and clearly branded. Either way, clarity around your why makes every decision easier.

Response-Driven

Merch isn’t just about having your logo out in the world. It’s about what you want that logo to do.

Is the goal to deepen camper loyalty? Spark parent engagement? Give donors something meaningful? The more specific you are about the response you want, the more powerful your merch becomes. And when you know what success looks like, you can actually measure the return.

That’s why we always start with the end in mind. What’s the response you want? What should your merch say, do, or inspire in your community?

From there, we’ll help you build the right product mix to hit your target and elevate your camp’s mission.

Need help refining your plan and your mix? Let’s talk.

(We speak fluent Camp.)