Bear Grips Pro ShopsSet Up Your Overnight Camp Store in a Week
- A branded overnight camp store can go live in under a week.
- Upload the camp logo once, pick the apparel lineup, set retail prices, share the link from the parent portal.
- No inventory, no upfront cash, no warehouse, no screen-printer minimums.
- Camp director earns the markup between VIP cost and retail on every piece sold.
Setting up an overnight camp store used to mean a screen-printer relationship, a six-week lead time, an inventory closet, and a parent volunteer running a folding table on closing day. None of that is necessary anymore. Below is the full setup, start to finish, the way it actually runs in 2026 for directors who want the camp store live before opening day without buying a single piece of inventory upfront.
Step 1 — Pick the right plan
| Plan | Monthly | Live products | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 | Test the model with a session, one tee plus one hoodie plus one hat |
| Self-Service VIP | $59 | 200 | Most overnight camps. Full lineup across tees, hoodies, joggers, shorts, hats, color-war pieces, closing-banquet tees. |
| Done-For-You VIP | $109 | 250 | Camps where the director does not want to touch product setup. Send a logo, the shop gets built and curated monthly. |
VIP plans have lower per-piece base prices, saving four to eleven dollars per item versus the free tier. For any camp that expects to sell more than fifteen pieces per session, the VIP base savings pay for the monthly within the first session.
Step 2 — Upload the logo
Most camps already have a logo file. PNG with a transparent background is ideal. If the existing logo is on a black or white box, the platform handles background removal automatically. The same logo applies across every product, so the cabin tee, the hoodie, and the closing-banquet tee all carry the identical mark.
If the camp logo is multi-color, all colors print at no extra setup cost. If the camp wants a clean single-color version for one-color tees (white-on-navy, navy-on-cream), upload that variant as a second logo file.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Step 3 — Build the product lineup
The default overnight camp lineup is twelve to twenty products. Start with the staples, add the tradition pieces, and reserve a few SKUs for one-off session pieces.
- Cotton tee in five colors (one per cabin unit or all camp green)
- Performance tee for outdoor activity days
- Camp hoodie (the highest-revenue item)
- Camp crewneck sweatshirt (alternative to the hoodie)
- Camp shorts (parents on pickup day buy these)
- Joggers (asked-for by older campers)
- Camp hat (snapback or rope hat, the sleeper hit)
- Long sleeve cotton tee (cool-evening session, sun protection on lake days)
- Counselor polo (staff-only color)
- Color-war tee in two distinct colors
- Closing-banquet souvenir tee
- CIT distinct-color tee
Step 4 — Set retail pricing
The default profit recommendation is $10 per item, which puts a $19.88 VIP-base tee at $30 retail. Most overnight camps land in the $10 to $15 profit range per item, with hoodies and crewnecks at the high end and tees at the low end.
The camp keeps the markup between VIP base and retail on every piece. Payments process through the platform, payouts arrive on a regular cadence. The camp does not hold inventory, does not pack boxes, and does not deal with returns for size swaps. All of that runs through the platform.
Step 5 — Link from the parent portal
Most camps run a parent portal that includes session schedule, packing list, deposit balance, and update photos. Add the camp store link to the portal navigation. The link should also appear in the welcome email, the mid-session update email, and the closing-day parent letter.
The camp can also push the link in the camp newsletter and the camp Instagram. Every touchpoint where parents already engage is a touchpoint for the store.
Set Up Your Overnight Camp Store
Upload the camp logo, pick the lineup, set retail. The store goes live the same day. Zero inventory, US printing, free shipping.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
How long does setup actually take?
A standard twelve-product lineup with logo and pricing set is usually live in two to three hours. Add another day for testing the parent portal link.
Does the camp pay for the products that do not sell?
No. Print on demand means the camp pays nothing until a parent or camper places an order. Unsold products carry zero cost.
Can the camp hand the store over to a counselor or office manager?
Yes. The shop admin can have multiple logins. Many camps delegate day-to-day store management to a head counselor or the camp office manager.
What happens with orders after a parent checks out?
The order ships directly to the parent address with free US shipping. The camp does not pack, ship, or handle returns. The platform handles fulfillment end to end.
