Campers: come in.

[monkeygirl18]

Heres some basics for sleeping

We have this tent: www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-10-Person-3-Room-XL-Camping-Tent-20-x-11/1638630
This sleeping bag in queen size: www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-Oscine-30-Degree-Sleeping-Bag/13848665
This air mattress: www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-Queen-Double-High-Quickbed/16472401

Pretty much everything we have ( and it's alot) I got at either Walmart, amazon or target.

[Susie]

Do you have any outdoorsy friends or coworkers to borrow stuff from? Buying everything gets expensive, especially if you're not sure you're going to use it much.

We backpack, and borrowed a number of things at first as we got into it, to space out the spending.

[bjelle00]

We do a fair amount of camping and backpacking. I would recommend borrowing from friends or renting equipment from places like REI.

Just make sure you familiarize yourself with the equipment before you leave. My sister just went camping with friends without much prep and the trip was a disaster

[aurora]

I second Susie on the borrowing if at all possible. Although you can certainly get less expensive equipment on the cheap, spending a little bit more to get good stuff is totally worth it if you're going to keep doing it. So, you could for example buy sleeping bags now but try to borrow a tent, air mattress, and camping chairs (which to me are essential for enjoying that time around the camp fire).

For cookware - plan ahead and try to make something for which you need the fewest total pieces. You'll want something in which you can boil water (whether a kettle or pot). We actually just bring our regular cast iron skilllet - the same one we use in the kitchen at home - which works great over a camp fire. For a night or two it's super easy to plan food for which we can get by with that plus one pot.

Feel free to add more info if I've gotten this wrong or add follow-up questions. I love camping and I can't understand why so many people think it's crazy.

[mbcdefg]

I think our tent is from Target or Walmart.

Our cookware is just old junky pots and pans from home, so that if we ruin them it’s not a big deal. Our utensils are just dollar store-type stuff … tongs, spatula, knife, skewers, cutting board, eating utensils, a griddle pan, cups and plates, serving spoons. If you don’t have anything at home that you can afford to have messed up, go to a thrift store and see what you can find.

We’ve actually never used sleeping bags or an air mattress … we just bring whatever comforters we have at home and then layer them. Make sure to clear away any rocks or branches before you put up the tent. We also have a big tarp that we lay down on the ground before we put up our tent on top of it. And if it rains, don’t let your blankets/sleeping bags touch the edge of your tent or else they’ll get wet … we learned that the hard way. Bring a sweatshirt that you can wear to bed if necessary, and warm socks, too. If you’re bringing an air mattress, make sure the pump is fully charged beforehand … another thing we learned the hard way.

Bring several flashlights and lanterns (at least one light source should be hands-free, like a lantern), and make sure they all have fresh batteries. Chairs are a must.

Bring your food in a cooler, and pack it in Ziplock bags to throw away or Tupperware containers. It’s important not to leave food out or else it’ll attract animals and bugs. We prep whatever we can at home. If we bring corn on the cob or diced potatoes, we boil it at home because it takes forever to fully cook on a campfire.

MH got a lot better at building a fire after watching some YouTube videos.

Useful things to bring: aluminum foil, trash bags, cotton balls rubbed with Vaseline to start a fire, wet washcloths in a Ziplock, lots of dishrags, paper towels, potholders, sunscreen and bug repellent, extra batteries, ready-made sandwiches or snacks (in case it rains or your campfire doesn’t pan out), hammer, scissors, a lighter and matches in a Ziplock, can opener and bottle opener, water bucket, beach towels, salt and pepper, condiments, flip-flops and soap/shampoo for the shower, toilet paper, flushable bathroom wipes, extra sneakers and socks, some kind of entertainment (playing cards, Frisbee, a ball, books, etc.), aspirin, Neosporin and Band-Aids.

[monkeygirl18]

I agree with those who say try borrowing stuff first.

Dh loves camping and went often as a kid. Me, I had never been camping a day in my life. We borrowed gear the first time instead of buying it since I wasn't sure I was going to like it. Turns out I loved it! We then started slowly buying our own gear.

To date we've probably spent close to a grand in gear ( we've only been camping for the past 5 yrs and we go about three times a year).

[GilliC]

Borrowing is a very good idea, because if you enjoy it and do it more, you'll want good equipment, and it's better to save the money you'd spend on basic gear and put it towards good gear. We got a basic tent when we were first married, but it wasn't too much later that we needed something better/lighter, because we wanted to take it on an int'l trip, which meant dealing with luggage limits. After that, our original tent sat around barely used in the cellar.

Also, if you start with warm-weather camping, you don't need as much or as high-end equipment. For example, in warm weather, you need to worry as much about sleeping bags and can easily just used cotton sleeping bag liners and air mattresses. (Plus, we could re-use the bag liners when were staying at a questionable roadside motel in Africa and didn't trust the linen!)

[dutchgirl678]

I would also say try to borrow or rent stuff if you have never done it before and don't know if you'll like it. I saw people with a rented REI tent recently and thought that was very clever. Get a couple of camp chairs to sit around the fire. Get a smores stick . Bring some old pots and pans for making breakfast. We have a small gas stove that we bring that takes a small gas container to hook up to. Make some stuff ahead of time. Keep food simple. Hot dogs and baked beans or chili are a great camp meal as are hamburgers. A simple salad. Make oatmeal for breakfast with fresh fruit.

We have a queen size air mattress that we bought at Walmart and a pump that hooks up to the car to blow it up. Check how cold it gets at night to make sure you have sleeping bags that keep you warm.

[hz80408]

I agree on borrowing what you can.

Our basics for camping are: tent, sleeping bags, mini-weber grill, charcoal, lighter fluid, newspaper, tongs, jugs of water, flashlight, lighter, garbage bags, bug spray, papertowels, and aluminium foil baking trays.

We've never boiled water or taken pots/pans

[aurora]

Jul 27, 2012 13:22:04 GMT -5 hz80408 said:

I
We've never boiled water or taken pots/pans

Wow! I just love sipping my hot cocoa around a campfire at night so much that I can't imagine being without hot water.

[monkeygirl18]

Jul 27, 2012 15:56:53 GMT -5 aurora said:

Jul 27, 2012 13:22:04 GMT -5 hz80408 said:

I
We've never boiled water or taken pots/pans

Wow! I just love sipping my hot cocoa around a campfire at night so much that I can't imagine being without hot water.

I'm the same way with my morning coffee. It's instant which I'm not find of but it does the trick

[bjelle00]

Jul 27, 2012 13:22:04 GMT -5 hz80408 said:

We've never boiled water or taken pots/pans

DH wants to know the longest you've camped for? He's sitting here in disbelief

[basilosaurus]

Do you have outdoor rec where you are? We've rented equipment from them before.

[peachdragon]

Here is my organized list of items to take tent camping. Before the baby came along, we went at least once a summer.


Chuck Box Items
• aluminum foil
• butane lighter
• can opener
• coffee
• Catsup and Mustard
• cooking oil
• cork screw
• cutting board
• dish rags and scrubber
• dish soap
• dish towels
• French press
• hand wipes
• hot dog sticks – for s’mores
• kettle
• knives
• Lysol disinfectant
• paper towel (2-3)
• plastic grocery bags
• plastic trash bags
• Plate, bowl, cup, knife, fork, and spoon for each camper
• potato peeler
• salt and pepper
• table cloth
• table cloth clips
• tongs
• metal spatula
• zip lock / freezer bags

Survival box
• axe
• bug spray
• bungee cords
• clothes pins and line
• compass
• flashlight
• Hammer/mallet
• knife
• lantern
• matches / lighter
• newspaper/lighter fluid
• rain poncho
• rope
• toilet paper
• saw
First Aid Kit
• antiseptic cream
• aspirin, Tylenol
• bandages
• burn ointment
• elastic wrap
• eye wash
• hydrogen peroxide
• medical tape
• personal medication
• sanitary napkins
• scissors
• snake bite kit
• sterile gauze
• sunburn lotion
• tweezers

Cleaning Items
• 2 dish pans/buckets
• Rubber gloves
• whisk broom and dust pan

Miscellaneous Items
• backpack
• beach towel
• camera
• camp shovel
• cards, games
• cell phone
• citronella candles
• door mat
• duct tape
• extension cord
• ladder golf
• oscillating fan
• pen and paper
• sun block
• umbrella
• water bottle


Personal Hygiene
• chapstick
• comb/brush
• conditioner
• nail clippers
• razor
• shampoo
• soap
• tooth brush
• tooth paste
• towel(s)
• wash rag(s)

Clothes
• bandana
• flip flops/clogs (shower)
• gloves
• beach hat/cap
• jeans/pants
• laundry bag
• long underwear
• sandals
• shoes/boots
• shorts
• socks
• sunglasses
• sweater / sweatshirt
• swim suit
• t-shirts
• underwear

Bedding essentials
• Aerobed
• books
• comforter for dog
• electric blanket
• pillow
• sleeping bag
• tarp
• tent


Cooking Essentials
• 2 coolers – one large, one small
• camp stove
• Coffee Mugs (thermoses)
• Dutch oven
• folding chairs
• folding table
• grill brush
• Lodge pan
• Pots and pans
• Work gloves

[definitelyO]

Also consider where you'll be camping and what the overnight lows are. That will make a difference between a cheaper 25* bag and the more expensive -25* sleeping bag. We've bought all our equipment such as tent and sleeping bags at REI. we won't skimp on that. air mattresses are great or you can use a therarest (like a yoga mat) as well. We keep a rubbermaid container packed with all our camping gear like listed above (pots/pans/utensils, etc..)

have fun - we love it and go several times a summer. not this year due to dry conditions and fire bans across most of the state

[hz80408]

Jul 28, 2012 3:54:04 GMT -5 bjelle00 said:

Jul 27, 2012 13:22:04 GMT -5 hz80408 said:

We've never boiled water or taken pots/pans

DH wants to know the longest you've camped for? He's sitting here in disbelief

Haha, just 2 nights at a time.

Although my H happens to be very picky, so perhaps this is why we've never used them? Lol