Families or friends looking for an inexpensive, enjoyable vacation idea often turn to camping. You'll enjoy new scenery, get in touch with your inner kid and bond with your own children hiking, roasting marshmallows and splashing in mountain streams. Camping equipment doesn't need to be fancy. You can borrow or assemble from home everything you need for a car camping trip. If you decide you enjoy camping, you can gradually collect everything you need for a comfortable trip.
Tent or Shelter
The tent should be large enough for everyone in your party to spread out a sleeping bag, with room to move around. It should have a floor and be equipped with a rain fly, which is a separate piece that amounts above the tent to keep off the rain. Practice setting up the tent before you set out on your trip. Modern dome tents have collapsible poles held together by shock cords that go up easily, but even an old Army pup tent will work well. You can also tent in a truck camper, camping trailer, van or even in the back of a car or truck, as long as you have shelter from rain and comfortable place to stretch out to sleep.
Sleeping Bag or Bedroll
A sleeping bag needs to be long enough to stretch out in and warm enough for the weather in which you're camping. For a summer camping expedition, you can also use a bedroll. Spread out a quilt or blanket and add a sheet. Fold this into a sleeping-bag shaped tube, then roll up. Add a pillow and you're ready to go.
Cooking Utensils
You can buy special camp sets, but pots and pans from home work well too. A skillets and a saucepan or two, plus a coffee pot or something in which you can boil water for instant coffee, should suffice.
Eating Utensils
Plastic plates, cups and bowls work well for camping. This is the time to haul out the plastic souvenir drink cups. Pack a set of flatware for each person and a few extra spoons, forks and knives for cooking. You can also use disposable utensils, but this makes for a lot more trash to haul out of camp.
Camp Stove
While you can cook on a campfire, it takes a long time for the fire to reach the point where you can actually cook on it, and if it rains or there's a fire ban in effect where you want to camp, you're out of luck. Better to borrow or buy a gas camping stove. Take along a couple of fuel cylinders. A small, portable grill can be used in a pinch for cooking. Don't forget matches or a lighter.
Water
Even if you're camping in a developed campground, you'll need something to store water in at camp. Clean gallon milk jugs work fine. If you plan to hike, take some water bottles or canteens to carry with you.
Food
Keep meals simple. Boxed dinners, sandwiches, cereal and eggs or grilled burgers and hot dogs make good camping fare. Keep cold foods cold in a cooler with ice. Protect your food from varmints by storing it in the car at night. If you're camping in an area with bears, store the food away from your tent.
Light
A flashlight or headlamp will help you set up a tent in the dark or make a midnight trip to the bathroom. A headlamp frees your hands, but a good flashlight will work, too. You might also like a camping lantern for extra light at the campsite. If you pack a lantern, be sure to bring extra fuel and mantels.
First Aid Kit
Accidents happen, so pack a basic first aid kit with bandages, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, a pain reliever such as acetaminophen, antacid and an anti-diarrhea medication.
Extras
Trash bags come in handy not only for bagging your trash but as emergency rain ponchos and protective covering for gear. Sunscreen and insect repellent will keep bugs or sunburn from ruining your trip. Dish soap, toiletries, towels, rope for stringing a clothesline and lawn chairs also add to camping comfort.
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