I know getting started camping can be an overwhelming experience with the tons of different specialty gear crowding your local sporting goods store. This guide will take some of the confusion out of the process and identify the essentials needed to begin camping with family and friends. Don’t worry…to get started, you do not need a $700 mountaineering tent designed for surviving Everest despite what Joey, the sales representative from the store, says. The stuff in this list is all you need to bring the family camping this summer.
- Tent
The tent is arguably the most important piece of equipment you need to begin camping. A good tent will protect you from rain and keep you cozy at night. The type of tent you decide to buy should be based on the season you plan on camping, how many people need to fit, will you be “car camping” or backpacking, and most importantly your budget. The majority of new campers will be camping in the summer, so you would not need an expensive four season tent. Additionally, most people will start off “car camping” which means you drive to a campground, reserve you campsite, and pull your car right up to that campsite and begin setting up camp. Therefore, we will focus on larger family tents which do not have to be light weight and hence they will be more inexpensive and roomy than backpacking style tents.
This tent is a large family style tent that sleeps 6 (which means 4 comfortably) and is manufactured by a reputable brand. At time of writing, it costs under $200 on Amazon:
ALPS Mountaineering Camp Creek 6 Person Tent
Here is a very similar tent by Coleman that is also under $200 and is BIG:
COLEMAN Waterproof 6 Person Instant Tent
For those that want something smaller and lighter, here is a really nice 4 person tent:
ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 4 Person Tent
This is the largest tent on the list that is nice for a large family:
2. Sleeping Bags
A sleeping bag is another important piece of equipment and picking the right one will ensure your comfort in the great outdoors. There are a wide range of styles and temperature ratings. I usually try to aim for a temperature rating that is more extreme than I plan to encounter…it is easy to unzip a bag if you are too warm, but there are no options if it is not warm enough (besides putting more layers on). There are shape choices of rectangular or mummy style sleeping bags. Generally, Rectangular bags are more comfortable than mummy style bags, but Mummy bags offer more warmth because they are more form fitting. I use a mummy style bag and find it very comfortable. Sleeping bags also come in different sizes and can be gender specific but usually all this means Men’s bags are slightly larger than Woman’s. Below I will list a few different styles and sizes that could be good options for you.
This is the mummy style sleeping bag both my wife and I use. We love this bag and the 15 degree rating is a good option for fall camping or when it is slightly colder at night.
My Wife’s bag:
Marmot Trestles 15 Women’s Cold-Weather Mummy Sleeping Bag, 15-Degree Rating
My Bag (I got this in the Long size because I am a larger guy):
Marmot Trestles 15 Long Cold-Weather Mummy Sleeping Bag, 15-Degree Rating
Here is a Rectangular style bag that is affordable and plenty warm for chillier nights:
Coleman Green Valley Cool Weather Adult Sleeping Bag
3. Air Mattress or sleep pad
Unless you want to “rough it” and sleep on the ground, you will need some sort of layer between you and the cold, rocky planet. If you have a larger tent, like the first 2 I recommended earlier in this article, you can use a regular air mattress (up to a queen size) that accepts a battery operated pump or manual pump. If you have a smaller tent or prefer not to use a air mattress for its size, there are sleeping pads specific to camping that are very comfortable, packable, and also add a thermal barrier between you and the ground.
If you decide an air mattress is best for you, make sure you do not get one with built in electric pump if your campsite does not have an electric hook up. When I use an air mattress, it has a basic inflation nozzle and I use a battery operated pump to inflate. Also, don’t spend a ton of money on one used for camping because in my experience they all fall apart after a few years….even the pricier ones. Here is an example of a cheap air mattress that includes the pump:
Intex Prestige Downy Airbed Kit with Hand Held Battery Pump, Queen
Here is an example of a Therm-a-rest individual sleeping pad that is used by both car campers and backpackers. This is what my Wife and I use (we each have our own since this is a individual pad). There are cheaper options, but this a robust brand that will last with heavy use:
Therm-a-Rest BaseCamp Self-Inflating Foam Camping Pad, Regular – 20 x 72 Inches
4. Camp Kitchen..Because you need to Eat!
As you can see from the above picture, when staying at campground site there is usually a fire pit with a metal grate you can cook over an open flame. All you need is some firewood or Charcoal and aluminum foil. However, sometimes Camp cooking requires some refinement which requires more equipment. My family and friends go pretty big with meals while camping, some might argue it borders on “Glamping” extravagance. There a few key things you may want to bring with you to make your camping experience more enjoyable.
- Camp stove– This one runs on small portable propane tanks (you can buy these tanks at any outdoor store or Walmart. I don’t believe Amazon ships the tanks for safety reasons). I use it and it works fine for most cooking. Coleman Classic Propane Stove
- Cookware-Bring some pots and pans from home as well as utensils. If you prefer to save your nice cookware from the abuses of camp cooking, then a simple and compact cookset like this would be useful. 2 Liter Camping Cookware Mess Kit- 10 piece kit
- COFFEE– I like caffeine while camping…my parents NEED coffee and without it they will regress to a primitive state of evolution. This simple percolator pot works great with the Coleman stove. Stansport Aluminum Percolator Coffee Pot, 9 Cups
- Aluminum foil – this is the duct tape of camp cooking. Bring some.
5. Camp Furniture
Having somewhere, other than the tent, to rest is important to unwind after a long hike or drive. This website is called the Lazy Outdoorsman after all, we like to relax! The classic camp chair is always welcome in my campsite, but lately the hammock has been my new favorite. Hammocks these days are made out of parachute material that can support a lot of weight, is breathable, and can pack down into a small bag.
This chair is one I swear by and will bring on all camping adventures. I cannot tell you how many of the typical cheap folding camp chairs I have broken…way more than I care to admit. This chair has survived countless camping and hunting trips. If you are a larger person or just want a high quality product, this is the chair for you:
ALPS Mountaineering Camp Chair-Steel Blue
That brings me to the hammock. This is a great one that can hold 2 people with a weight capacity of 500lbs:
6. Gadgets/Misc. Gear
This is my favorite gear category since you can never have too many gadgets. Some of these are necessary, most are not. I will try to list a lot of things I always take with me on trips.
- Flashlight– My opinion is you should have more than one flashlight with you when you go camping or anytime you enter the woods. I have regular flashlights as well as headlamps for hands free operation. Here is a super bright LED flashlight that I use a lot, but it could be too much for some people: Nitecore P12 2015 Version 1000 Lumens Flashlight
- Headlamp– A headlamp is great when you want to be hands free for activities such as setting up a tent at night. This is the headlamp I use and have not had a problem: Petzl – TIKKA Headlamp, 200 Lumens
- Lantern– This will provide area lighting for inside your tent at night or when sitting around picnic table finishing dinner. I mainly use a battery operated model, but there are also propane lanterns that use the same propane tank at the Coleman stove. Here is a battery operated lantern: Coleman CPX 6 Rugged LED Lantern
- Water container– Most campsites have running water, but even if they do it is important to have way to collect it and use it efficiently. They make a large collapsable water container with a spigot that makes life at camp much easier. Obviously, you should also have individual bottles. This a perfect water container for camp: Coghlan’s Collapsible Water Container, 5-Gallon and for a personal water bottle you can’t beat these: Nalgene Tritan Wide Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle
- Cooler– Not much needs to be said about this, but if you car camping I recommend bringing a cooler for perishable food and it is nice to have cold drinks on stand by. You can go as cheap or as expensive as you want to, but this is a good all around cooler that isn’t too big and has wheels for moving around the campsite. Remember– If you are in Bear country, always store your cooler in your vehicle’s trunk to prevent any incidents. Plus many Park Rangers will fine you for a leaving a cooler or food unattended. Coleman Xtreme Series Wheeled Cooler, 50 Quart
- Lighter/Matches and Fire starter– If your area allows for campfires, don’t forget the lighter and some fire starters… you never know if the firewood is going to be damp and you will be embarrassed if you cannot start one. This makes it easy: Rutland 50B Safe Lite Fire Starter Squares, 144 Squares
- Multi-tool– These things do everything and are great to have with you. This one is highly reviewed on Amazon: Gerber Suspension Multi-Plier
- Knife – You don’t need a Rambo knife and if you bought a multi-tool listed above you might not need a stand alone knife. They are good to have for chores such as preparing dinner or opening that bundle of firewood you bought from the campstore…trust me that packaging is difficult to remove. I use both Fixed blades and Folding knives depending on the task. Fixed blade knives are easier to clean and are stronger, but they are larger therefore you will probably leave it in the bag. This is my fixed blade camp knife (which is in the picture above): Gerber Big Rock Camp Knife . This is a small folding knife that I clip to my pack so it is always around: Kershaw Shuffle Multifunction Pocket Knife (Note- observe local knife laws when carrying)
- Hatchet/Camp ax– If you plan on making a fire, it might be beneficial to split logs into kindling. There are many options out there, but for wood splitting this ax is highly reviewed: Fiskars X7 Hatchet 14 Inch
There is one more item you should consider getting before your camping trip, a useful First Aid kit. You can either build your own kit or sometimes it is more convenient to buy a pre-packaged kit. I keep one of these in my car, hunting bag, and with my camping equipment: Pac-Kit by First Aid Only . Enjoy your trip!
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David Marouchoc
12 Aug 2018Very informative.
John T Walker
24 Aug 2018Very informative like it
Tom Krug
27 Aug 2018Nicely written and very informative. Always appreciate a Gerber shout out.