What Do I Need to Go Camping?

The novice camper may think: Ah, the great outdoors! Sun, fresh air, pristine lakes, cloudless nights peppered with an endless array of stars, occasional wildlife sightings, home-cooked campfire meals, being one with nature... What could be better? If you are unprepared, though, sometime during or after the great camping trip this dreamy soliloquy could turn into a desperate litany of sunburn, hay fever swimmer's ear, second degree burns, bug bites & raccoon thievery.

So, how does one prepare for a camping trip, especially with kids or dogs in tow? Let's start with the basics, your equipment, the essential camping gear that keeps you out of the cold, bug-ridden, possibly rain drenched night.

Tents

Depending on how many people will be staying in the tent with you, you really don't want to spend more than somewhere between $100 and $200 dollars on a tent until after you know how you and your family take to camping. A tent can be a very claustrophobic experience for all campers, but especially for children who are not used to living with others in such close, confining quarters. You will want to be able to fully sit up in your tent, have plenty of room for at least two air mattresses, and hanging side pockets to save room and your essentials, (glasses, contact cases, asthma inhalers, etc.,) a mini-flashlight should be in at least one of your side pockets, as well.

Your tent should be easy to set up, you should set it up indoors, (room permitting,) or in the backyard before you go camping. If you are able to set it up in your backyard, practice setting it up in the dark. Sometimes you will get to your camping destination long after the sun has set through no fault of your own. It is nice to know how long it will take to set your tent up and if you will be able to do it by yourself or if you'll need another adult to help you. If you set it up inside this might be a nice chance to get the kids used to sleeping in the tent, have an indoor camping night! You will want a tent with ease of use, one you can set up with two or less adults and the kids can zip and unzip themselves.

Your tent should come with a base tarp and a rain flap that draws rain away from the entrance. If it doesn't have a base tarp and your heart is set on this particular tent you will have to buy a tarp to place underneath your tent. There should be at least a two foot clearance of tarp around all sides of your tent. This helps to keep dirt and moisture out of your tent and it adds another layer between you and the cold hard ground. The rain flap draws rain away from your tent and adds another layer of protection between you and the creepy crawlies and biting varieties of bugs, it's not necessary to use the rain flap, (usually rain flaps block the view of the stars,) but it is a necessity to bring along in case of bad weather or particularly persistent mosquitoes.

Sleeping Bags

It's funny. Those nights at home in the summer when you are so hot you can't even sleep without running a tub of cold water and taking a dip seem to <never> happen when you are camping. Every time I've gone camping I have either ran out to the car for more blankets after thinking during our 90 degree day that, “Gee, it cannot possible get too cool tonight, we'll be fine,” or when I was younger and less prepared, spending most the night miserable and asking my mate, “Are you still awake? I can't feel my toes, why don't we just pack up and go home...” A general rule of thumb when camping is that: A. It will be cold. Unseasonably cold, when it's time to go to sleep. B. You can never have enough blankets or a warm enough sleeping bag.

There are a few different basic kinds of sleeping bags. The rectangular sleeping bag we all remember from our childhood is a basic bag and generally perfect for a families yearly summer camping trip. The come adorned in many different cartoon characters, colors, and styles. A serious perk with the basic rectangular sleeping bag is that you can zip two of them together and create a double-sized sleeping bag perfect for a couple or the kids to cozy on into. Sometimes for kids it's best just to chose bright, fun colors rather than a cartoon character, they'll usually outgrow the character before they outgrow the bag, but that's just my own personal opinion. A drawback of the rectangular sleeping bag is the heat loss that incurs when tossing and turning. It also takes more body heat to warm up the traditional rectangular sleeping bag than the others listed below.

The next bag I'll introduce you to is something called the Mummy bag. I'm kind of a claustrophobic sleeper, so I don't really care for the mummy bag as much as the rectangular bags. They are <much> warmer than the traditional rectangular bags, so if you're planning on camping off-season, they are a definite option for you. Personally, I prefer to just add more blankets, but if you are a backpacker it has the advantage of rolling up into a smaller space and weighing less than a conventional rectangular sized sleeping bag. It heats up with less body heat than the traditional bag, as well, but you cannot zip it together with another mummy bag to create a double size, so cuddling with your partner may prove to be impossible once you've bedded down for the night.

Barrel bags are mummy bags with extra room in the stomach area, (mummy bags are pretty narrow,) and a pretty good compromise for someone with a little extra girth. They weigh less than the traditional bags, again, and are better for backpackers if you cannot fit into the mummy style.

Tapered bags are somewhere between the traditional rectangular sleeping bag and the mummy. Like the traditional sleeping bag, the tapered bag can be attached to a second tapered bag with the same kind of zipper. They allow some extra room for your tootsies than the mummy bag and the require less body heat to warm them up. If I absolutely had to, I would buy two and zip them together, just to give myself some extra room for extremely close quarters partner cuddling. If nothing else y'all will feel cozy.

There are add-ons you can get for sleeping bags called bivy sacks and overbags. Usually water-proof, bivy sacks are used when one wants to forgo the traditional tent and sleeping bag and sleep directly under the stars, in conjunction with a traditional sleeping bag in very wet conditions, or in extremely cold weather. Overbags are also a must-have for winter weather camping, but can be used without a sleeping bag in extremely hot conditions, as well. They also supplement the waterproofing designs of traditional sleeping bags. In extreme cold weather camping you might want to get a hood for your sleeping bag, as well. Fifty percent of your body heat is lost through your head and this will cut down on your heat loss drastically.

Ground Pads and Sleeping Pads

Basically the same thing, this is just a (generally) thin foam pad that adds another layer of warmth and comfort between you, the bottom of your tent, the tarp and the ground. Usually I use air mattresses, so I forgo this extra layer. However, with how cold it's been in recent years at night while I'm camping, I am thinking about buying a couple for next year. It is not a lot of money and it really does add some extra padding and warmth.

Air Mattresses and the Battery Pump

Ah, now this is camping with a capital C for comfort. I recommend a battery operated pump for your air mattresses, hand pumping them takes an awful lot of time and if you blow them up yourselves, well, you probably will pass out unless your a marathon runner with the stamina of a bear. Buy the best quality you can afford. Tell the kids not to jump on them, don't use scissors or any pointy objects around them and they'll last for years to come. Obviously if you are a backpacker this isn't an option for you, but if you are camping with children buying an extra twin air mattress for them gives you and your partner your own space in the tent. Make sure your air mattresses are filled up completely for full comfort, but don't over-fill them, the tension could cause them to pop.

Blankets Sheets and Pillows

Again, the layering effect works well for creating extra warmth and comfort. I usually prefer to bring at least one blanket and sheet per person camping. Some people buy foam pillows to prevent mucking up their nice “house pillows” while camping, but since I like my own pillows better I just bring those. What we usually do is pitch the tent, pump up the air mattresses, then nest the camping bags, blankets & sheets over the air mattresses. Top with a few pillows from home and you almost forget you are camping, it's that comfortable.

This should get you in pretty good shape for the night. It's best to fully dress for bed, (long johns, a long night gown, t-shirt & sweats,) whatever works best for you. Wearing a woolly hat to bed isn't too bad of an idea, either, since you lose so much of your body heat through the head. Stay tuned for my next article: What Do I Need to Go Camping?: Essential Cooking Gear; Packing Food Kids Love to Eat.