First and most you need a tent.
Tents keep you protected from the outdoor elements. Sure you can sleep
under the stars but that off chance that it rains then what do you do? When choosing
a tent the first thing you should
consider is how big a tent do you
need? Is a two person A-Frame tent

going to be enough room for you or do you need a 3 cabin family tent.
The next thing to consider is the quality of the tent. Last
thing you need is to spend hundreds of dollars on a tent that
isn’t weather proof. You want to look for tents that have some form of weather
protection like StormShield®
or WeatherTec™.
Tents that
have these properties guarantee to be weather tight keeping you protected from
the elements. The last feature you want to look at is cost. Can you spend $500
on a top of the line tent or can you only afford $200. There is a tent for every
budget.



The next items you need to consider are sleeping bags.
The major factor to sleeping bags
is the temperature rating. Do you need a below zero
sleeping bag or are you camping in the middle of the summer and only need a
light
weight bag. There are a few styles that you can go with. In the summer you
are probably going to overheat inside a mummy bag
but in the winter will a full size regular
style bag work for you? Depending on where and when you will be camping
then this becomes a big decision. Next you should consider the size and the
weight. If you’re just going to drop and camp at a campground then this doesn’t
matter so much but if you’re backpacking in the
middle of nowhere then you might need a lightweight bag. Last you should think
about the quality of the bag. Do you want one made of cloth or one made of
polyester and nylon? All of these need to be considered when choosing sleeping bags.



This one is not so much of a necessity but rather a luxury.
Do you really want to sleep on the ground or would you rather sleep on a camping
mattress, cot or sleeping pad.
Sure sleeping on the ground makes it feel more rugged but today many people are
caving in and going towards comfort. Coming from experience, if it does happen
to rain sleeping right on the ground makes your night miserable since rain
tends to travel right under tents
and can create moisture on the bottom of the tent which then seeps through your sleeping bag.
A mattress

is a good solution of traveling with loved ones since they come in sizes large
enough for 2 people. If you are alone then you might consider a cot. Cots are
generally easy to set up and keep your body supported up to 2 feet off the
ground. Sleeping
pads are the cheap solution. They are typically just a roll of foam that
goes between your sleeping bag
and the ground.



Now that you survived the night you should think about cooking. Are you going to cook
right on an open fire or would you rather prefer a camping stove? Most stoves are propane or

butane
fueled. If you plan on cooking anything elaborate you might consider a 2 or 3 burner
stove. Next you should consider cookware. You
don’t want to bring your pots and pans
from home since they could get damaged and become useless. There are pots and pans
designed specifically for cooking outside. You might also consider a griddle for
cooking larger items like bacon or sausages for breakfast. And last you can’t
forget coffee.
There are some really nice coffee
makers that can sit right on the fire or your nice cooking stove.



Now that you’re ready to go camping you should think about
how you’re going to store all this nice food that you brought. You probably
shouldn’t leave meat and milk sitting in the car for 2 days or your trip might
just turn into a hospital visit. Depending on the length of time camping and
the temperature outside there are a few choices that you have. If you have to
move your cooler
any distance to your campsite then you might consider a cooler with wheels.
If you plan to stay outside for multiple days you might want an extreme cooler
that can last outside for up to 5 days without having to continually pack it
with ice.

Last you should consider where are you going to sit when
your outside telling stories around the campfire with you family. Are you going
to sit on a log or do you want a nice folding chair.
These chairs are lightweight and provide a good amount of comfort. The only
thing you need to think about is how complex you want your chair to be. Do you
want a full
recliner with a head rest or just a basic
seat with no back and no armrests?



Now you are ready to experience the great outdoors.