Any good sites for someone that would like to go camping for the first time?

Question

What are the essentials that I would need. Does anyone know any good books or sites?

Answer 1

It really depends when and where you're going and the preparedness and skill of the people going with you. But for starters we'll assume a tent, sleeping bag, dining utensils will be provided. You don't want to bring too much stuff, so a small duffel bag is much better than a suitcase which will mark you as a newbie right off. It can also double as your pillow keeping you from being one of those people who try to bring their favorite pillow camping.

I don't know if you have an REI or EMS store nearby but they both stock everything I'll mention?

For clothes you'll want to bring zip-off convertible nylon pants. Maybe two pairs. You can zip them off and swim in the shorts and they'll dry right away. Get a darker color so they don't show the dirt, but can be washed and dried in a few hours.

As for shirts, you'll want to go synthetic, probably a button up collared shirt, but a synthetic T-shirt is good for a second shirt. Or two of each if you're staying longer, just for fashion sake because you can wash and dry those in a few hours as well.

As for shoes you do not need boots of any sort no matter what anyone says. Regular running/cross training/light hiking shoes with laces will be fine for any type of hiking.

You might also want to bring Teva sandals for water activities. And clogs or flip flops for around camp shoes.

A windbreaker jacket is your first protective layer over your shirt if it's cold or wet. You could also bring windbreaker pants.

If it's cold in the evenings you might want a puffy jacket or a puffy vest or if it's all you have a fleece jacket will suffice, but isn't as warm as puffy. You don't need gore-tex for anything.

If it might rain you could bring a small umbrella or buy a poncho, either a cheap plastic PVC from Wal-Mart or the more expensive but much tougher coated nylon. You never know when it will rain in the mountains. http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores...

Other items:

flashlight
bug spray (Deep Woods Off)
baseball cap
bandanna
sunglasses
small daypack for hikes
Gatorade bottles for water (no need for expensive heavy bottles)
emergency whistle

Other tips:

Don't wander off
Watch out for wild animals, rattlesnakes under logs, bears
The most important thing to remember is respect, for the people who've invited you camping, and for the woods they're introducing you to. Do not litter, do not deface or destroy nature or bridges or buildings in the woods. Don't touch other people's stuff without asking. Don't assume if you find something laying around it's been abandoned. Keep quiet, keep your fires small, your cars driving slow, use whatever rest rooms they have or bury your waste. Carry out anything your bring in.

Answer 2

My experience is year-round hiking camping and backpacking so I have always been concerned with versatility, value and durability, as well as multi-functional and lightweight.

There are a few essentials that you will need.

Shelter: This could be a tent, a bivy, a tarp, a hammock. Some require ground cover. Some require a mosquito net if you are dealing with bugs.

Sleeping gear: You want something that is comfortable for the time of year and your personal comfort. The temp rating that is listed for sleeping bags is almost always a SURVIVAL rating, so if you sleep cold, boost up to a colder-weather bag than the temps you anticipate. Poofy, quilted sleeping bags, as opposed to the fleece liners, are either synthetic or down. Down is lighter but less durable, and useless for heat retention if it gets wet. Synthetics keep their warmth when wet, and are cheaper and easier to clean, but they are bulkier and heavier. Sleeping bags also come in different sizes. You want your bag to fit you. Compact, ultralight sleeping bags for racing, biking, or hiking are often smaller than ordinary bags that you would car camp with. So watch those dimensions if you are a big person.

In warm weather you may not need a sleeping bag, maybe a sheet or a light blanket. If you are car camping in a tent, you can just bring a warm bedroll from home that you fashion into a taco and sleep inside of it. You won't be as warm if you aren't zipped in.

Rain gear is essential, no matter what you predict for weather. You can only spend so long in your tent if it rains and sometimes there is stuff you have to do even in the rain. You can choose a poncho, with or without a rainsuit, to keep you and your gear dry. Poncho is an awesome extra piece to have if you need extra help with your shelter, or if you want your pack protected while you hike in the rain. Rain gear is also good even in nice weather, because it is usually a good windbreaker and can help you stay warm.

You freely admit that you don't have many skills in this area, so your safest bet is to make sure that someone is with you who is very capable of taking charge in a dangerous situation. You want someone who knows how to administer first aid, handle different weather situations, make and manage fire, cook, avoid dangerous wildlife and plants, and navigate if you are hiking...and a very important skill is knowing when to give up on an adventure to get extra help, get out of the weather, or keep group members from killing each other. As well as knowing HOW to get that done if you are dealing with weather, injuries, or bad morale.

You want to make sure that between you and your group members you have enough food, water, way to purify water if you need that...as well as matches, lighter or firestarter, compass, first aid kit, appropriate clothing for everyone, batteries, flashlights, a signalling device in case of trouble (whistle, mirror, etc.), and a good knife or multi-tool with a good blade.

Try not to overstuff your bags for this with all kinds of "just in case" stuff. There is a certain amount of essential stuff that you hope you don't need but you want in case you do. There is a lot of stuff we think would be fun to have in the wilderness but it really detracts from the experience. Books, magazines, card games, etc. Try to bring fun stuff that is nature related like star charts, bird guides, etc so you can explore new things that you can't do at home.

Last thing is to make sure you make reservations well in advance if you are going on a big weekend. Make sure you have permission to be where you are...right park, right campsite, not private property, not protected land. Don't overcamp the site with too many people, clean up behind yourself, and pay honestly for the privilege of being there. Camping permits pay to keep those places nice so you can enjoy them again.

Have fun, camping is awesome.

Answer 3

try the campgrounds of america, it is probably koa.com but if it is not there then do a google search of campgrounds of america, they should be able to provide you with the info. your looking for. Essentially you would want water, non perishable food, flashlights, blankets, tents, etc... depending on how long and where your camping at.