Going camping with my bf for the first time, what do I need?

Question

I haven't gone camping since I was about 12, so I have absoultely no camping gear, unless you count my princess sleeping bag that will probably go to my waist.

He has no camping gear either, because he just moved out and everything he had was his parents.

So we're going shopping for all new stuff, stuff thats really strong and durable so they will last for a long long time. Price isn't important to us at all..

If you have any camping gear that you absolutely love, give us a link to the store name.

Most likely we'll be shoppping at target/walmart/academy

We need a checklist to make sure we don't forget anything, because once we go, we're going for a week, and were not coming back for anything. And we're camping in the middle of now where, so we can't go buy anything.

Anything helps, we don't mind long lists!

Thank you very much for your time!

Answer 1

Hmmm, having been on 8 camping trips and 7 international voyages, I think I know a little bit about packing and traveling prepared. For camping, try this:

2 Large Backpacks (preferably with internal/padded frames), 1 Medium sized plastic cooler (keep stuff cold in, hopefully with a lockable lid)
1 4 - 6 person tent (always better to have a little extra room, preferably the kind you throw and it sets itself up)
2 sleeping bags and a piece of 3" foam cut to cover 90% of the floor of your tent, kept rolled until needed
2 Small water bottles (500 ml 1 for each of you) and 1 large (4 L for extra water) & enough food for your whole trip + 3 days ) fill up your water bottles as often as you can...
1 Coleman camping stove and 3 bottles of gas
1 small pot, a hand grill, and a small frying pan and soap & a plastic scrubby to clean them with
Spatula, wooden spoon, 2 sporks, 2 unbreakable cups, 2 eating knives, ladle, 2 bowls, 2 plates
2 Decent sized knives and 1 small axe
2 BBQ lighters (better than matches and always waterproof)
20 Metres of good quality yellow rope + 5 carabiners
20 metres of string in a ball and a package of balloons - red preferred, better than a flare gun to get noticed in case of trouble, uses gas from the coleman to stay aloft)
Maps of everywhere you are going + Full cell phone coverage for your cell phone. Compass and 2 hand held mirrors. Pocket multi-tool & a sewing kit with some heavy duty thread included
3 flashlights (2 small plastic, 1 heavy 3 battery MAG-Lite... it's a defensive weapon too)
Hiking boots, 3 pairs of socks (each), underwear, flip flops, bathing suits, t-shirts, a warm sweater/sweatshirt, long pants (cargo style is best with leg pockets - 1 pr), shorts, waterproof hats (Tilley brand recommended - lifetime guarantee), windbreaker and a waterproof poncho in a bright colour, not green
1 bottle of Woolite (clean your clothes at least once and hang them overnight to dry)
Sunglasses, sunblock, new first aid kit (x2), whistles (x2), air horn (x1), Insect repellant, bottle of Aloe Vera, bottle of extra strength tylenol
Small notepad, 2 pens & 2 pencils with erasers
Digital camera & extra batteries kept in plastic baggie (in case of water dunking).. in fact put everything in plastic bags inside backpack, just in case) Plastic bags can also be used to leave garbage in...
Toilet paper (at least 4 rolls) amazing how useful this stuff is when you are camping... Personal toiletries
About $200 in cash or traveler's cheques in case of emergencies
Optional: Small portable lantern, reading books, citronella candles, condoms, chewing gum, mp3 player, tiger balm

***Most importantly... tell at least 3 people who are not going with you, where you are going, how long you expect to be there, and when you will be coming back!! Give them your cell phone number, a recent picture, your vehicle info, travel plans... anything so that others can find you if something happens to you! But tell them they are not to call more than once unless you are more than 48 hrs overdue! Relatives are good, park personnel are very good. Local police authorities are best!

You should be ready for just about anything with this amount of stuff. Oh and keep an inventory of it all and mark anything personal and important to you so you will always know it's yours...

Answer 2

The best advice I can give for people starting out camping is to borrow or rent a tent, make due with what you already have at home (sleeping bags and blankets instead of mummy bags, camp fire grill instead of camp stove, etc), and only buy the absolute essentials. After that first trip you'll discover whether you even like camping, what gear worked or didn't and have a better idea of the level of comfort you want in the outdoors. For some people this will mean next time staying in a hotel or going in a recreational vehicle, while other people might want to take up backpacking, which requires a somewhat different set of equipment.

My top 10 list of basics for first time car camping:
1. Rain gear: PVC or coated nylon poncho
2. Tent, plastic ground sheet, stakes, mallet
3. Sleeping bags & blankets
4. Foam sleeping pad(s) but not air mattresses
5. Camp stove or small BBQ (or wood as required), lighter, utensils, knife, cups, plates, can opener, paper towels, etc.
6. Cooler, full of ice and perishable food, drinks
7. Bug spray, with DEET
http://www.rei.com/product/730353
8. Sunscreen, hat
9. First Aid Kit
10. Flashlight, spare batteries

Answer 3

The two most important things are how to cook meals and where will you sleep. If those two things are covered you will have enough to get by. Everything else is for convenience or extra comfort. Flashlights and extra batteries will prevent stumbling in the dark. Bring 50% more food than you expect to need. You will be surprised how much you will eat. The best places for gear are L.L. Bean, Campmor and Cabella's. All three ship UPS and have websites. L.L. Bean has the best guarantee anywhere. I would go for a weekend at a campground before setting out for a week in the wilderness. If camping for a week you will have to have something to do. A deck of cards, or a thick book can delay boredom. Have fun and stay dry.

Answer 4

To get a good solid answer it would help to list if you are car, kayak/canoe or hiking camping. The general geographical area and time of year. If you are hiking you will not find anything at Walmart etc. You'll need to go online and find light weight gear, your pack should be under 40lbs max without water. During the summer you should have a gallon of water per person per day during the summer. 2 people 6 days = 12 gallons of water which is roughly 100 pounds. If you post a little more info you should get a few quality replies. Good luck camping is it fun and rewarding. It might be wise to do a couple weekend shake down trips, before doing a week long one. Trust me I,ve learned allot of things the hard way.

Answer 5

Looks like you two greensticks have enough lists so won't throw more stuff at you to buy. But I wouldn't suggest buying the important stuff at target/walmart/academy. Walmart tents are for back yard camping, get a good 3 season tent. Remember you get what you pay for. I like to do my outdoor gear shoping at local outdoor shops and get brand name gear like mounain hardware or north face.

I have also found some really good outdoor gear at my local army supply store.

Answer 6

1) Appropriate medication/first aid.
2) Allergic/anti itch gel - as you know there will be mosquitoes, ants & cockroach in the jungle.
3) Drinking Water - just in case... (people can survive without eating, but can't without liquid/drinking)
4) Lighter
5) Flash light
6) Pocket knife - usually comes in a set with scissors, opener and other stuff
7) Canned Food & chocolate (sometimes when your stomach is hurt/gestric pain or very hungry but no time to eat, chocolate is the best to calm your stomach)
8) Map & Ropes
9) Compass
10) Bible

Have a happy & safe camping ^_^

Answer 7

What you wanna bring is firewood, tents, hiking gear, and possibly a flashlight. [and NO electronics [like TV, Portable DVD Player, PSP, etc.] because you don't wanna miss out on all the sites.

P.S. NEVER overload your backpack and bring food and water.

Answer 8

shelter (tent, tarp, poncho), light, food, water, fire, sleeping bag