What camping gear does a beginner need to go camping?

Days spent camping, like most days, involve three basic steps. Activities (in the case with camping it's what you are doing for fun), eating, and sleeping. We'll cover these in reverse order.

Sleeping - In order to camp, you need to decide what venue you will use for sleeping. Will there be a cabin, motor home (or similar), tent, or just "roughing it" outdoors. Most campers just use a tent. Make sure to do some investigation into the weather conditions for the period you will be camping in order to make sure you get a tent suited for rain if necessary. Also, temperature determines how much bedding you need. Very common sleeping gear for a simple camping trip is a tent big enough to hold all the campers, one sleeping bag and one pillow per camper. Some who are too used to cushy urban lifestyles and comfortable beds will bring air mattresses that use car power outlets to fill it. This next point will be repeated, camping is most enjoyable when things are kept simple. Over packing unnecessary items takes away from the simple pleasure of being outdoors and away from city life.

Eating - If possible, it's a good idea to get an idea what sort of amenities will be available to you at your camping location. Assuming you choose some sort of outdoor venue (not a cabin or motor home, etc), there may or may not be a fire pit/grill available for cooking. There also may be rules against using open fires at your campsite. If you are unsure, it's a smart move to bring a small portable barbecue that uses charcoal. If you know for certain that there will be a firepit, grill, and some tender to make a fire, then the barbecue is not necessary. You can also take the option of simply eating cold premade food on your trip. For cooked food, simple again is best. Premade hamburgers, hot dogs, or canned food is the way to go. Bringing sandwiches with you is a very tasty solution as well. Regardless of what venue you are choosing for camping (unless you have a refrigerator for some reason), you'll need an ice chest with ice. Stock your ice chest with enough food for the trip and cover with ice. Keep in mind that depending on temperature and location your ice will last at most a couple days, after that you'll either need to get more ice or rely on dry food if you plan on staying longer. After deciding what food to bring, you have to pack what you need to eat it. Assuming you choose common easy to make food, basic silverware, paper plates with holders, and maybe bowls should do the trick. Bring very few pots or pans as necessary. Bring drinks (soda, juice, alcohol, etc) as desired, but unless you are certain you'll have a clean water supply, providing your own water is a must.

Activities - Many great camping activities require very little to no gear. Swimming, hiking, sightseeing, etc are all things you can do without bringing anything special along with you. Games or things involving small pieces are often a bad idea as things get lost in a place that is much harder to recover than your living room. A football, fishing gear, books/magazines, or hand held game system for those who simply can't leave technology behind. At this point, bring whatever you'd like to do to keep yourself entertained, but too much extra clutter starts to defeat the purpose of camping.

Bring enough clothes for each day camping, you probably won't be washing any while you are gone. Make sure to bring clothes suited for your environment, but no matter what bring at least one warm set of clothes/jacket for each person. Regardless of when you plan on going to bed, you need to bring some sort of portable light. Flashlights are a must, lanterns can also be a great addition to your trip if you plan on being much time after dark.

Other things you may or may not need but should bring anyway.

1. Bug spray
2. Sunblock
3. Lighter/Matches
4. Rope
5. Knife

Again, to repeat, keep it light and simple. Camping is a break from normal life filled with clutter and stress, try to avoid bringing that along with you. It's best to do your homework about where you are going to camp, make sure you are prepared for your campsite. Can your vehicle navigate the terrain? Will you have enough gas for the return trip? Common sense goes a long ways here.

Here's a little list of the some of the important items:

• Tent
• Sleeping bags
• Pillows
• Food
• Water/drinks
• Ice chest w/ice
• Barbecue w/charcoal (or propane if that is your choice)
• Silverware
• Plates/bowls/cups
• Pots/pans
• Clothes
• Flashlight

Have fun.