Recommendations for beginning camper - gear?

Check out the REI checklist... it's a good starting point. Don't forget to add some comfort items, like hot cocoa with Bailey's Amarreto.

http://www.rei.com/LearnShareDetailArticlesList?ca...

Cooking gear is probably the next logical step. I'd get a nice big coleman stove, since you aren't backpacking and don't need to worry about weight. You might want to buy some pots and pans, too, but honestly that also is not as big a deal if you will be camping from the car, because you already probably own a good variety. If you have a stove you'll be able to prepare food (eggs, pancakes, etc.) more easily and with better temperature control than cooking over a fire, and you can always still light a fire for s'mores and ambience. I wouldn't worry about getting more gear until you've realized a need for it- like if you decide to go hiking into the woods, you'll need a pack, but if you don't really need snowshoes, there's no point in spending the money. It's also a good idea to bring playing cards or cribbage or something, so if it's rainy and you're hanging out in the tent with your son you'll have an activity.

It's one thing to just put up a list of things to take...it's more important to know what to use that stuff for. Rather than wate a lot of time and money buying stuff you don't need, think of what you use everyday around the house. If you are car camping then you can make do with most household items.

What you already listed is a good start. You can use cooking pans and utensils from your kitchen. Anything you use to BBQ can also be used. You can pick up a decent propane stove for about $40. Cooking ove an open fire (actually the coals) takes a bit more practice.

There are a lot of great books that give tips on camping with kids. You might find them at Borders or Waldens, but chances are better on Amazon or B&N online. Gear stores also have a lot of stuff. Most of those publications are just more in depth stuff that one would find in the Boy Scout Handbook. The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have a lot of resources and also have a lot of things about age-appropriate outdoor recreation. They'll also tell you how to cook over an open fire.

Shelter and Bedding (essentials)

tent + extra stakes

tarp

sleeping bags

sleeping pads

air mattress & pump

Shelter and Bedding (optionals)

books

cot

comforter

throw rug

pillows

Cooking and Dining (essentials)

spring water

food

cooler

ice

mess kit / utensils

kindling - newspaper

grill / lantern tripod

baby-wipes

hand sanitizer

firewood

charcoal

Cooking and Dining (extras)

charcoal chimney

smoker

Dutch oven

burger grill basket

kabob grill basket

wood chips

hot dog sticks

pie irons

folding chairs

folding table

table cloth

lighter

chuck box

Chuck Box Items

salt and pepper

spices / rub

ketchup

mustard

sugar / brown sugar

cooking oil

pot holders

paper towels

napkins

plastic trash bags

tongs and spatula

heavy aluminum foil

plastic silverware

paper plates/bowls

plastic cups

zip lock bags

knives

cutting board

First Aid Kit

personal medication

bandages

Aleve / Motrin

knee brace

medical tape

sterile gauze

elastic wrap

antibiotic wipes

antiseptic cream

burn ointment

sunburn lotion

hydrogen peroxide

scissors

tweezers

eye wash

snake bite kit

Personal Hygiene

tooth brush

tooth paste

wash rag(s)

towel(s)

soap / shampoo

comb/brush

nail clippers

razor / shave cream

toilet paper

Cleaning Items

broom

dust pan

whisk broom

dish pan

detergent

dish rags

pot scrubber sponge

Clothes

t-shirts

shorts

jeans/pants

socks

shoes/boots

camp shoes

sweater

rain poncho

underwear

swimsuit

Miscellaneous Items

ball / gloves

batteries(AA, AAA, D)

binoculars

bug spray

bungi cords

camera

candles

cards, games

carrier - van

clothes pins

compass

duct tape

fishing gear

flashlights

football

frisbee

radio / cd / gameboys

leatherman tool

lantern / FUEL

matches / lighter

pen and paper

rope

shower bag

sun block

two-way radios

tools - hammer / axe

walking sticks

whistle

Plan out your meals long before time, and freeze everything you can except your first meal ahead of time, including drinking water.

Toilet Paper!

Salt Pepper and seasonings

Paper Plates, Plastic cups and Utensils

Soap for you and dishes, Tooth brush ect…

Dish cloths

Bath/Beach towels

Knife or three

Spatula Fork and Tongs, (all fire safe)

Tin Foil

Food storage bags

Trash bags

Something to start a fire with

* Plastic Ice Cream Bucket or big plastic bowel for cooking and dish washing. A giant plastic mug or two can be handy also.

*A solid cast iron skillet is great. Be sure to take oil. Be careful not to over heat it or you will loose your seasoning. Something to get it off the hot fire with, like channel locks is nice as well. Simple things you can cook in it are fried potatoes, sautéed veggies, and pancakes. My kids like my oily “crunchy” campfire pancakes best. If you drink Coffee, you will need a camp percolator and all the fixings.

*Plenty of ice, and plenty of frozen drinking water. Put all the blankets on top of your coolers during the day. Pack meat in a separate cooler from drinks and snacks if you can, or in a plastic container buried under everything else. Freeze everything you can before you pack, except your first meal. Plan an uncooked meal at lunch time, and start fires half an hour or more before you plan to cook.

*A large laundry soap jug is best for keeping hand wash water on the outskirts of camp; one with a spigot works the absolute best. Just refill with river water if you are camping primitive.

*Some rope, clothes pins, a hammer and a couple nails never hurt. I take 50 feet of cheap rope, and some twine for little stuff. Don’t forget the duct tape! Axe, machete, and/or bow saw for cutting wood, and who knows what else.

*A fresh roll of paper towels, a roll of medical tape, a bottle of peroxide, and some antibiotic ointment make a good first aid kit for almost any non 911 emergency. Some of that stuff comes in handy for other stuff as well. Throw in a pair of nail clippers, and maybe some scissors and thread and needle, for things that can be annoying not to have.

*Last but not least, time out at the river is ten thousand times worse than any other punishment! I spent a lot of my first summer with my step kids at the river for just that reason!

Have fun. You will find plenty of things you wish you had, but that can be part of the fun! After you camp a dozen times, you will have a longer list, but there is enough stuff to buy the first time, without going into all of that.

Lots of absolutely great suggestions. Don't forget extra batteries for your flashlight and all your basic essentials like toiletries. You may want to pack zip-lock bags or larger dry bags to keep your gear safe. Even if it isn't raining, you can still encounter moisture like morning dew and condensation.

Check with where you are staying before you start packing mounds of gear into the car. Lots of campgrounds supply things like a fire ring and stand for cooking or a grill at each site--one place I stayed at offered free refills of propane for camp stoves so people didn't have to travel with it.

Your "stuff I need to bring" list will change with each location, length of stay, and weather possibilities.

in case you're only beginning out, there are countless issues you're able to desire to contemplate. Your question isn't very specific, yet understanding which you fairly choose for to pass ATVing helps a touch. the place are you in the worldwide? East coast? West coast? Midwest? ATVing is diverse in those form of places. usually, you is often tent camping out with primitive centers (centralized potable water, if any, and outhouses). do not run out and start up figuring out to purchase a gaggle of recent kit perfect away. storage revenues are your superb wager. you would be waiting to get used kit which you would be able to check out earlier figuring out to purchase, yet that still would be low-priced or negotiable all the way down to low-priced. A storage sale is going to be extra inexpensive than Wal-Mart, and the probabilities are you will locate extra advantageous high quality used kit than the shoddy new stuff which would be on sale at Wal-Mart. in case you think of you will pass camping out extra advantageous than as quickly as a 365 days, stay faraway from Wal-Mart. what style of tow automobile do you have? Are you short on money or are you able to locate the money for a camper shell? keep storage revenues for: an excellent dome tent with serviceable rain fly. A Coleman range (propane, not white gasoline) Camp chairs an excellent cooler Camp cookware

Here is a list that should cover all your needs. Hope this helps and enjoy!

a Grill and some charcoal

http://camping.about.com/od/campingforbeginners/Ca...