These lists are so bourgeois and environmentally unfriendly that it made me shake my head and sigh.

Anonymous wrote:Copious amounts of weed and alcohol. If you're really feeling adventurous, shrooms. Have fun!

You must be on all three now because of how stupid your answer is.

I camp frequently and have been doing so for years.

You can do a first time trip without making a huge investment in equipment, if you want to.

If you plan to buy a tent, I recommend something big enough for your whole family, in case you plan future trips. My family has this tent, and it comfortably sleeps three, and we've used it on a dozen trips and I expect it to have ten more years of life in it at least.

http://store.eurekatent.com/products/967965/Sunrise_EX_4_Tent

You can spend less than that if you like, but this is a comfortable size for 3.

For sleeping on, we use foam floor mats (the kind you would use on a playroom floor) over air mattresses. If you want to skip buying a sleeping bag, bring quilts. One to put underneath you and then one each for on top.

A large container for water. A couple of gallon bottles are good -- you want to have water handy for washing hands, etc.

Copious amounts of weed and alcohol. If you're really feeling adventurous, shrooms. Have fun!

lol, thanks pp for pointing out that they're probably going to be car camping.

You all sure do bring a lot of stuff with you to go camping.

But I guess I was thinking more about hiking and moving around, where I try to pack as light as possible.

I don't think I saw it mentioned yet but I would consider bug spray. In general long sleeves and pants are good protection against the itchy stuff but not sure if they'd be more comfortable in shorts and t shirts.

Are they staying in a cabin and doing outdoor activities or actually camping in a tent?

If you wanted to be a minimalist, you can setup a poncho as a tent. You'd need rope too.

And depending on the weather, a poncho liner (woobie) would substitute a sleeping bag fine and is smaller and takes less room.

Hope they have fun!

That sounds like a great idea! Your boys will have so much fun!
Jellystone camping is very simple. It is luxury camping sort of. The play area for kids are great. If they have a pool, kids love that.

A tent is a must or it isn't camping. Don't get a heavy one. You want to invest in this because your guys will love camping. I'm not even a camper and hate sleeping on the ground but I see the enjoyment in my two boys.
REI will be able to tell him what to get. Just don't jump on getting the most expensive one. You will need a tarp that goes on the bottom of the tent. Practice setting it up in your backyard before the trip! I'm sure other dads know how to do it.

Other things are maybe a padding so you are not sleeping on the ground itself inside the tent. You can get the expensive light weight ones and blow into it to inflate. Or Some people just put an inflatable bed in there-whatever works.

Chairs. The beach chairs will work. Or camping chairs. They don't cost much. To sit around the fire.

Food. Whatever food you want for your convenience. How do you want your food to be cooked? You can do no cooking and just sandwiches and pb&j sandwich. For the camping experience, you can do a simple as grill hot dogs on a metal stick (not wooden one). Kids love doing that.
My DH bring cans of beans and cook them. You can get a small stove with propane but you will need the pots with it. And with that you'll need mittens or special handler so you won't burn your hands. Don't forget a pack of beer!

Repeat Repeat to the child...do no touch the hot ring of the campfire. Stay away from it. Do not poke others with the tent items.

Band Aids. Kids. Boys. They will get a scape or two. No big deal.

Jellystone make camping simple. They have a store of a lot of stuff if you forget. If you ask me, it's a good way to start learning about camping. And slowly work on going to other camps that does not have a store.

REI has a good gear list posted on its site.

I assume you are car camping, OP. Here's what I bring when we go:

Special camping stuff:
Tent
Tarp to go under tent
Air mattress(es)
Old crib mattress for kid (we keep if just for this purpose. Handy)
Camping coffee percolator
Camping tea kettle/pot
Sleeping bags
Griddle thing to make food on fire
Fire starter helpers
Lighter
Table Cloth
Lanterns and flashlights

Non-camping stuff that works when camping:
Paper plates, bowls, spoons, cups
Rolls of paper towels
Wipes
Dutch oven if you want to do some fire cooking
Beach chairs
Trash bags
Sharp kitchen knife

Things not to forget because it's fun:
Scooter/bikes
Card games
All the smores fixins.

Most places I have been don't let you bring wood in from outside, so you buy it there.

Anonymous wrote:Age of child, OP?

Almost 5.

They are going to Jellystone in PA if anyone's been there before. I think it's considered "entry level" camping.

A couple battery powered fans and lanterns/flashlights.

Pocket knife. Buy firewood at the campground. I assume this is car camping?

Rope. Camp chairs. The ones you drag to kids sports events. Nothing fancy. Cooler with ice. Keep it and all other food in the car. Bug spray. Sunscreen. Change of shoes in case one gets wet.

I haven't read PP's responses, I'm sure they are right on.

I'll come in with something learned from a wilderness survival class. When out in nature, be prepared for the unexpected, whether an allergic reaction to a or an unexpected storm. There are seven essentials that they need to have covered.

1. Positive mental attitude - #1 must-have in an emergency.
2. Health - first aid kit. Have something to treat wounds, diarrhea, twisted ankle, accidental cut or burn, allergies, etc.
3. Fire - flint and steel will light a fire no matter what, even if wet. Someone should have a weather-proof fire source.
4. Shelter - honestly, any basic tent will do. One difference between cheap and better tents is that the better ones are much lighter and easier to assemble. But you can rent this from REI and return after use, so no need to overspend.
5. Signaling - if there is an emergency, they need to be able to call for help. Lets pretend that cell phone reception isn't guaranteed. (I lost service in Rock Creek Park two weeks ago). In this case, smoke signals, a whistle, and a little mirror for alerting airplanes should be on hand just in case.
6. Water - 1 gallon per person per day is the recommended minimum.
7. Food


Other stuff that comes to mind:
-Have a rain coat and hat from son and cold, just in case.

Age of child, OP?

Pillows + extra blankets if nights will be chilly.
A lantern and a few flashlights. A camping stove, cooler and plastic dishes and cutlery. Dish soap. Lots of bottled water. Toilet paper. Sundries, most especially sunscreen!
Extra batteries and plenty of matches. Long underwear if nights expected to be cold. Good pair of walking shoes. A heavy jacket. Board games, volleyball net. Rolls of quarters if paid showers on-site. Clothesline/clothes pins. Plastic containers for dishwashing. Chapstick. Firewood. Charcoal. Plenty of napkins & wet wipes. Large plastic kitchen trash bags. Towels. Bug repellent. Tablecloth. Folding plastic lawn chairs. A sense of adventure!

You can rent camping gear at REI.
Yes, you will need those things, plus a plate, cup and utensils. A day pack and water bottles if they are going for hikes. A flashlight, pillow, liner for sleeping bag, rain jacket.
Is anyone bringing a stove for cooking? Who's bringing the food?

DH is taking DS on a father/son camping trip with some other dads and sons. First time for DH and DS. What kind of gear do we need to get? Tent, air mattress, sleeping bags? We have nothing. Can you please recommend some specific items we should look into? We don't want to buy top of the line stuff in case this is the first and last time they go, but they do want to be relatively comfortable.

Suggestions?