Equipment
A camp stove is helpful. They come in many styles and prices.
Start with a first aid kit. Pack it with bandages, antibiotic cream, moleskin (for blisters), elastic bandages, and tweezers, just to name a few.
If you don't want to 'live off the land' and eat your food raw you'd better bring a camp stove.
If you can't afford a stove you could bring some charcoal, or buy wood to make your own fire.
Buy Wood in the Woods? Many camp grounds, like state forests and parks, have an area where they sell firewood. It's easy to gather your kindling, but harder to find good logs that you can carry.
Check the rules before you go. In more and more public campgrounds, gathering firewood is not allowed. (People who tore up the forest looking for firewood or even chopped down trees had to be stopped.)
And in some states, bringing in your own firewood is illegal. That's because firewood can spread insect pests that cause tremendous forest damage.
Even if you bring a camp stove and don't need a fire for cooking, an evening bonfire with the family is one of the highlights of camping.
CloseBring forks, knives, plates, and cups. I recommend sturdy reusable plastic or metal kits over disposable paper ones.
I'll Take Metal over Paper
Lightweight metal is best.Close
Even though paper kits are cheaper, sturdy plastic or metal kits last longer, and take up less room, which means more space for other things.
If you do buy paper plates and bowls, make sure they don't have plastic in them. Then you can burn your dirty plates and have less trash! And you won't be adding the nasty chemicals from stuff like styrofoam to your smoke.
Bring dishwashing detergent, and when you eat, make sure you have some water so you can clean up. If you don't clean up, the critters will!
Cleaning Up is Important! It's important to clean up completely so animals don't smell the food and raid your campsite. They can make a big mess and destroy your equipment.
If you are car camping, whenever you leave the site or go to bed, either:
- Take your trash to the campground dumpsters and put your food in the car;
- Put your food and your trash in the car.
- Never, ever keep food in your tent. You don't want animals coming in after it!
If you're backpacking, you can sling your food and trash bags on a rope strung high overhead between two trees. This is a must to protect your food supply—and yourself—in bear country!
Close
Bring a sleeping bag, especially if you don't bring a tent.
You'll need a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and tent—unless you plan to sleep under the stars. You might need a blanket or two depending on what time of year you are going camping.
You might want to bring is a bug net for those pesky summer mosquitoes. Don't forget a book for night times, but be sure to bring along a flashlight and batteries so you can see.
If you plan to go hiking, bring a compass. Finally, you might want to bring some entertainment equipment, or at least a camera.
Always Bring a Camera! If you don't bring your camera, I guarantee you'll be taking a special trip into town to buy a disposable!
Be careful not to have the flash on if you are taking pictures of animals, because you might scare them.
CloseActivities like baseball and football are fun if you bring some simple equipment like balls or a frisbee. When my family forgot our baseball and bat we made do with a pinecone and stick!
Clothing
Want to see what my dad caught?
What My Dad Caught 
This is my dad—a very skilled fisherman.
Dad taught me how to fish when I was about five or six. In this picture he is just about to catch some kind of trout in the Gunnison River.
CloseWhen you're packing clothing, think of the weather, and look for sturdy fabrics such as denim.
Check the Weather 
Good shoes make a huge difference.Close
Go to your favorite online weather site to get an idea of what's probably coming to the region.
Pack the right clothes for the season. I recommend synthetic fabrics (they dry faster than cotton) in case you get wet.
In addition to the fast-drying fabrics, bring a few items made of sturdy fabrics such as denim.
Remember to bring a rain jacket, even if rain isn't in the prediction.
Use clothes you have at home like old t-shirts, old jeans and shorts. Camping is by no means a reason to buy new clothes.
If you or your family has outgrown gear like hiking boots, rain gear, and long johns keep them so another family member can reuse them.
You might need some expensive gear that you don't already have.
You can find these things at a local outdoors store, and they may be on sale!
You'll also find many stores that sell camping stuff online.
Enjoy the view!
Enjoy the View 
We took this picture in the middle of the day, from the road.
We would have loved to camp here, but, as you might see by the fence, it probably belonged to somebody.
We drove all the way to Colorado so, as you could imagine, we took lots of stops like these to stretch our legs.
CloseHave fun exploring!
Here are some site with camping information but little or no advertising:
- Camping checklist from therthdimension.org
- Camping menus from troop1876.org
- Camping games from camping.org
Put more into planning your next camping trip. I think you'll agree that good plans make good memories. I hope you have a fun time camping!
True or False: The penny, which has Abraham Lincoln's picture on it, is named after Lincoln's older sister, Penny.
Click Abe's head for the answer.
FALSE: Lincoln never had a sister named Penny, and penny is not even the official name used by the US Mint--they call it a 'one-cent coin.'
Lucy
Age 11
