Camping Newbie - help please

[mommymoppetg]

Hi everyone,

I have decided that this will be our summer of introduction to camping. I have some questions that I was hoping you could share your wisdom about.

For starters, we are looking for a tent. We are 4 people (2 grownups, 2 small kids). I'm not sure how to figure out which brands are worth thinking about. We'll be buying the tent on credit card points, so in the $200-$300 range would be fine. I've heard good things about Kelty and the REI brand and I've heard bad things about Coleman. We'll be doing car camping. If we move on to backpacking, we'll get two 2-person tents but for now, are these good brands to consider? Are there others to think about?

Next, is a 6 person tent a good idea? For families of 4, I've been told that a 6 tent is good for storing your gear and less crowded is more comfortable than crowded. IThe difference in price and weight is often significant between the 4 and 6 person tent. We will be car camping, so weight isn't extremely important but I'd rather lighter than heavier. Also, my husband isn't a great outdoors lover, and I don't know how much he'll get into this. Are there folks who've thought about this kind of thing? And what have you come up with?

Thank you very much for your insights. I'm looking forward to our adventures to come.

Barbara

[renodesertfox]

Howdy mommymoppetg,
Welcome to the camping boards. For starters, there is a wealth of info here if you take the time to read through some of the threads started by other people on how to select a tent. A few months back I wrote 4 short articles on how to purchase a tent and what to look for. Research is a good thing. Tent selection is a personal choice based on a number of factors, weather, air circulation, how big should the tent be? There are plenty of tent manufacturers out there besides the few you mentioned. Eureka is one. I have heard good & bad points on every tent that has ever come along. Generally speaking a person should almost double the size of a tent for the number of persons in the group that are going camping. However, if your children are small and young then a 10x10' tent might be perfect for you. If your children are over 10 years of age and are both boys perhaps they should sleep in their own tent. You said that your husband isn't fond of the outdoors and it's the man that will end up doing most of the work of setting up camp but don't get me wrong women can do that too if push comes to shove. Now that the ball is rolling I'm sure other campers will jump and add their two cents which is always good. Hey, thanks for joining camping forums!

[donnyonee]

car camp- i think being able to stand up especially for a nube is important
then next the extra room , but both are important.
cots are nice, self inflat matt are nice. im using a 4" thick 1.
sm bbq is nice, some of the f-ring grates are big openings. "thats from steak n chicken experience".

[jpurdy]

mommymoppetg,
Glad to see you looking to camping. When my family stated camping my wife said she would not sleep on the ground so we use a popup. Our first trip was close to home and with no expectations. Keep everthing simple including meals We just relaxed and saw what others were doing and just learned to enjoy the time and experience.
As for selecting camping Equipment do not rule out your local wal-mart or similar store. Keep initial investment simple and if it is a good experience for all you can add additional equipment later as you go along.
If the weather is not in your favor on the first trip do not be afraid to cancel. You can go the next weekend. As you have kids have a good first -aid kit.
I hope your family enjoys camping as much as mine does.
Tell us how the first trip goes
John

[racko]

hi there...

check things out here, it will help you...

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Family Camping Guides
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[keithmessinger]

What ever tent you decide on, pitch it once in the backyard before going camping. That way you will know if you have all the parts and where they go.

In fact, you can even camp in the backyard to get the feel of sleeping outdoors.

No backyard? Use the living room!

Regards,

Keith

[racko]

hi,

after camping, make sure to properly clean your tent inside and out or if you don't have time, you can do it when you arrive home..

Family Camping Guides

[sandygomez6557]

help

There is a lot of good information on this site. I would say just search through some of the threads and you will find all the help you need!

[Mike59]

Tents

Coleman and Northwest Territory are decent tents. I like the larger tents that won't break the budget @ $150-$200 where smaller kids can have some elbow room if it's raining.

[Stone]

I don't know if you have alot in your area, but give yardsales a try for camping gear. My wife goes every Saturday during the season, and she's said that it's pretty rare NOT to find some camping gear for sale for really cheap money.
I've gone with her before and have seem alot of great camping gear. Sometimes I'll ask about it, and quite often I'll hear the same story "We bought the stuff, we didn't like camping, so now we are selling it off."
I've seen tents for 10 or 20 bucks, sleeping bags for 5 bucks (bought one last year in fact) all types of camping stuff.
A word about tents though. Be VERY careful when buying a tent. If the people wont let you set it up, just walk away, no matter what the brand or the price.
Oh, and one last thing. Normally, in my experience, you won't find alot of the better brands like Kelty or The North Face. I guess the folks that buy these brands know what they are doing and have camping experience. Can't see a newbie laying out the money for top-of-the-line gear.
Still, you can get some great stuff, for real short money.
Give it a shot.