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I need some advice on purchasing camping gear. I have always camped with other people and just brought myself and my personals. I'm now looking into doing some solo camping or family camping and am in need of some camping gear. I know Walmart has camping gear as well as some other sporting good stores but I'm just interested in what brands I should be looking for as far as quality goes. I've heard of Coleman and Ozark Trail is a brand that is common at Walmart but I don't know much about which brands are better. I'm always one who likes to pay less and get more so price may pay a slight factor in my buying decisions but I also want something that will last and am willing to pay a little more for something I can depend on.
I purchased a small Ozark Trail tent and camped in the backyard(for practice) with my step-son and his friend. We had a little campfire and everything and they really seemed to enjoy it. I used an old charcoal grill(legs removed) for our "firepit" and we roasted marshmallows for s'mores and cooked hotdogs. The tent was nice except the night we chose it rained pretty much all night long after midnight which caused some leaks at the seams on the sides of the tent. It wasn't too much water but it worried me that it was leaking already. The rain fly worked well and the net at the top was good for ventilation. One thing I know I'll need for future "real" camping trips is an air mattress because I was sore the next day from lying directly on the ground.
I also had some Canella? not sure if that is right to keep the bugs away and it worked excellent but considering it was rainy that helped as well. I know my pack/gear list for a real camping trip will have to be much more detailed as I can't simply run back in the house to get supplies but I'm going to try to get some basics and feel free to add some suggestions as to things I may need.
I purchased a small Ozark Trail tent and camped in the backyard(for practice) with my step-son and his friend. We had a little campfire and everything and they really seemed to enjoy it. I used an old charcoal grill(legs removed) for our "firepit" and we roasted marshmallows for s'mores and cooked hotdogs. The tent was nice except the night we chose it rained pretty much all night long after midnight which caused some leaks at the seams on the sides of the tent. It wasn't too much water but it worried me that it was leaking already. The rain fly worked well and the net at the top was good for ventilation. One thing I know I'll need for future "real" camping trips is an air mattress because I was sore the next day from lying directly on the ground.
I also had some Canella? not sure if that is right to keep the bugs away and it worked excellent but considering it was rainy that helped as well. I know my pack/gear list for a real camping trip will have to be much more detailed as I can't simply run back in the house to get supplies but I'm going to try to get some basics and feel free to add some suggestions as to things I may need.