I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice needed

[S1mp13m4n]

Hello everyone. My wife and I have our 6th year wedding anniversory coming up on 8/25/12. My wife has been talking about wanting to go back to the CrabTree Falls campground that we stayed at back on 9/2003. Now we used borrowed gear from my step dad and it was a mess. It rained and the tent leaked and things got soaked, we ended up staying at my dad's house.
Now I am new to all of this and I own nothing for camping. I do not know where to start or what to buy. Here is what we have or info that might help. We need gear for two adults and a three year old daughter. I own items such as flashlights, Leatherman multitools, and knives. Please feel free to ask me questions so I can help you lead me towards the right gear. I want to be comfortable and enjoy the experience but also not go overboard in gear either. We have a Nissan Versa Hatchback to get us there and haul the gear, so keep this in mind. Do they have kits that you can get that have what you need compared to picking several different items? Could you help me put together a kit and also show me where to buy the items? I can spend up to $500 on the gear.....that is a complete and total cost. Thank you for the help.

[05Kingquad700]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

Hogsnapper asked some good questions. My normal advice is to buy used gear. Start with Craigslist, ebay etc. A decent tent is going to take a pretty good chunk of your budget, then sleeping bags. You need to figure out if you want to do more camping or just this one weekend. If it is one weekend, do they rent cabins there? Or maybe you could check your local REI for rentals equip. If you are looking to start camping, then I would stick to Craigslist or some wally world tents.
the gear
a tent
sleeping bags/blankets
self inflating sleep pad, inflatable ir matress or cot (all have their pro's and con's}
skillets/pots/pans
something to cook on. Fire, stove, grill
plates, silver ware/plastic wear
latern/small flashlight/glow sticks (after dark lighting.)
Do they have toilets or showers where you are camping? If not, then you have to plan for those.
coolers
chairs
I think those are the bare basics for car campig.

[S1mp13m4n]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

Thank you for the replies. This will be the start of a few camping stays a year I think. My wife has mentioned checking out the local state parks as well. The cold does not bother me that much but if I had to guess camping would be done Spring, Summer, Fall. I would say as far as food, simple would be best. We both like cooking and quality food but not something that takes a lot of time and effort. We are the "set it and forget it" people. The Crab Tree Falls campground has tent camping for $25 a night and very basic cabins with one folding bed for $50 a night. There is a bath house on site and a camp store.
I have done this type of thing only a few times and none of it was with my own gear. I used my step dad's who knows how old stuff and the tent leaked in rain and wind. The tent laid over in the wind with us in it.....it did not fall but it did not stand the wind well.
There would be two adults and a 3 year old daughter camping....and a small dog. We have a Nissan Versa to carry all the gear in. Thank you for the help.

[Joyous56]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

I agree with the others. Use what you have before investing much. You can use stuff from your kitchen, as well as paper plates and cups (burn them in your campfire).

Your first priority will be a tent, and with your child, I suggest buying one with a vestibule to store gear and dirty shoes and such. If not a vestibule, I'd suggest you arrange for an additional shelter of some sort, so if it rains, you won't be trapped in your tent. A screened shelter might serve this purpose, as well as keeping the bugs away.

Of course you'll need a cooler for food and drinks, and if you plan to cook food at your campsite, a grill to cook on the fire....often campsites have a fire pit or fireplace, but often they don't provide a surface to cook on. I just bought a Texsport Heavy Duty Camp grill for $20 (on Amazon), after going through a lot of the lighter weight steel grills, which cost a lot less, but aren't too sturdy.

I agree that you don't need to buy sleeping bags, but Coleman sells some warm weather bags for under $40 (on Amazon), and they are more convenient than blankets and such. And your young one will likely need a bag for sleepovers eventually.

I'd also suggest a small backpack, to carry food and water on hikes, as well as a map, first aid kit, cell phone and identification. In case you die on the trail....just kidding, but it's always good to carry ID, along with any medical info that's pertinent, in case something happens.

Used stuff is great, but it would be good if you read through this site a bit....make sure your tent is waterproofed, etc.

Hope you enjoy camping!

[These suggestions are from someone who is just starting to camp again after a long hiatus; these were my first priorities, based on prior experience, and the camping supplies I have on hand, and what I'd need]

[05Kingquad700]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

Here is something that is useful. Get one of those cheap walmart gas grills. The ones that you can remove the top off really quick and easy, or one that is made with a removable top. That way you can use the grill with a griddle, pots and skillets. If you removed the top of the grill, you could use a pot to boil water for coffee, or spaghetti, rice, etc You could use a griddle to make eggs and pancakes for breakfast, or if you use a skillet, do a quick internet search on "one skillet meals". Or you could always use it as grill. I think this would take care of a good portion of your cooking problem. You could always get a portable 2 burner stove as well, and a reversible griddle as well. The griddles that have ridges on one side and flat on the other.

Here is a link to a cheap walmart gas grill. The top is held on with 2 pins and keys which can be easily removed by hand.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Uniflame-D...Grill/10828978

here is one that is made for a lift off top
http://www.walmart.com/ip/UniFlame-1...Grill/19597660

reversible griddle (if you don't already have one) $15
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Stansport-...iddle/16224740


Add pots and pans from your kitchen and this should take care of your cooking needs.

While I don't use a Coleman Instant tent, they are popular with some on this website. The thread on Coleman instant tents is the most popular on this site. You can pick one up from wally world for about $150 (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-In...0-x-9/15843339) I started out in a coleman Red River before I moved on. So I think we are up to about $200. I use a Coleman Extreme cooler (2 actually), the 50qt variety. One for drinks, one for food. Those are $30 a piece, so we are up to about $260. I would use blankets for you and the wife, and spring for a decent sleeping bag for the little girl. The one I have my girl in is about $35 (http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/pr...14966.12669396). Now we are just under $300. I personally would spend the extra $200 on sleeping mats. I prefer alps and therma rest self inflating mats, but I think those may be out of your budget, unless you find a good deal on Craigslist or ebay.
Some people like the thick air mattress (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Intex-Rais...-Twin/19887410). If you take these, make sure to spring for an air pump, and a patch kit. Nothing sucks worse than waking up in the middle of the night with a flat air mattresses. There are a couple of threads where the difference between the thick air mattresses and the self inflating mattresses are discussed. Seek those out and make a informed decision that suits your needs. So lets ball park it and call it $400 at this point. Use the extra $100 for food, bug spray and general camping supplies, such as a hammer to drive the tent stakes.

You can have a pretty decent stater set up for $500 and make adjustments as you go/need.
One of the best tips I can give. By your stuff, and do a pre-camp shake down over nighter in the back yard. It will allow you to get used to using your stuff. Once you go out for the night, don't go back in. If you have to go back in for something, make sure you add it to your camping pack list. It is better to find out you need it in the backyard, than at a campground a couple of hours from the house.

[Joyous56]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

Make sure to take bug spray and sun screen and a first aid kit...basic bandages and antibiotic ointment, and anything else you need for allergies, asthma, etc.

Also, I recommend something for light at night. A Coleman lantern of some sort at the very least. Maybe a battery operated one for the first trip..you can use it later in addition to a propane lantern if you decide to keep camping. Once it gets dark, there isn't much to do except go to bed, and if none of you can sleep that early, it's good to have an alternate light source besides the campfire.

[S1mp13m4n]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

I was trying not to bring this issue up, but I think to also get the best advice....I should bring it up. I am blind. I was born legally blind but my eytes have gotten worse and I am using a blind persons cane now, I can not drive, etc. I think this might have an effect on the gear we get and where we go until I get more comfy with this blindness stuff. I can not and will not let this blindness stuff keep me from having fun. That being said, easy is something I must consider. I have been looking at the Coleman Easy tent for ease of set up. However, is it a quality tent or are you paying for the Coleman name and the fact it is fast to set up?
I want to help my wife as much as I can and not leave her to do all the work. I have my iPod for music and entertainment, reading is out of the qustion, but audiobooks are not. Setiing up and starting a campfire maybe no big deal, but keeping it going might be for me. This camping stuff is not anything that I have to do, it is something I want to do. I would rather do this than to stay in a hotel for example. My wife has hinted about wanting to go camping and visit the local state parks, and I think that would be fun. I do not mind camping in the rain as long as we are comfy and dry. I do not mind the cold, but my wife is a freezie pop, so she might not enjoy it as much. We live in an apartment, so camping in the back yard is out....and NO TENTS is in our lease, so that is out. We do not have extra kitchen items laying around, so I will have to buy the items for camping. No real extra stuff in the apartment due to space, in other words we only have what we need, no real extras laying around, so i will have to buy what we need for camping.

[S1mp13m4n]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

Hello again and thank you for all the help. I do not see my last post that I made and I am not sure why, so I will try again. I did not want to bring this up but I feel that I need to so I can get the best help. I was born legally blind and a few weeks a go my eyes took a turn for the worst. Now I am pretty much blind....can see light and such. I want quality items on a budget and also rather easy to use. I want to be able to help my wife and not have her do all the work.
We live in an apartment so camping in the backyard is out and there is a No Tents thingy in our lease. I am wondering about the Coleman easy tent, but I wonder if you are paying for the name Coleman and the fact that it is easy to set up. Is it a quality tent?

[renodesertfox]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

Howdy, S1....the reason you didn't see your posts get posted right away, is that, with this site the moderation period lasts up to 6 posts. Now you have made 3 posts so 3 more posts will be moderated before you'll see them appear. After your 6th post you'll be good to go and your posts will show up readily.

[S1mp13m4n]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

Thank you for that.....this makes sense. So now a few bump posts and I will get my limit. LOL Just kidding, I would not do that.

[renodesertfox]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

Wal-mart is where I would go to get some basic gear at and it's NOT that expensive. Also Thrift stores & Goodwills are another place to get cooking items cheap. $500 is a lot to spend. Everyone has given quality advice! Thanks everyone!

[Carmen1979]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

My husband and I have a Coleman Instant Tent and it is very easy to put up. I'm not sure how easy it would be for a blind person to put up on their own, but I managed to put it up by myself, so I'd think you'd certainly be able to help your wife put it up. It's heavy but for car camping it's great. It's also pretty affordable so if you end up deciding you want something different for the future, it's not tons of money lost.

[Joyous56]

Re: I want to take my wife camping for 6th wedding anniversary, equipment advice need

I surely do admire your intrepid attitude in spite of the blindness thing!

I just wanted to comment that I don't think buying Coleman products increases the costs because of the name. When you mentioned that, it gave me pause to realize that Coleman products are probably the most reasonably priced you'll find. Some people seem to look down on Coleman products just because the seem pretty pedestrian...as in cheap. But I've found they are well made and a good value.