[peachy]

Horselover, have you or anybody else tried buying stuff at Army and Navy or at some of the army surplus stores?

And what do you think are necessities for a family of 4? Obviously, a tent and sleeping bags for all of us. A burner thing, plates and cutlery. What else are must haves versus nice haves?

Gosh...can you tell that I'm new at this stuff?!

[housefinch]

I always bring a little hatchet and tape a few nails to the handle. You'll have to chop some wood if you want a fire (I set up a fire before I go to bed, so when I wake up it starts up quickly, takes the chill away and makes the morning more pleasant. Ignore those people that party late letting their fires burn flat, 'cause morning fires are best). The hatchet butt is a hammer, the nails are to tie up any tarps, clothes lines you'll want. Really handy.

The other necessity I love is duct tape. Yah I know Red Green. But damn that stuff is handy!



See the paper bags in the front of the image. They're filled about 2-3in in beach sand and have a candle in them. Great night lighting, better than a fire. Helps you see your way around, not smokey and really cool. If you can get coloured paper bags it works even better. (Remember I said fires are best in the mornings )



Yes this is me @ Strathcona Provincial Park. Nice spot ehh!

o7O

[peachy]

Housefinch, great ideas! And doesn't take up a ton of space in the car! We have a tiny car for 4 people...the thought of having to bring a ton of gear scares me.

Oooo...tarps. That's a good one too. Quite the seasoned camper eh?

[Stepper]

Peachy, I don't know how cold it gets where you're going, but, except for when I went to the West Desert, it always seemed pretty cold at night wherever I camped. Years ago I bought a gently used sleeping bag that was rated for 3 seasons, but it wasn't enough. I bought a very cheap wool blanket at the Army-Navy store to use inside the bag when it was really cold, or as an extra cushion under it when it wasn't quite so cold. I also sewed up a sleeping bag liner from an old sheet, which kept the sleeping bag from getting dirty on the inside.

I still have the sleeping bag (definitely) and liner (I think), but I lost the blanket along the way somewhere. Depending on the ages of your kids, you might be able to get away with one sleeping bag for them for now. I seem to remember my brothers sharing when they were small.

For camping I would get a couple of windup flashlights (wind them up well before you turn in so you don't have to wake anyone up to use them in the middle of the night).

Also, I would find out if the campsite offers drinking water; if not, you'll have to bring along a lot.

[horselover]

Can't go anywhere without bug spray. That's for sure.. Especially if you're going to be by water.

Oh, and a camera, for those unexpected moments

[peachy]

Stepper...that's pretty ingenius with the sleeping bag! I'm thinking of doing that for my kids. They're always getting EVERYTHING dirty.

And Stepper, if there is no water, for a family of 4, now many litres you think?

Horselover...BUG SPRAY! How could I forget?! If I do forget, I know I'll be cursing the whole time.

[peachy]

Well, I've started to get some camping gear together! Wow, I think I got a pretty good deal. A 6 man tent, with 2 sleeping bags, 2 foldable camping chairs and a special little "thingy" that is looks like a teepee to hold/store stuff in. Only $149! Comes with a special carrying case too so it's all together. I can't wait to use it!

[horselover]

Well, despite my saying that we were going to use Canadian Tire, we ended up using eBay for camping stuff.

Got a 2 man tent for less than $30. A sleeping bag for less than $20, and a cooler(70 qts) for less than $20 as well.

I'm satisfied with what I got so far.

Now I just need a car to get us to where we're going.

[HazelNut]

Don't forget matches, lots and lots of matches, the long BBQ lighters are good too for getting the fire going. Make sure your food is secure every night; either store the cooler in your car or bring in your tent at night. Animals are very ingenious. You'll need to scope out a place to replace your ice frequently. A jackknife or two is handy for many things, can opener, garbage bags - great for dirty clothes and fit into small weird shaped spaces in your car.

[peachy]

Nice horselover! Gotta love e-bay. =) I know I love it a "little" too much.

Hazelnut, fantastic suggestions! I'll make sure that they're waterproof matches too.