Have only been camping once, and that was 15 years ago. Not sure that my old tent is usable.

I'm planning on flying out to Idaho, alone, for the upcoming total solar eclipse, and will be staying at a campground that's about a three-hour drive north of Boise. So I need to get a plane ticket and rent a car and then figure out the logistics for the campground.

I'm already going to be carrying too much stuff, including a laptop and iPad (for entertainment as well as for work that I need to do while I'm there), camera and lenses and tripod and tracker for taking eclipse photos, and maybe a solar charger (as well as clothes and stuff like that). So the thought of also carrying a tent and a sleeping pad and ground tarp and maybe a rain fly and whatever on the plane is not something that I'm looking forward to. I may also want a cooler and maybe a folding canvas chair and who knows what other creature comforts.

So, would it be insane to consider flying out there and buying a tent and the related camping stuff once I get there, or alternatively buying the stuff now and somehow shipping it out there to somewhere that I could pick it up when I get there?

The advantage of getting the stuff now is that I can practice setting things up, and even try out sleeping in the thing in my back yard ahead of time to see how I like it (or not). But packing it all back up and shipping it would be a hassle, and where would I even ship it to?

Whereas if I planned to buy the stuff once I get to Idaho, it would be more convenient on the 'front end', but I would have to spend a lot of time once I get there trying to buy all of the stuff that I need, and would not have any ability to try the stuff out before actually having to set it up and use it. Also, I would run the risk of not being able to get what I need (will outdoorsy stores still have camping gear in stock then, or will they be having end-of-season sales?).

I suppose that I could also consider buying stuff from amazon and having it shipped out there a few days ahead of time, but that is also risky due to possible shipping delays, out of stock problems, etc. - and again, where would I be able to ship it to in order to pick it up when I get there?

For the return trip, I suppose that I could consider shipping the stuff back to my home somehow.

Anybody ever try doing something like this? Am I overthinking things? Am I about to rush headfirst into making a huge mistake here? It wouldn't be the first time (or the last).

To add to the confusion, does it make any sense at all to spring for an "8-person" tent for one person, if I find one on sale, in order to be able to easily stand up inside the thing?

There's an R.E.I. in Boise.  They have their tents set up in the applicable area.  By seeing them set up will tell you what will work for you.

R.E.I. employees are very helpful and knowledgeable about their products.

As to the 8 person tent, that's a lot of weight to pack just to be able to stand up.  My old North Face Westwind will allow me to sit upright, has a vestible for gear and weighs in at six pounds or so.

I did notice that there is an REI in Boise (there are a few of them in my area of CT, which is why I went to their site to take a look).

I wonder if I could perhaps 'buy ahead' and pick it up there.

I'm not sure about how heavy an 8-person tent may be, but I'm a bit wary about descriptions that say that you need 2 people to set up such a tent - but I won't be hiking out in the back country by myself, so I'm sure that I could find someone to help put it up and take it down (famous last words, hah!).

Buy when you get there.

An 8 person tent is insanely big for one person. Get a 2 or 3 person and use the extra space to store gear. Get a tent with dual doors and use the vestibules.

A good cook set is the size of a 1liter bottle, my Galaxi Nemo 2p tent packs down to 17" long and 6 1/2" diameter with plenty of room for me and all of my motorcycle camping gear or another person with some gear stored inside and the rest under the spacious vestibules.

A Klymit static V sleeping pad packs down to the size of my fist and is comfortable when inflated even for a size sleeper like me. If you want to go luxury you can get a Nemo Fillo Pillow which inflates in 2 breaths, has memory foam and packs to fist size.

The Ozark Trail 2 person camping set for $15 is the same as a pinnacle dualist from GSI, get one of the cheap $11 backpacking stoves on Amazon for $10 that everyone raves about or step up to an MSR pocket rocket 2, buy a fuel can when you get there. It will all pack inside the cook set and save space.

Get a sleeping bag that packs down small. I use a Eureka Silver City which is a budget priced bag but fits my needs. There are bags that pack a lot smaller.  

I can pack my entire system including a couple of days of food into a backpack that is a little larger than a standard school backpack thanks to the wonderful invention of compression sacks.

You can definitely pack it small enough to take with you even if you have to put everything in different bags and/or suitcases to fly out and then pack it into one bag when you get there.

Headed to the Crags?

I appreciate the gear suggestions.

I just looked up the weight of an 8-person tent, and yes, that's insanely huge for a single person, and will not be worth the hassle.

Going to the Sawtooth National Forest.

REI is going to be sold out of tents and sleeping bags... Or at least that would be my guess. Your not the only one doing what you will be doing..

Look into a hammock with a rain tarp. Hennessy has them on sell with free shipping. All you need to add is two carabiners (to clip to the tree straps) and 6 stakes. $150 gets you a 11' hammock with a zip on bug net, rain fly, snake skins and free ship. It's worth googleing before buying a tent. 

Link to Hennessy hammock

It's a tough call, and depends on how much you want to spend, versus how comfortable you want to be. I did sort of the opposite a few years ago on a trip to California. Deciding to go camping in the Sequoia National Forest for a few days, I went to a local sporting goods store (Big 5!) and bought a very basic tent, tarp, a battery lantern, a propane stove and a coffee pot. The friend I was visiting loaned me a cooler, air mattress, blankets and an old frying pan, and some knives and forks. All in all, it was enough gear to fill the trunk of my car. I wasn't going as a minimalist, so it was way more than I could have taken on the plane or in a backpack.

It worked out great for me. It was late summer, so I did not need high performance gear like you would for winter camping. I used the stuff just fine for a few days, then drove back to LA. I shipped the cheap tent and tarp back to myself because my friend had no use for them or space to keep them. I probably spent $40 to ship myself a footlocker sized box of gear worth $100. I have not even used it since. I have better stuff home, so it's just in the garage. If I were being realistic, I would have posted a craigslist "curb alert" for some free camping gear, and let someone else get some use out of it. Or post an update in the Idaho forum, and let an ar15 guy get some camping gear.

If you bought the gear first, you could get better stuff and test it out beforehand, but you'd have to find a place to ship it to (perhaps ask the campsite?). Otherwise, I think you will not fail to find an outdoor store, even a Walmart, along the way to buy a basic tent and outdoor gear. Again, if you were camping in a more extreme environment, you'd want higher quality gear, but for late summer and just a few days, I think even a Walmart tent will serve you. I got my Intex twin air mattress there for around $15 and a hand pump for $8, and that has been great for car camping for me.

So buy basic stuff out there, and decide when its over if its worth it to you to ship it home. If you bite the bullet and buy great gear, I can see it more likely that you'd ship it home.

Instead of a solar charger, I would buy a decent portable car jump starter lithium battery. I have one, a bit larger than a paperback book that will start your car, but it also has ports to use the battery it contains to charge a cell phone or laptop. They list what they are rated to charge, mine has the power to charge a phone 4 or 5 times, and a laptop twice. If that runs low, be clever about finding a place to recharge it (perhaps the campsite restroom area, or at a diner if you go out for lunch). Mine can also charge off of a running car.

For me, when I'm outdoors I do like a campfire, even if it's just a small one from scrounged wood. So bring a cotton jacket or something as an overcoat, so you don't get small holes from embers burned into an expensive nylon jacket.

If I wasn't west of Boise and out of the way a bit you could ship the stuff to my place.

3 nights? I'm thinking cheap- ass 2-person. Light it on fire on day 4. There must be a Walmart on your route.

$13.80

Don't count on REI here in Boise having much in stock around that time in terms of tents. They are limited on a good day.

Also prepare for traffic there are two roads into Stanley from the Boise area and both will be disasters that week.

Why not rent a van, and sleep in it. Buy what you need once in ID.

This.  I've done exactly this before - well except the burning part.  I packed my sleeping bag since it gets really small, but bought tent, pad, cooler etc at Walmart.  Camped for a week, in CO, left all the stuff neatly on a picnic table in a campground with a note.

I second the hammock route. I loved mine when I was in the Church.

Boise has a tri- state outfitters

There's a Cabelas in Boise and a Sportsmans Warehouse in Nampa.

Also consider this: if the weather is nice enough to see the eclipse, a poncho and blanket will be enough shelter.  
If the weather is such that you need a serious tent and sleeping bag, the eclipse will probably suck and you should turn around and beat the rush home