[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Help me get started camping (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 12/8/2011 10:32:40 AM EDT
| Looking to get into camping next Spring or Fall. What do I need to jump into the game? Looking to get into it for $300 or less. Mainly use my XJ for storage and what not while camping. |
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this is a good place to ask
Also, where do you live and what is the climate like? Depending on where you live, and if you want to camp 4 seasons or not, 300 may or may not get you very far. |
| Where are you? Big difference between spring in the Rockies and spring in, say, Louisiana. Off the top, though, something between you and the ground, something between you and anything that falls out of the sky, something to let you see around in the dark, something(s) to start a fire with, something to store water, something to boil water/cook a Mountain House/melt snow with, something that cuts and, of course, toilet paper (unless you're REALLY knowledgeable about the local vegetation). |
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XJ? As in Jeep? All you'll need for your first trip is a sleeping bag and a Wal Mart tent. Maybe a flashlight and a bottle of booze. Oh, and food because the pizza guy will most likely out of range if you are doing it right. I predict you'll know much more what you need for your second trip after the first. By the time you've done it a dozen times you'll be quite comfortable. |
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If this is your first time, start slow. I recommend borrowing some equipment from your outdoorsy friends and doing a "test run" in your back yard.
First, you don't want to spend a boatload of cash on gear and then find out it doesn't work or you don't like that piece of gear. Second, because you are new to camping you will inevitably forget something critical or you might just hate camping in general. It's much easier to go back into the house for that forgotten item than to break down camp and drive two hours back home. If you end up hating it (or if your tent leaks or something similarly catastrophic), you can just go back inside your house and call it an evening. Again, hard to do if you're already out in the middle of nowhere with a leaky tent. Start out with the basics of survival: shelter, food and water. Clothing is included in shelter, by the way. Quoted:
Mainly use my XJ for storage and what not while camping. Your Jaguar or Jeep is coming along? That's not really camping.   Seriously, just give it a go in your back yard with borrowed gear.
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Quoted:
Mooch of experienced people for several trips until you figure out what you like. (It is cheaper that way, and you end up buying once and crying once) This is really not a bad idea. You have to decide what kind of camping you want to do before you start gearing up. "Car camping" at campgrounds is completely different from camping in the woods/backpacking. They require different gear. Summer camping is much simpler and cheaper than three season camping. Borrow some gear and hit a local campgrounds. Limit it at first to one overnight during the summer when they aren't calling for rain. Everyone has their own style for camping and unless you get some experience first you will end up buying gear that will quickly become obsolete to you. You CAN get started for $300 but first you need to learn enough to know the difference between decent gear and crap. There is a lot of crap out there but there are also great deals on used gear. Sporting goods, in general, doesn't sell for much used. CL and garage sales are your friend, also eBay and word of mouth. There's a lot of good gear sitting around in basements and garages that haven't been touched in years. |
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PLenty of outdoor stores have rental departments which is a great way to get into the game without any big commitments and to try out some good gear. If there is an REI or an EMS close to you they generally have great rental departments. Also stay away from cheap gear, buying a shit tent and getting caught in a rainstorm is a great way to sour an inexperienced person to the outdoors quick. I highly recommend Steepandcheap http://www.steepandcheap.com/ which always has great deals on outdoor items. I bought my newest tent there which is a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 that normally runs $400-$500 for $329. |
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Quoted: For $300, you're looking at a tent, sleeping bag and a campstove. I got into everything for less, and with quality components. Closeouts, buying used, and improvising are your friends. OP: Subscribe to The Clymb, hit REI & Cabelas's outlets (online or in the store), and scour Craigslist. The real $$ comes with light weight components. If you're not trying to minimize weight and size, you can do it even cheaper. DealExtreme has a shit ton of cheap accessories (including some very nice stoves for as little as $9 shipped). There is NO reason to spend a ton, unless you're hardcore and need to have the latest/greatest. I still enjoy the hell out of it, and spend very little. |
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It really depends on what you have to start with. Ive trained scouts for years what to use when they first start off and modify later. My advice (depending what you need) is buy clearnce. You can get a lot of good gear just because the new models of just bout everything.
FYI try at mil surplus stores as well |
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Needs: A good tent. A good sleeping bag. Camp stove. Here's a checklist. You don't need anywhere near everything on it, but it can give you some ideas: http://camping.about.com/od/campinggearchecklists/l/blchklist.htm Don't go to a place where you'll be surrounded by RV's if your tent/car camping. Go when the weather is good. Tent camping sucks in the rain. If available, consider cabin camping. Many areas have remote cabins for rent. No worries about the rain, and if you've never camped before it can help you get your feet wet. For better information, the state your in, and if your going with family/spouse/just yourself would be good. Also other outdoor experience that you have. |
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Quoted:
Looking to get into camping next Spring or Fall. What do I need to jump into the game? Looking to get into it for $300 or less. Mainly use my XJ for storage and what not while camping. $300? Walmart. Seriously. WalMart shopping list: Tent Sleeping bag Tarp big enough to cover tent (if it is the store brand) anything else EXCEPT: Sleeping pad (self inflating type) get that from REI, Acadamy, Cabellas, etc. Thermarest is the best. JetBoil, if space is an issue |
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Quoted: Quoted: do you guys take your dogs with you camping? Hell yes. My dog would grow opposable thumbs and shoot me in my sleep if I didn't take her. I do but my dog has figured out how to unzip the tent to let her self out  so I have to tie the zippers together so she does not escape.
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Shop pawn shops, yard/garage sales and Goodwill/Salvation Army stores for used gear. For car camping (you mentioned the Jeep, so I presume you're not talking about primitive backpacking)... Shelter. Tent is most common, but in some areas not really necessary. If you're taking a woman with you, get a tent. This is a great time of year to shop for a tent. Wal-Mart and the like will have Coleman or similar tents on clearance. If you're planning on two people, get at least a four-person tent. Six-person would be better. I presume you're not going out in the dead of winter, so just abnout any Wal-Mart grade tent will be fine. For family-style car camping, Coleman tents are more than adequate. Something like this for $99: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-Cimmaron-8-Person-Modified-Dome-Tent-14-x-8/16677083 You can often find used camp stoves like this one for under $50. Sometimes as low as $20.  Some folks prefer propane to white gas or multi-fuel stoves. Propane is convenient and often simmers better. You can get a cheap propane stove anywhere. Forget air mattresses, get cots. Military surplus cots are great and inexpensive. If you're concerned about a lack of romance from separate beds, go with the air mattress but you won't sleep nearly as well. For car camping, get rectangular sleeping bags that are rated for temps much colder than you expect. You'll also want a big plastic tote to carry your plates/cups/utensils/cookware, etc. Don't forget the coffee pot. Take more TP than you think you'll need, and a shovel. ETA - several flashlights and lots of extra batteries |
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Here's my basics of car camping: (backpacking is not in my wheelhouse)
Tent. If you can't get one for under $75 I'll eat my hat. Try Amazon lightning deals, steepandcheap.com, Costco, etc. Do NOT look at REI or Cabelas, they are good tents, but way out of your budget. ground pad - gotta insulate yourself from the cold ground. This can get pricey Sleeping bag - If you're warm weather camping, you can get away with less money here. Camp Stove - $40 will get you a very nice 2-burner Coleman propane stove off amazon. mess kit - you need pots & pans to cook on. Lantern - Huge variety of propane, white gas, battery powered lanterns to choose from. If you don't get a lantern, get a headlamp, but it's liable to be just as much money. Water jug - 2 gallons at least. Picnic cooler. I could definitely pick all this stuff up for $300, but I know where to shop. ;) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G66GS8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00168PI4S/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000P9F1EQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009PUQ6O/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00363V534/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009PUTHA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J2GUOU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER |
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You can comfortably truck camp for under $300 easily $109 Double wall tent: http://www.cabelas.com/view-tents-cabelas-xpg-8482-ultralight-tent-1.shtml $80 20* synthetic bag: http://www.campmor.com/kelty-womens-light-year-climashield-xp-20-degree-sleeping-bag-regular.shtml?source=CI&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=43132R $25ish: Buy USGI pad, canteen cup, canteen stove, and trioxane bars from you favorite milsurp supplier. $60ish: Add LED headlamp, hatchet, percolator, and cast iron griddle from wally world. Have fun and buy more/new gear as you see what works Speed |
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Quoted:
For $300, you're looking at a tent, OR sleeping bag OR a campstove. FIFY
As others have said OP, it all depends upon the climate where you are going. Because you plan on "car camping" you can be as savy or as spendy as you want. When you start packing in and out of the mountains (and I mean REAL mountains- not those foothills back East) wth everything on your back you pay dearly for every oz of weight saved. Fill us in and see if you cant get this moved to the outdoors section. |
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If there's an EMS near you, go talk to them, oddly enough they actually DO have a clue. Likewise a cabela's or similar store. EMS often rents equipment as well. That way you could try a couple different setups before plunking down a bunch of money on stuff you quickly figure out is not your style.
Personally, I've been using a Eureka 4 man (yeah right) tent in their generic green for a long time. I originally got it for a one month camping trip around the south west and have used it off and on since. It works well but is NOT well suited to really windy locations. It's a good balance between cost, quality and size for two people and some gear. I've got an old down sleeping bag my parents originally bought my grandfather. It's old school, warm, light, packs pretty small, and if you get it wet it's gonna take six years to dry out without help or a lot of sun. Modern bags are pretty good, but it comes down to where you plan to use it and temp range needed. A sleeping pad is pretty much a requirement for comfort as well, and makes a big difference in how well a bag actually performs in keeping you warm. My standard size thermarest in blaze orange is over 20 years old now and works nicely. Those three items all roll/stuff/collapse into roughly equal size packages. The tent weighs the most by far, then it's a toss up between the sleeping gear, I'd have to go weigh them to figure it out. Then there's things like a lantern of some sort, cooking gear.... Again, location matters. Some places don't allow fires and restrict what kind of cooking gear can be used. I use a little Whisperlite International with white gas generally, but if you're using a vehicle at the camp site a coleman stove is nice. I have historically used a large wide bowl as an eating container. It serves as a bowl and plate, even a prep container sometimes. It's made of a pretty normal plastic, I'm not sure exactly but it seems like ABS to me. It wouldn't be suitable for super cold conditions but I'm not a hard core camper, if it's that nasty out I'm not camping. If I didn't have an option I'd just eat out of the cookware if the bowl broke due to the cold. Remember to bring things for personal hygiene and also CLEANING the dishes. Again, check out the camping stores, you aren't going to want to use dawn out there. I use wet wipes for basic personal washing and just stick them in a ziplock that serves as a small/wet trashbag. I keep a fast drying camp towel as well. Nearly all my gear is over 10 years old now, if you buy decent stuff and care for it you can get a LOT of use from it. If you aren't careful or buy cheap you'll wind up spending way more very quickly. A cheap tent you have to replace after three uses is not cheaper than a much better one for 50% more that lasts indefinitely. My last bit of advice, your first camping trip should be in your backyard (or a friend's backyard if you don't have one that works). At the very least, cook a meal outside with your gear, sleep on a hardwood floor with your sleeping gear and the window open (or otherwise adjust temp to your planned conditions). Setup and tear down the tent a few times during the day. Then do it at night. You'll figure out real fast what works and what doesn't. Little things like "maybe a little glow in the dark tape on each pole would be handy" or "I need a different cooking implement for stirring, this one melts against the pot..." are easy to fix beforehand, not when you figure them out in the boonies. |
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Quoted: This will be camp site. So I will drive up, park, pitch a tent and thats it. Thanks for the info this helps a lot. I like that Cabelas tent. I have been using that tent backpacking for about 5 or 6 years now  Remember, small tents will keep you a bit warmer and double wall tents are less likely to form moisture inside in the am  Don't get overwhelmed with gear. Just make sure your tent and sleeping bag are sufficient and you have some sort of ground pad (even yoga mats will work); you'll figure out what you like best as you spend more time outside. Speed |
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This might be a personal preference thing, but I think tents with the sleeves that you feed the poles through are yucky. Not a huge fan of those. Instead, I suggest getting a tent whereby you clip on the poles to pitch it. Setup time is much faster and are worth their weight in gold if you have to set up in high wind, downpour, or in the dark. As a rule, depending on how many people you are accommodating, you want to get a tent designed for one more person than your party. Backpacking tents are unrealistic in their sizing unless you and your friends are midgets. Go to your REI and check out their wares and their staff is usually pretty knowledgeable. Marmot, Sierra Designs, and REI have pretty quality offerings for decent prices.
A sleeping pad is also a must have as it insulates you from the rocky ground and stops heat loss from conduction. Thermarest makes an affordable foam pad that works well. Sleeping bags come in all shapes and sizes. Just make sure you buy one that is appropriate to the temperature and climate you will be camping in. For most purposes, a three season bag will do fine, but it all depends on what your environment will be. |
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Quoted:
This will be camp site. So I will drive up, park, pitch a tent and thats it. Thanks for the info this helps a lot. I like that Cabelas tent. That opens your gear choices up to just about anything. Like mentioned, most bigger outdoor stores rent gear to test and sell the stuff at the end of the season at discount. I have a cot tent for car camping. Pull out, unfold...camp in comfort. If you really want to go super deluxe down the road, you can get a propane oven. Hot chili and fresh cornbread under the stars is hard to beat. |
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Okay, now it depends on what you want to eat and drink while you are there since you know you need a tent and sleeping bags. It means the difference between whether you need to buy a camp stove, cooler, a grill to put over the fire, etc. Lanterns are nice but not really needed if you have a flash light and a fire. You'll want an axe if you are going to gather your own wood.
I'd definitely recommend some type of pad or air mat, or maybe a cot, especially if you are over 30. 
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One big thing is do not be in a hurry to buy all your gear. If you look at places in the off-season (like right after Christmas) you can get great clearance items. I know Gander Mountain has excellent deals on small stuff, just this year I got a Jetboil for super cheap on clearance just because I waited for it to go down. REI will also give great discounts at the right time but most of the really great deals will be found perusing the stores on a regular basis and knowing what you want and what is good. |
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Watch this site, they have some good deals every now and then. http://www.gearscan.com/ |
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Quoted:
This will be camp site. So I will drive up, park, pitch a tent and thats it. Thanks for the info this helps a lot. I like that Cabelas tent. How many days? Just you? Wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, kids? What do you plan to do for food? Cook? Prepare food in advance and reheat? What equipment do you already have? Ice chest? Sleeping bag? |
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Personally unless you just NEED one for some reason i'd forego a tent.
A canvas tarp and a roll of paracord suffices for ground cover and/or rain.* Canvas because it doesn't wake the dead every time the breeze blows a little bit. You don't really need a stove. Find a piece of expanded metal to use as a grill. Most car-campsites will have a fire ring or even small grills set on posts. One thing you WILL want is a comfortable chair. *Unless you have a female going with you. It's not the "necessities" that you miss when camping. It's the comfort stuff. Like chairs and a good pad to sleep on. And being warm while sleeping. Those can make the difference between your girl enjoying her outing, or never going again. |
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For car camping you don't really need to buy much of anything. Some blankets to sleep on/in, a $10 tarp and some twine if it's rainy in your AO, a $10 bug net if it's bug infested. Use cheap cast iron to cook on a fire.
Even better, learn to build shelter from available local resources. Camping gets expensive when you want to go backpacking. |
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Quoted: Personally unless you just NEED one for some reason i'd forego a tent. A canvas tarp and a roll of paracord suffices for ground cover and/or rain.* Canvas because it doesn't wake the dead every time the breeze blows a little bit. That depends highly on the Insect population. I would not dare go without a tent around here in warm weather. |
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Quoted:
Personally unless you just NEED one for some reason i'd forego a tent. A canvas tarp and a roll of paracord suffices for ground cover and/or rain.* Canvas because it doesn't wake the dead every time the breeze blows a little bit. You don't really need a stove. Find a piece of expanded metal to use as a grill. Most car-campsites will have a fire ring or even small grills set on posts. One thing you WILL want is a comfortable chair. *Unless you have a female going with you. It's not the "necessities" that you miss when camping. It's the comfort stuff. Like chairs and a good pad to sleep on. And being warm while sleeping. Those can make the difference between your girl enjoying her outing, or never going again. Unless there are mosquitoes. Then bring a tent. |
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No shit. Figure out what you want and put an ad in Craigslist under 'wanted'.
You ought to be able to get squared away for under $75 with any luck. Seriously. There are an AWFUL lot of people right now with garagefuls of stuff they don't want anymore that they will let go for garage sale prices, ESPECIALLY this close to Christmas when they need the extra money for presents. |