never been camping :(

33neenaj

A shotgun

Lodge78

My one little tip for when you are setting up your tent is make sure the ground is flat and that when you lay down you dont feel like you are going to roll one way or another, it really makes for a very uncomfortable sleep.

MooMooooo

Maybe camp in your backyard first. My husband and I have done this (adults, no kids) just because it's super fun.

It'll be fun for your kids and will be a taste of what it's like to sleep in a tent. You'll at least get an idea of what bedding you'll need. oh, and how much better junk food tastes outside.

thefreebiemom

warm clothing! you will be surprised how cool the nights are even in the summer.

go someplace close to you for the first time, it's easier, you'll feel less overwhelmed, and until you become really good at it, it's easy to run home for some necessity you forgot.

take a pillow.

we use bungy cords to keep the coolers closed and wedged under the pic nic table seat to keep the animals out.

bring extra snacks, being outdoors and busy will make the kids extra hungry!

In places out west like here in Utah you aren't supposed to leave any trace of food at all outside of your vehicle or outside of the locked metal food box if the park has one. Bears don't care whether its bungee corded and they really could care less that the food is under the picnic table and you are all the way over in the tent when they get a sense of food and are rummaging around your camp site. We have had bear attacks out here from people being irresponsible with their food stuffs.

** On a more amusing note, when we lived in Florida and went camping we would put chips and stuff in the cooler and put heavy things like rocks and camping equipment on top of it to keep the raccoons out. One night we heard a rummaging outside the tent and we looked outside and there was a raccoon sitting on the picnic table who had knocked everything off of the cooler and opened the cooler (didn't knock it over actually opened the lid) and had popped open a bag of chips and was eating them. When he saw us he ran off with the bag of chips in his mouth spilling a trail of them behind him. Smart little buggers.

Another note: to an inexperienced camper, nighttime raccoons sound identical to nighttime bears. And I wouldn't count on raccoons running off with your Doritos: my experience says the raccoon will continue to eat HIS Doritos while looking you, daring you to call those Doritos YOUR Doritos. Raccoons aren't afraid of many things.

This was in a very popular camping spot in an area where raccoons are everywhere. The only bears in FL are black bears and I have been in the woods a lot over 25 years and have never seen one, although they are supposed to be very small down there. They had don't feed the raccoon signs all over the place because they had previous issues with raccoons coming around because people were feeding them. This particular area was a spring and had stone walls around the boundaries so definitely no bears there but you are right. You never really know what animal is lurking outside, which is why its better to be safe then sorry and keep your food in your car or in the food boxes. In Yosemite for example bears were trained long ago to go to people for food and these days you can't leave your food in the car because they WILL tear the doors off your car to get to it. All food has to go in the food boxes.

OnionMomma

Do what we do for now, camp in the backyard!!!! If you forget something, you can just run inside.

We would like to do the "real thing" in the fall when it's not soo stinking hot though.

bonboncito

Thank you all for responding and it look like it take lots of work. I will defenitely be camping in my back yard first. I want an air mattress.:happy: An we will be buying one tent since my kiddos are still small. Thanks again and I will Let you know how my first camp out goes.

AReasor

Unusual but handy items: baby wipes, large ziploc bags and clothes pins.

OnionMomma

Thank you all for responding and it look like it take lots of work. I will defenitely be camping in my back yard first. I want an air mattress.:happy: An we will be buying one tent since my kiddos are still small. Thanks again and I will Let you know how my first camp out goes.

We use a fire pit to cook hot dogs and make smores on, it's fun!! My son loves it, he's almost 6.

We didn't have an air mattress but after many sore nights in the tent, we took the mattress out of the roll away couch we have!! Best sleep ever in a tent.

We also bought our tent off of Craige's List.

WickedGarden

Maybe camp in your backyard first. My husband and I have done this (adults, no kids) just because it's super fun.

It'll be fun for your kids and will be a taste of what it's like to sleep in a tent. You'll at least get an idea of what bedding you'll need. oh, and how much better junk food tastes outside.

^^^this

since you have never camped before:
pack like you are going away to camp (from the list someone posted)
Then while you are 'camping' you will discover what you will need or not need and add or take away from the list

I have camped in all kinds of weather snow, rain, blistering heat, dust storms, and for days on end. All types of camping too, bare bones-no running water/bathroom, no picnic table, no cell service, middle of nowhere in the woods and almost glamping-camper, hot showers, reserved site.

MaryJane_8810002

I have not gone camping since High School. Make sure you have flashlights, batteries,