The easiest way to get what you need to go tent camping is a quick trip to Wal-Mart. This can get expensive if you don’t do much planning.  Like so many other departments at Wal-Mart the outdoor section has all this stuff to choose from on the shelf.  You stand looking at it asking yourself how much of it you really need. The problem is that you will have a much better understanding of what you actually use once you are set up in camp.  Until then you are guessing.

When you go camping you know you will sleep.  So you need a sleeping bag.  You know you will get hungry.  So you will need food.  Beyond that it’s all about creature comfort and possibilities.  Are you a minimalist that doesn’t need much more?  Or are you the type person that tries to think of everything and what you can do to prepare for it?  The balance is a tight rope walk somewhere in between.  

There are lists and there are websites and there are people that can tell you what to get to go camping.  There are safety items, essential items, mindful items, fun items, you name it, the list goes on and on without end.  But what are you really going to need?  Well it comes down to your own constraints.   You have to ask yourself; where do you plan on going and what are you going to do when you get there?  OK, if that’s not vague enough then here is a proven answer that seems to always work best.  Try to go somewhere you have never been before and don’t plan on doing much once you get there. 

This is the formula for successful camping.  The good news is that technology now facilitates its success more than ever.  The decisions and the details are for you to work out in executing your own plan.  Just keep in mind that planning your campout is as much fun as being there.  If by some gloomy chance it’s not then perhaps you should ratchet down your expectations a notch or two.  You may find that it will make your trip even more enjoyable because the whole purpose is to relax and have fun.