Thinking about taking up camping again

[Leros]

I haven't been camping since I was a kid. I could use some time alone and some time with nature, so I was thinking about taking a solo camping trip. I'm down in Austin, TX so the weather shouldn't be too cold.

I have no gear, so I was looking at the Academy website. They have some very cheap equipment ($40 tents, $20 30F sleeping bags, $20 stoves, $10 mess kits). I just wondering if this stuff is complete crap or if it will work for my needs. I'm not doing anything hardcore, just a day or two at a drive up campsite in some state park.

 

[Oil]

I would recommend a trip to REI to check out camping equipment. They have much better stuff than Academy.

Don't forget the importance of good hiking boots. Athletic shoes are not going to cut it unless you are only walking on established trails

 

[dougp]

Most of Academy's stuff is complete crap on the low end. If you're looking for cheap, check Camping World - they sell older items for decent prices. Don't forget to check out your local army surplus for a good sleeping bag also.

 

[DrPizza]

Since you're driving in vs. backpacking in, you'll save a lot of money on camping gear. For 2 days, I'd recommend a propane lantern, and a propane burner/cooktop thing. Big enough for 1 pan & screw to the top of the propane tank. 2 tanks of propane. Bring a cooler with awesome food, especially a great big t-bone for dinner, and a pound of bacon for breakfast.

Take the top rack out of your grill at home, use that for over a campfire (prop it on rocks.) Bring whatever pots/pans you'd need from home. Paper plates, etc., that you can toss into your fire when done using. 2 days? 12 pack of your favorite beer. A case of beer if you think you might make some new friends at the state park. A relatively cheap tent is fine. You don't necessarily need a sleeping bag; a couple of old blankets from home are fine. Get one of those eggshell mattress topper things though to fold & put underneath you, else some other type of mat or blow-up mattress. And, bring a real pillow that you like. If you were backpacking in, things like the pillow would suck. Bring a bunch of rope. You'll never know when you need it (hanging the lantern from a tree, holding up the cheap tent, etc.) As far as the tent goes, the simpler the set-up, the better, especially since no one is going to help you. A lot of them are really simple - 3 poles that are bungie corded together - slide through the slots, tie the top center of the tent where they cross, insert each end of a pole into a reinforced tab (or a metal pin holds each end). 3 minutes to set one of those tents up. Radio. Camera.

State Park? You can probably get away with decent sneakers that are comfortable. Then again, I'm more of a sneakers person as long as the ground isn't muddy or covered in snow.

Slowly ease yourself into camping by getting just a little new equipment each time you go out. After a short amount of time, you'll think "I wish I had..." and that will better guide you than any list we could make up. But, a warning, it doesn't take long before you've spent thousands of dollars "I wish I had a camper instead of this tent." "I wish I had a canoe." "I wish I had a small boat." "I wish I had a bigger boat" "I wish I had a fish finder" "I wish I had a fish finder with GPS and maps loaded into it of the lake and the bottom contours." It never ends.

 

[GoSharks]

Originally posted by: Oil
Don't forget the importance of good hiking boots. Athletic shoes are not going to cut it unless you are only walking on established trails

Boots are extremely overrated. The only place I see for them is if you are carrying 40+ pounds on your back. I've always used trail runners or a similar shoe.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: GoSharks

Originally posted by: Oil
Don't forget the importance of good hiking boots. Athletic shoes are not going to cut it unless you are only walking on established trails

Boots are extremely overrated. The only place I see for them is if you are carrying 40+ pounds on your back. I've always used trail runners or a similar shoe.

I climbed halfway up Mt. Baker carrying a 45 lb. pack in my New Balance running shoes. Once we got to the glacier and camped I had my plastic boots and crampons of course. Going up the shoes were just fine, on the way down I wish I had some more ankle support though and was definitely slower than the rest of my group.

 

[olds]

Check garage sales and the Salvation Army for used equipment.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

You should just invest in decent quality gear. You don't have to get the best, but it will last a lot longer. Whereas cheap stuff wont last long/

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Oil
I would recommend a trip to REI to check out camping equipment. They have much better stuff than Academy.

Don't forget the importance of good hiking boots. Athletic shoes are not going to cut it unless you are only walking on established trails

I suggest REI as well. Actually, they're having a big sale this Friday online. 50% off of clearance items ending in .83

 

[krunchykrome]

You can order some stuff on Amazon for low prices. My wife and I go camping as many times as we can during the year. Actually, Im planning a winter camping trip next Saturday. My wife doesnt want to come because of the cold weather, so this might be my first solo camping trip as well.

In the past, we've hauled so much stuff with us to go camping. We have every toy you can think of. This year, I want to minimize the stuff we bring, and only take the essentials.