If you are first time family campers, you may be totally confused as to what basic equipment for a  family camping trip is needed.  Here are some tips and advice to get you planning a family camping trip in no time.

Tent:

A tent is the main piece of basic equipment for a family camping trip to consider.   If you are planning to use a car to get to your destination, the size and weight of the tent is only limited by your cargo space.

Choose a tent that will accommodate 2 more people than will be using the tent.  That is, a 4 person tent will allow 2 people  some extra space to move around in.  If you have 2 children, a 2 room tent is ideal.  Remember, this is your largest investment, but if you buy wisely, you’ll only have to purchase this once.   Check here for some excellent tips on how to buy a tent.

Sleeping Bags and Pads:

Your next equipment buy should be sleeping bags and pads.  If you are a beginner, most likely you will be planning to camp in good weather.  Check the weather rating on the bag.  There’s no need to buy a bag rated for zero degrees if you’ll be camping out in weather that never goes below fifty.  For added warmth and comfort, you can always purchase bags that zip together and sleep two.  Don’t forget to buy pads to put under your sleeping bags.  The ground can get mighty hard and cold after an hour of sleeping on it.

Propane Stove:

Next you may want to consider a propane stove.  Most campgrounds provide charcoal grills, but a week of cooking every meal over charcoal for an entire family is enough to drive anyone over the edge.  In order to keep your sanity, be sure to put this item in your family camping budget.

Finally, depending on the size of your family, a large cooler is in order.  You don’t want to spend your entire family vacation heading for the store.  You know that you always spend more money than you planned once you enter that store!

Other Items:

• Bring a flashlight for every family member and a battery operated lantern for the tent.  Avoid propane lanterns as they are hot and attract bugs.
• Don’t forget batteries.  Flashlights and lanterns always seem to die out at the most inconvenient times.
• A tarp to put under the tent will help prevent tears and keep the tent bottom dry in case the soil is damp from rain.
• Most other items you will have around the house such as pillows, pots and pans, eating utensils, and toilet paper.

Once you make the initial investment, you will find family camping vacations to be quite inexpensive.  Hopefully, you’ll get to enjoy your investment on many memorable family camping tirps.