The best camping gear for your trip largely depends on what kind of camping vacation you've planned. You could be car camping, RV camping, back country camping or even canoe camping and each trip has special considerations.
The easiest trip to plan for of course is a trip in your trailer or RV. A vacation of this type is fun because it it gives you all the luxury of home in a sort of "condensed" space. Even in a a smaller trailer though the floor plans and sleeping arrangements are very well thought out giving you maximum sleeping comfort and space. Kids love to be in trailers and RV's so this type of camping vacation is really perfect for you and your family to get away from home for a few days. The kids will love it and both parents are going to be comfortable and cozy. As far as the camping gear goes when you're in an RV you can bring pretty much anything at all that you wish to bring without it being a huge burden. Many are equipped with running water and all the basic necessities of home so in that sense this is really the easiest type of camping vacation to go on. I suppose though you do need to know in advance which campsites support RV camping.
Of course some folks don't believe that camping involves sleeping in a bed and having your home kitchen at your disposal and would rather "rough it" a little bit. My thoughts exactly... But the thing is you need to pack a little lighter in order to get everything you need. You can buy specialty camping cookware and sleeping pads, camp stoves, and sleeping bags that are all of an ultralight nature and they are therefore easier to pack and carry. You don't need to pack like this so much if you're using your car as a homebase or even a site that you can drive up to directly but if you decide that camping and hiking will be the vacation for you then you definitely should consider using some of this gear. It really does make life easier when you're on the trail.
Of course there are the folks that prefer canoe camping or kayak camping. Well this is a lot of fun, and very relaxing in it's own way but if you plan on having to do any portaging on your trip then it may be done more easily if you brought along a set of wheels so you don't have to unpack your boat every time you come to the next shoreline. As well you would be extremely wise to use drybags for your gear that you can clip right to your boat. This will not only do an excellent job of keeping your stuff dry but will keep you from losing it all in the event of an upset. Boats do tip over on occasion and you need to be as prepared for it as you can be by wearing a life jacket, clothing that dries quickly when wet and all of the required safety items. You can even buy drybags that double as a backpack! As far as your camping gear goes I've always felt that the ultralight gear is best suited for this type of trip but let's face it, if you're the type of person to go on a backwoods adventure for a few days away from everybody, then you likely won't mind spending a few extra bucks on the right gear to help you do it more easily.
If you feel you need more guidance there are websites and e-books available on the internet to help get you started on your camping adventure.
So I guess the bottom line is this. All camping gear is not created equal. What you may use for camping with your kids and family may not be the best to use when back country camping. The same thing applies the other way around. If you're new to it then the best thing to do is research what people are using and why and make your decisions based on that. You don't have to spend the most money on an item to get quality but if you "nickel and dime" yourself on your gear it will likely come back to haunt you in that the gear simply will not last. Do your research, spend a bit but not more than you need to, and you'll find your gear will last you for years and years to come.
Ian Kurz is an enthusiastic camper and is the owner of the website http://www.everything-about-camping.com. Be sure to check out his site and in particular his camping for beginner page for more tips and advice to help make your camping vacation a success!
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