If you've never camped before, we recommend trying car camping first. You'll have more room to pack essentials, plus such extras as fold-up camp chairs and bicycles. Please note that preparing for a backpacking trip is a fine art. You'll need to carry everything you and your kids need, a process that requires planning, extra expense for specialized equipment, and physical strength.
• Tent(s): Dome-style tents with fiberglass poles are easy to assemble and reasonably priced.
• Sleeping bags: Nylon mummy bags filled with synthetic fiber are optimal. For small kids, sturdy, washable camp bags are perfectly adequate and far less expensive. Don't buy down bags; they have to be dry-cleaned, and they collapse when wet.
• Plastic ground cloth.
• Camp stove, fueled with white gas, propane or butane (bring extra fuel).
• Pots, pans, plastic dishes, utensils.
• Bottle and can openers.
• Sharp knife (in custody of parents).
• Water bottles and plenty of water. Purifiers for untreated water.
