stuff to go camping?

[IndianInlaw]

Wear a hat with a brim.

Bring insect repellent wipes, no bulky bottle or can to tote around.

Get a fanny pack, so you can keep your important stuff with you all all times.

Camp on a high spot, in case it rains.

Try camping in your back yard a night or two.  That way you can work all the bugs out, ahead of time.

Check out websites like this:

ttp://camping.about.com/od/campingforbeginners/Camping_for_Beginners.htm

[Shoo]

I disagree on the air mattress; they almost never last and you always wake up sleeping on the ground anyway.  A cheap piece of foam rubber (is that the same thing over there as it is here?) will cost about the same and won't go flat on you in the middle of the night. 

Depends on what you buy.  We've been using the same air mattresses for years, and we camp a lot.  We got the Coleman ones.  They are very durable and are so comfy, you won't want to get out of bed in the morning.

[Gwywnnydd]

Bring an extra set of dry clothes or at least a pair of sweats in case it rains.   

In a Ziploc (tm) bag . Put your spare change of clothes in a ziploc bag. So you *know* you have dry clothes.

And pack another pair of spare socks. Yes, you've already packed a spare pair, Pack another . Wet feet are miserable.

[ginlyn32]

I am also going to recommend you get a cheap camp stove. You will need a small propane tank.

This is so that incase it rains, you will still be able to heat something up for dinner.

I would also bring several canned items and a hand-crank can opener. Like soup, stew or ravioli. This way if it is awful out, you wont have to worry about too much mess.

Ginger

[snoopygirl]

I thank everybody for the suggestions and I will use them but where I am going camping I can not bring open bottles or food. I am going to a music festival and basically all I need is a tent which I do not know how to buy.

[freakyfemme]

I thank everybody for the suggestions and I will use them but where I am going camping I can not bring open bottles or food. I am going to a music festival and basically all I need is a tent which I do not know how to buy.

How many people are going?  I know from experience, if, say, four people are going camping, don't get a four-person tent, get one that's meant for six or even eight people.  When the tent manufacturers say "sleeps four," they mean four VERY skinny, VERY friendly people, who must also be extremely stupid, because these mythical "people" don't seem to mind leaving their belongings outside, because there's no way in hell they'l fit in the tent with four people in it, lol.  Oh, and get a tent with a waterproof fly in case of rain.....don't pitch the tent over moss, because it absorbs rainwater that can leak through the floor, and don't touch the walls of the tent if it rains either.

[Harriet Jones]

I thank everybody for the suggestions and I will use them but where I am going camping I can not bring open bottles or food. I am going to a music festival and basically all I need is a tent which I do not know how to buy.

How many people are going?  I know from experience, if, say, four people are going camping, don't get a four-person tent, get one that's meant for six or even eight people.   

Only if she wants to share the tent with anyone.  I guess I was assuming snoopygirl would be in the tent by herself.  Also she's not really going camping camping, so it's not as though she going to be living out of her tent.

If it's just going to be her and her stuff only, a 2 person dome tent would be best ...  it's small and should have room for her things.

[Evil Duckie]

.

[megsdavy]

I would just wait till you are in Ireland and have your fiancée take you to the local camping stores which there is at least two good size ones off and a few smaller ones.

[hobish]

1 sharp utility knife

TP - always, no matter where you are camping

comfy shoes - 2 or 3 pair is better in case they get wet (1 week)
socks - clean dry socks are like heaven when camping

towel, toothbrush

2 pair of pants and 1 comfy skirt

5 tshirts

2 sweatshirts/jackets

bug spray

hat

flashlight - if you are using port-a-pots i recommend one you can hold in your mouth.

plastic bags  - they're great for padding & infinitely useful

- witch hazel or some other face cleanser you can just splash on - there are also great biofriendly camp soaps available in some places

...personally i am a fan of the air mattress, but i have gone camping on a hillside where the air mattress was too squishy to hold two people and it made me sick ... i think that's a matter of taste and terrain.

- something to share with other people in case they forgot something

-fun

[Belle]

I don't think anybody has mentioned this yet. Before you go:

• set-up your tent in the backyard, to make sure you have all the pieces, everything zips properly, etc. (plus it gives you practice figuring out how to set it up.)
• once you've set it up, spray it with a hose to check for any holes. (Trust me, you don't want to wait until it rains to find out that there's a hole in it!)

As others have said, if you're not doing hard-core, serious camping (e.g., miles away from civilization, low temperatures, etc.), a local mega-store will probably have what you need. And tents today are FAR easier to put up then they used to be (and much, much lighter to carry!).

Have fun! I'm rather jealous--Tori Amos is one of my favorite singers.