Novice Tent Camping Equipment List

Just Camp

If you were asked to come up with an activity that can be enjoyed equally by woman and men of all ages and families alike, you would be hard pressed to come up with anything besides camping. Whether it is an overnighter to a local campground or a week vacation to a campground out-of-town, the time spent is almost guaranteed to be relaxing. Almost all campgrounds these days have restroom facilities and hookups for water and power, or for the tent campers, sites that are secluded with no amenities. Often campgrounds even have sites that are only accessible by foot for the people who really want peace and quiet.

Some of the tools and equipment that are available on the market today would even make McGuyver proud. Shovels that can fold down to a 3" by 6" belt pack, the classic Leatherman, and propane trees are a few of my favorites. No more carrying 10 propane cylinders. One twenty pound propane tank, the propane tree, a couple of hoses and your set for a week (as long as you have the capability of transporting that type of setup).

Anywhere in the northeast the weather is always a gamble. During the summer months you are generally safe from anything too severe, but because we don't live in a desert, the threat of rain and thunderstorms is always present. For those of you with pop-up trailers and motor homes rain is not as much of a concern as with the tent enthusiasts. Most dome tents on the market now come with a rain fly that will protect you from most bouts with wet weather. Some cabin style tents also come with rain fly's but most rely on the quality of the roof material. The biggest thing to watch with either scenario is the seams. Make sure you take extra care in waterproofing the seams on all sides including the roof and floor. Tent campers should also be aware of where they place the tent, making sure that they set up on the higher ground that is around them. A shovel is a good thing to pack, in case of a harder rain storm you can always dig a small run off trench to divert running water away from the tent. If you are so unfortunate to get stuck in a heavy rain, you will be thankful to have packed an extra tarp to secure over top of the tent which will give you the extra insurance of staying dry. Jury rigging things like that is part of the fun for most tent campers.

On the other side of the coin, sunlight is as much a detriment to tent material as anything. Check with the manufacturer of your tent and see what they say about the expected life span of your tent due to UV rays. Ultra-Violet rays have the same effect on nylon as moths do on cloth. You will more then likely be surprised by the answer you get from the customer service rep at your manufacturer when you ask them about the life expectancy of your tent.

Good planning and packing for the unexpected is usually the key to enjoying an extended camping trip. However, if you are truely an outdoor lover, no matter what mother nature has in store for you, in the end, the trip will be enjoyable and memorable.