Camping for beginners

If you have never camped before, here are a few equipment tips for you. We are assuming that you are car camping, because total noobs probably won't do well backpacking without any prior outdoor living experience.

If you can remember only one thing, remember that REI is your friend. Your very expensive friend.

Sleeping

• You can rent a tent from REI. If possible, get a a tent with at least two doors so you don't have to climb over each other. One with the option of mesh canopy is a really nice feature during the summer. It lets you see the night sky and feel the evening breeze. Not as useful for colder nights. 
• Bring ear plugs and sleeping pills. I'm sorry to dash your romantic notions, but camping is not comfortable, so it's a challenge to get to sleep and stay asleep. Your neighbors might be sleep talking (yes, happened to us) or chatting about the many wonderful qualities of tempeh.  
• To keep yourself from being awakened by very early light, wear an eye mask and select a sleeping area that will be in the shade when the sun rises; however, do not camp directly under a tree, because branches might fall on you. 
• A sleeping bag is not enough, you must also get a sleeping pad if you don't want sharp rocks and the stiff ground to keep you up. Inflatable sleeping pads can be slippery, so you can optionally buy a sleeping pad strap to keep you on the sleeping pads. If you are car camping, why not just go with an air mattress?
• To maximize your sleeping comfort, find a spot that is flat, not sloping. If the best spot has a slope, sleep with your head at the top of the slope and your feet facing down.  

Lighting

• A flashlight would do, of course, but if you want hands-free lighting, get a headlamp. The one we particularly like is Petzl Zipka Plus 2 for many awesome reasons. It's bright, incredibly compact, works as a headlamp or wrist lamp, and has a night vision option. The red light does not destroy your night vision, so you can continue looking at the night sky or navigate to the bathroom in the dark.
• Battery operated lamps for under $5. I tell you, having a little lamp in your tent is great. It makes your tent feel a bit more civilized.
• Extra battery. What's the point of all these lighting stuff, if it has no juice?

Comfort

• If you are not getting warm enough, zip up your sleeping bag, then do sit ups until you are toasty. Mummy sleeping bags are best for keeping heat. The cheap ones you get from Target or Big 5 don't do a great job, so maybe you'll want to bring thick sweats. Women tend to have colder feet, so thick socks are a must. 
• You'll pee a lot more in the evening in the great outdoors. The cooler air just makes you want to go. Try to drink less in the evening. Before you groggily head to the toilet, shake your shoes to boot out any insect that has decided to call your shoe home. To prevent this, we encase our shoes in a plastic bag. You don't really need to seal it tight. Just have the weight of the shoe close the opening.   
• Bring a bar of soap (wash your hands when handling food) and rubbing alcohol.
• Bring insect spray to keep mosquitos off. Do not spray insecticide inside your tent, especially not with you still inside! This sounds like a big Duh! but I've been with campers who did just that (or attempted to do that before they were stopped). I swear, the best comedy in life happens around new campers. 
• Bring a folding chair.
• For fun, bring water guns.
• If you are really into hiking, consider bringing hiking poles. They really are great, and useful when finding your way to the bathroom in the dark (when you are groggy).

Food 

• Do not start fire in any area not designated as a fire pit. Just don't do it. You don't know what you're doing, despite what you think. And don't bring fireworks (Yes, we have to say that, because, again, someone tried to do just that). If the forest burns, you're going to be in the hook for that. 
• If you are getting a stove, select one that has fuel on the side, instead of underneath the burner. Those stupid things have a tendency to topple, and you end up losing your food. 
• You can bring dry stuff that won't spoil without refrigeration like nuts (high energy), instant noodles, bread, cereal, dried fruits and herbs (just because you are outdoors doesn't mean you have to eat flavorless junk). For protein, bring vacuum-sealed salmon and jerky.
• You can bring canned goods, too, but they tend to be heavy (because of the water content and the container). Of course, if you are car camping, who cares about weight. You might as well bring an ice chest with fresh meat and bacon for a grand BBQ meal and superb breakfast. 

Safety

• If you are going to bear country, read up all you can about safety precautions. That's an entire article on its own.
• Don't leave food unattended.
• Bring a first aid kit and learn how to use them. This blog includes articles of first aid. Search for them.
• Don't do stupid things. If what you're about to do has the possibility of going viral on YouTube, it's probably stupid. 

Courtesy

• Do not leave anything behind, do not take anything with you. Leave the area a better place. 

I'm making camping sound so awful, but it's wonderful. Seeing the incredible night sky, breathing in fresh air, and fellowshipping with trees and animals (hopefully ones who have no plans to eat you). And for some reason, food just taste better outdoors.

Attribution: Photo, Hardscrabble B Campsite by Rob Lee.  

Backcountry comforts

Just because you're in the boonies doesn't mean you have to be uncivilized. Here are a few neat tricks

Laundromat
Put your clothes in a wide-mouth water bottle, fill 3/4 with water and a teaspoon of biodegradable soap. Toss in the backpack. The churning action strips out the stench and you have fresh laundry. (from Dave Trendler)

Food that does double duties
Tortillas are dense in calories and don't need special packing care (they're already flat!), and it works as a yummy potholder/hotpad.

Backpacking in the cold weather

The best way to stay warm and toasty is by staying in your flannel PJs inside your house. But if you've been tricked into joining a backpacking trip (Drat!), here are some tips to make yourself as comfortable as possible in freezing weather (32° F/ 0° C). 

Wear the right clothing:

• Do not wear anything cotton. When you work up a sweat, your cotton gets wet and stays wet. This is a recipe for a shivery night.  
• Bring one more layer than you think you'd need. It is cold on the ground, plus your body doesn't generate as much heat as when you're standing up. 
• For your core body: Wear a non-cotton base layer, a light fleece sweater, and one of those thick college hoodies with a single large pocket that has two hand openings. The hoodie is the perfect outer layer because it forms a light wind shell, keeps your heard warm while you are sleeping, and provides an instant hand warmer (not all sleeping bags have that nice little feature, so it's kinda cool making your ghetto adaptation). Oh, and you can stash a water-proof glove (cycling gloves also works) in the pocket, in case your hands still get cold.   
• For your legs, get fleece, thermal wear or cycling tights, all of which are warmer than silk pants. Cycling tights are a bit more wind resistant. Put rain or snow pants over the base layer to deflect the wind. You could also just wear a wind-breaking sweat pants with fleece lining, if you don't have fancy rain/snow pants. 
• Bring a pair of really warm sleeping socks. If you don't hike with these, you can just bring one pair for sleeping. It's worth the weight when things get really cold, and your body starts retracting heat from your extremities to keep your core warm. 
• Bring a windproof beanie that goes over your ears. Then put your hood over your head to keep it from sliding out when you sleep.

Generate and conserve as much heat as possible

• Hydrate well, but stop drinking right before bed. The cold weather will make you want to go to the potty more often than usual. Each time you leave your sleeping bag, you'll need to warm it up all over again.  
• If you have to go answer nature's call, sprint back to your tent. This generates a little bit of extra heat right before you stash yourself into the now-cold sleeping bag. 
• If you are still cold, do sit ups inside your bag. You'll heat up fast, and if your bag will keep the warmth in, long after you'd stop. 

Other things to make you comfortable:

• Use an insulated 4-season air mattress (Thermarest, for example). Not only does it provide cushioning, but it keeps the ground from chilling you. 
• Invest in a bag liner. Silk, flannel, and some synthetics can add 5° or more of warmth and they keep your sleeping bag cleaner and might, for some people, feel better than the sleeping-bag fabric. Silk is the lightest and most expensive option. 
• Bring a compressible camp pillow, which has an incredible weight-to-comfort ratio (backpacking is a trade off between light weight and comfort). Yes, you could use your clothes as a pillow, but if you're wearing all your clothes because it's so darn cold, you'll need a pillow! The generic one from REI is cheap and comfy! 

Things you can ditch:

• Since you are bringing more layers than you normally do, you have to look for places to lighten the load. Double up on the food/drink pack. Consider packing single-serve soy milk instead of just plain water. It quenches thirst and it's calorie rich (compared to water).
• You probably drink less water in cold weather than in warm weather. Adjust accordingly. Don't be too stingy though. It's always better to carry more water than you think you'd need than being parched, head-achey, and grumpy, You can always spill out water. 

Saving money:

• Outdoor activities can get so expensive, so it's best to repurpose what you already have. For example, winter cycling clothing, which are designed to wick sweat out and dry rapidly, can be repurposed for other cold activities, like hiking and skiing. They are designed to keep you warm and dry without restricting movement. 
• Cycling tights take little space yet are great for keeping you warm without overheating you.  However, they are designed for the a seated, not upright position, and they can get clammy if you are one of the sweaty types. Test it out first to make sure that you're comfortable with it. The generous padding that's great in cycling might get annoying in hiking. 

Your mileage may vary with these tips and tricks, but they worked well for us. We definitely had a much better experience than our other camping buddies, who actually had better gear.