Camping: equipment, recipes, tips

That’s kind of hardcore for someone who doesn’t camp much. I never sleep well that exposed. Car or tent camping might be a better way to start, but since you’re already set on this my advice would to consider warmth and staying dry a top priority. Get a really warm sleeping bag and maybe even bring extra clothes you keep in the car just in case.

As for food, I like to do “camping” food with most prep work done at home, like creating those foil packets with chicken or fish, veggies, spices, and a little butter, then cooking over the fire. Or steak and a can of baked beans and a salad. Walking tacos. Pie iron grilled cheese. Hamburgers. I usually bring a cut-up watermelon, or big bowl of fruit salad. And for breakfast we do pancakes or eggs and steak in a cast iron pan. It’s unnecessary, and sandwiches and granola bars would be so much easier, but to me it’s half the fun of camping.

I've done a fair amount of camping but when you said teen and then added the above items, that would be a hard pass for me. LOL

Because of the open shelter, I would bring lots of layers, perhaps a tarp to stake over the open bit in case it rains, and bear spray

The last time we camped I did three meals. One was chili. I prepared the chili and corn muffins ahead of time. We cooked the chili in a dutch oven and warmed the corn muffins on our campers side grill.

Then I was sausage and sauerkraut. Super easy in a dutch oven.

But the recipe everyone raved about was the jambalaya I made. Here's the recipe I used: 50campfires.com/dutch-oven-jambalaya/

DH does a lot of camping with the Boy Scouts, even years after DS went away to college. He loves camping and i hate it, so it works for me. He loves his meals out camping and the adult leaders always made really good meals. I guess being outside really works up an appetite. I would do all of the meal prep that I possibly could do ahead of time, including anything that cooks for a long time (like the chili above). If it rains, you still have food. Definitely do all the cutting and meat prep ahead since it’s a PITA to haul water and heat it to wash hands and dishes properly any more than you have to do. I’d also add in some disposable gloves to help with sanitation. You can freeze meals or the meat to help keep things cold.

Do you have your own shelter or will you be sharing with others? Consider privacy issues with dressing, washing up, and toileting.

You’re definitely going to want air mattresses. Bring a blanket or tarp to keep under the mattress to keep it from getting punctures from splinters.

Dress in layers. It will get hot fast once the sun comes up and cool down fast when it sets. Or it will be humid and a billion degrees—you’ll know that as the date gets closer.

A ball cap will help if it rains, even under a rain jacket. Especially if you wear glasses.

For the first time, I’d probably consider and earlier trip to test the waters before you spend 4 days outdoors. And make it only a day or two. Discuss ahead what your parameters are to bail out. Third day straight of rain? Bugs horrible? A skunk visitor? Is a trip to town or a visitor center a possibility mid trip to get out of the dirt?

Since you're packing it in a half mile, keep it simple. I'd do dehydrated pasta meals, dry things that don't need to be refrigerated like pb/j and bread with chips and cookies, granola bars, a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread for breakfast, etc. Plus water and Gatorade or something like that.

You can get pads to put under your sleeping bags (air mattresses are a little much if you're packing in and would have to pump them up yourself). Look into a mosquito net to put up over the lean to edge.

Wet wipes to clean yourselves! Don't forget a bandana to tuck away your sweaty hair. Maybe some dry shampoo. Light layers of clothing for day, sweatpants/shirt for night. Lighter fluid and a long lighter will be much appreciated when getting your fire started.

I love being outside and I love camping, enjoy yourself!

We don’t camp, we glamp. So I’m no help. Lol

A good water filter. Butt wipes. You should win an award for taking a teen out for the first time. We took ours plenty of times, but she had camped with us from her birth. Maybe the Nobel for Peace?

I'd go to REI and ask them to discuss it with you. They'll rent you a bunch of stuff. Mostly, listen. You can fashion stuff out of something at home, like the inside the sleeping bag sheet that ntsf suggested.  Rent the stuff you can't.  Make this as easy as you can on yourself so y'all can have fun.

If there are bear and raccoon problems, they've been habituated already and their fear of humans is gone; the suggestions to keep your food in your car are good ones. We backpacked in Yosemite back in the 80's with friends and a bear came and stole the food bags we had strung up very high on what appeared to be a tightrope. It even punctured my face wash and toothpaste. It ate our friends' special summer sausage hahaha. We could only stay out 2 nights bc of all the food we lost. Each night, we heard the bear in our campsite. Not fun.

I hope you enjoy yourselves. I'll be in the audience for your prize ceremony!!

Where is the camp location? The response for east Texas will be very different from rural Maine or Oregon or New Mexico.
I have watched too many crime shows, so.....will cell phone service be available? Any way to call for help if needed (accident or intruders)?

Take food that needs little cooking. Plan on cooking in the foil packages that can be placed in the fire. We loved meat (beef or chicken) with carrots, onions and potatoes cooked in the coals of the fire.

You can do this!


Ask around to see what you can borrow. Especially a tent. And you will need mosquito netting for the front of the lean-to.

You really don’t need a sleeping bag, blankets and sheets are good enough since you will either be taking air mattresses or camp cots.

Tarps at least 2.

Solar lights

A pail

I'm not much of a camper, but make sure you bring an external battery pack so you can charge your phone so you have it for emergencies.

I think I need to make jeremysgirl 's jambalaya even though I have no intention of camping in the near or remote future

wow that is ambitious! I'm more of a travel trailer girl, so not much help sorry. Pack lots of layers! It will get more chilly than you think, especially if it is damp. And lots of bug spray

You can’t bring a cooler with food, unless you can padlock it. The raccoons and bears will destroy anything else that has food in it - hence the locked metal box they provide. If the box is big enough for a cooler, that would be good. But EVERYTHING edible needs to go into it. When I backpacked, one night I forgot the remove the 1/2 packet of Kool-Aid from my pack and put it the bag with the rest of my food that I hung. That night a bear literally ripped my backpack apart to get to the Kool-Aid.

Bring lots of layers. The battery-powered lanterns is a good idea too.

I’d also probably start with less primitive camping as a first-time trip. Minimums for me would be a central regular restroom (with plumbing) and showers. I probably would try someplace with cabins first - 4 walls and a locking door - just to avoid the issues with raccoons and bears. Don’t underestimate the havoc they can wreak.

I don't know where OP is camping but if they have serious bear issues like Yosemite it is not advised to keep food/toiletries in the car as bears will break in. We stayed in the housekeeping tents there a couple of years ago and have reservations for this summer.
www.myyosemitepark.com/things-to-do/wildlife/bear-proof-food/

Yosemite is very strict about food/toiletryttrash storage. If there isn't a person with in arms reach of it you will get a warning or fined or kicked out if it is not in a locked bear box. You are not allowed to string it up.

On the other hand, not all places are as strict so YMMV.

We are occasional tent campers, 2-3 times a year. And I'm peaing from a tent as I type. That said we always go with a group cuz I don't trust us to know/have/remember to bring everything needed. We always camp with our car just yards a way.

I have been backpacking one time (lug everything in a pack, poop in a hole you dug, etc). One time was enough.

I have now read through the posts. Your toothpaste and toothbrushes should also go in the lockbox. I would also carry a whistle and bells. I camped with Girl Guides at the end of September once and we had frost on our tent. At bed time we put our clothing for the next day inside the bottom of our sleeping bags so they would be warm. Do not leave anything in your car to invite thieves (people break into cars in hiking areas here). Use packing cubes to store clothing etc in your lockbox when hiking. Hats, sunscreen and bug repellant are handy. We like taking a wrap with cheess,ham, cream cheess etc.