Camping Gear for the 21st-Century Family

1. Tent
2. Sleeping Bag
3. Air Mattress/Pads
4. Camping Stove
5. Cookware
6. Cooler
7. Lantern
8. First Aid Kit
9. Folding Chairs
10. Backpack

and.. Top Ten Kids Camping Gear

Factor #1. Is it roomy and comfortable?
Factor #2. Does it keep you warm?
Factor #3. Does it keep you dry?
Factor #4. Is it quick and easy to set up?
Factor #5. Will it last?

Watch video at How to Choose a Family Camping Tent

You spend 1/3 of your camping trip cocooned inside a sleeping bag. As the above video shows, you want to base your choice on these 5 criteria:

1. Temperature or comfort rating. Will it keep you warm?
2. Insulation type. A down sleeping bag is warm & luxurious , compacts better and lasts longer. But is it worth paying $300- $500? Synthetics have come a long way. I use one and it's very comfortable.

3. Shape of bag. Do you like snug-and-warm or roomy-but-cooler? I settle for a compromise, the semi as shown on the video. How about mating bags sometimes called double sleeping bag - 2 bags that can be zipped into one? A romantic idea but not usually implemented unless you like waking up 69 times a night. If your height is over 6 feet, many manufacturer offers a "Long" version.

4. Weight and size. This matters more if you are backpacking. If you are transporting the sleeping bag in a car, a few extra ounces won't matter, but still pay attention to compactness to mimize cargo space.

5. Quality. Look for features such as the smoothness of the fabric, the softness of the insulation, and other features such as self-healing zippers, zipper tab, hoods, and flat bottoms so your toes can wiggle

Watch video at: How to Choose a Sleeping BAG

There's a camping joke that says, Sure, you get 8 hours of sleep a day but in 52 increments. Do yourself a favor, put a pad between your sleeping bag and the cold, hard ground.

Watch video at: How to Choose a Sleeping Pad

How to choose a Camping Stove

Criteria #1. Is it easy to transport?
Most camping stove or camping grill varies between 20 to 50 lbs. If it needs more than one person to carry, it's too heavy for me. Does it pack easily for the car or van? If it comes with a carrying case, that helps too.

Criteria #2. Is it easy to use?
Two ease-of-use factors: cooking and fuelling. Matches are so yesterday. Newer camp stoves have automatic ignition. In terms of fuel, butane or propane snaps/screws on very easily, unlike the traditional "white gas" fuel. Propane is also easy to find if you run out.

Criteria #3. What is the cooking capacity?
Are you looking for a burner stove (for dutch oven cooking, skillet cooking), a camping grill or a combo like the Coleman Grill Stove? The strength of the heat is measured in BTU. The higher the BTU, the faster it takes to boil water, scorch your food, cook your steak.

Criteria #4. Is it easy to clean up and set up?
The portable Weber Grill - a.k.a. the Weber Baby Grill - for example, has drip ducts that make cleaning up pain-free. Some camp stoves need two people to set up so check that out before you buy.

One of the major cause of camp food troubles is not keeping cold foods cold. Your camping cooler is one of the most critical component of your camp kitchen. The basic coleman cooler has grown up. Outdoor coolers now come in many options, as shown in the video above.

Watch video at: tips on where to buy camping coolers.

To figure out what first-aid items to bring for camping safety, simply ask yourself, what are the most common camping mishaps that can happen, let me prepare for that.

It is not just about getting the biggest, most complete first-aid kit out there. More importantly, do you know how to use what's in your kit?

Before you even go out there to purchase your first-aid kit, educate yourself on basic first-aid procedures for common injuries at campgrounds. Click on the link to learn how to treat them.

Common Camping Mishaps

• Cuts and scrapes. You don't have to be chopping wood. Stripping a branch for a kids' marshmallow stick, walking too close to a shrub - it's easy to get cuts and scrapes outdoors.


• Burns. Happens in the camp kitchen, usually, as you try to cook with gear you are not used to. Also watch out for sunburn from improper sunscreen use.


• Sprains. A mistep on uneven terrain, or falling in the dark on the way to the bathroom - this one can bed-rest you your entire camping trip.


• Tick bites and animal bites. Little ticks can cause big problems, like Lyme disease. Protect yourself in tick regions by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants tied at the ankle.

Watch video of Simon Eller (Bushcraft Magazine) talk about his safety kit