Discount Family Camping Gear

The correct family camping gear really depends on what type of terrain that you will be camping in and what type of weather that you will be expecting. There is a huge difference between camping in the deserts of Arizona and the alpine meadows of northern Montana. One is extremely hot and the other can be extremely cold.

Let's not complicate things too much. If you are family camping, chances are that you will not be in total wilderness. Civilization should be fairly close by. If you forgot something or have brought the wrong piece of equipment, you can always buy it on the road. However, you will pay much more for it.

When I buy family camping gear, I purchase equipment that will be good for 3 seasons. This gives our family the band width to stay warm in almost every summer camping condition. We can go from the hot deserts of Utah to the Alpine mountains of Utah in just a few hours time and be comfortable in either. I purchased my wife a zero degree down rectangular bag. It's light weight, it keeps her warm, and is comfortable.




Family Camping Gear is not meant to be technical mountaineering equipment. Dad's, this is a tip. Stick to the basics!

Do you need an air mattress or sleeping pad?

When choosing your family camping gear, a high quality air mattress is something that I personally cannot do without. If you have the money I would purchase a Therm-A-Rest. It's a cross between an air mattress and a sleeping pad.

In Therm-A-Rest's words "From the Camp Comfort series, ThermaRest's most comfortable sleeping pads, the ThermaRest DreamTime Sleeping Pad is the ultimate car camping mattress. Its luxurious three layer design; removable mattress, cushy pillow top, and plush fleece cover, ensures you will get a restful night's sleep. The DreamTime conveniently rolls up with compression straps for easy travel and storage. So comfortable, you can use this Thermarest mattress as a bed replacement in your camper or when you host a sleepover.

The other option over the Thermarest is an inflatable air mattress. Air mattresses are extremely comfortable. However, they tend to get holes, require an electric pump to inflate, and are more bulky.

I always suggest getting a sleeping bag with the lowest temperature rating possible. The ratings on sleeping bags are deceiving. The rating are more "stay alive ratings" than comfort ratings as they suggest. Stay away from flannel lined bags. They are heavy and bulky. I like down over synthetic because it's lighter. Many people argue with me over this and tell me that a synthetic bag will stay warm even when it's wet. While this is true, in my 40 years of camping including week long back packing trips, I cannot ever remember sleeping in a wet sleeping bag!

My wife and I prefer rectangular bags because we like to move around. They are so comfortable.

If you choose a 3 season bag, you cannot go wrong. It should keep you warm if the temperature dip below 30 degrees. It the temperature is extremely hot, you can always sleep on top of your bag.

Camp cooking is my favorite! This is where one's culinary skills are tested because you will be using minimal amounts of equipment to produce gourmet meals. My wife and favor high end cooking equipment for the ease of use and functionability.

For starters, we have a 70 quart insulated cooler to store our food and keep it fresh up to 4 days with blocks of ice.

Our next prized possession is our Coleman multi fuel 2 burner stove. The stove's flame is adjustable allowing us to simmer soups and make pancakes without burning them.

Additionally, I carry this really cool lightweight stove made by MSR as a back up stove. It's the easiest to operate stove that I have ever owned! Weighing only 8.5 oz. - the new SimmerLite Stove by MSR is the lightest liquid fuel stove. With its flame adjustability and easy-to-stow size - it's sure to make the list for your next Fast & Light adventure.




We use a heavy duty stainless steel wok for just about everything-we make stir fry, fry pancakes & omelets, cook chili, and even make soups.

A pressure cooker is also a power houses for cooking dried beans and dried rice. We use the pressure cooker for making chicken and vegetable soups. It's a great simmering pot.

We love the MSR stainless steel cooking kits as opposed to the non-stick variety that always seem to stick and peel away!

MSR Alpine 2 Pot Set (Fall 2009)

MSR Alpine 2 Pot Set (Fall 2009)

The Alpine 2 Pot Set by MSR is made from incredibly durable stainless steel - reliably standing up to even the most extreme conditions. It's perfect for heavy use by frequent travelers - or by guides and institutions - where you'll be preparing a lot of meals on a wide range of adventures.Includes:(1) 1.5L pot(1) 2L pot(1) lid/plate(1) PanHandler pot handle(1) stuff sackFeatures:Strong: Stainless steel offers the ultimate in durability.Compact: Efficient nesting design saves valuable pack room.Multi-Function: Lid fits both pots and can be used as a plate.Weight: 1 lbs 10 oz / 733 g

One of the best kept secrets that few people talk about are 4x4 vans for camping. These type of vans are not stock items that you see at dealerships. You need to special order a 4x4 from a private company that will complete the package for you. Only Ford and Chevrolet offer 4x4 vans for sale.

Quigley is the only second party source that offers 4x4 vans for sale through either Ford or Chevy dealerships.