Essential Gear So Your Family Tent Camping Is Not One and Done
Have you made these comments about camping:
- It is too expensive to buy all the camping equipment?
- I don’t know what we need for camping gear?
- I am too overwhelmed with figuring out how to have a good camping trip!
If you have ever said any of the above comments then this is the right post for you. We will in another posts explain what are the next level of camping gear to get after you have the essentials. And then after you have most of those things what are the “luxury” camping equipment items. But for this, we are only diving into choosing the right tent, sleeping pad and sleeping bag.
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If you have never camped before or even if you have all your life, it is daunting to look on the internet or go into a sporting goods store and choose items. You can talk to three people and get three different answers. Like it or not making the right tent, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag purchases can make or break the rest of your families camping experience.
1) Tent
To go camping you need a tent. This alone is super overwhelming as you can spend hours or even days researching what is the best tent. Briefly we will explain and show you what you need for a tent. Understand though if you really want to go inexpensively you don’t need a tent at all. My wife and I used to lead three week backpacking trips where all you had was a piece of 3 mm plastic that you would tie up however you could. But I assume you want your family in a tent : )
Tents come in all shapes and sizes and we will let you decide that, but the one thing that makes or breaks every tent from our experience is the rainfly. If the rainfly doesn’t cover the entire tent then you or someone you love will get wet! And when we say cover the entire tent we mean it. See picture examples. Now a tent that has a rainfly that covers the entire tent is more expensive and if you don’t have that kind of money you have options.
Where is the Rain Fly?
This Rain Fly a Little Better?
Though the above tents have what is called a rain fly over them
in rain, wind, or snow you will go home early!
Options if you don't buy a Rainfly that Covers your Tent
A.) Buy a tarp to act as a rainfly and put that over your tent (my wife was raised this way and her dad’s nickname to this day is “Tarp Man”)
Tarp as rainfly method
B.) Use a Canopy If you have one great or see if you can borrow one from someone you know as many people have them now. If you use this method we would encourage you to still bring some kind of tarp or plastic to clothespin up for side walls to stop driving rain.
Notice the rain fly is larger but still in a driving rain it didn't hold up so they added another rain fly! This is another option if you don't have money to purchase a rain fly that fully covers your tent.
Remember the money you spend on a tent is not lost, you keep the tent for life. The money you purchase for a hotel room it is used and gone. Don't be afraid to put more money in a tent as it is a purchase that will be used over and over.
This is Our Tent: We've Used it Four Seasons
Notice Rainfly Covers EVERYTHING!
Tent Foot Print: What is it and Why You Need It?
The foot print is the foundation for your tent, it lays on the ground first and then you set your tent on it. Why important: it separates your tent from the ground so if the ground is wet or gets wet it doesn't wick through to your tent. It also protects your tent from sharp objects poking through your tent floor.
IMPORTANT for the footprint to work it must be the same size as the tent floor. If the footprint is larger than the tent floor then if it rains it acts as a catch basin to direct the rain under your tent. This is a common mistake as people hear they need it, but then don't use use it correctly which can make the tent wet very quickly. Your tent needs one and if you can't get one for it then use a tarp/plastic and either fold under or cut it to size.
Your family may easily spend $100 or less for a tent that you can keep and use a lifetime. Here is a link to one AmazonBasics 8-Person Family Tent
Here is another link to a four person tent that has the rainfly you want. They don't make our four person tent any longer but it is almost exactly the same as this one. (Coleman Hooligan 4-Person Tent,Red
2.) Sleeping Pad
Along with a solid weather proof tent this will help your camping trip after trip. Everyone is different and we are not about to say this one is the best or not. Basically the best sleeping pad is the one that keeps you camping. Hopefully you already own an air mattress that guests may sleep on and if so simply use that. We have evolved in this category. We used to simply sleep on a piece of plastic in a sleeping bag and that was it. Then we purchased the self inflating pads that are as wide as your shoulders, then we upgraded and purchased the same thing but purely air blow up, and then the air mattress with a memory foam topper on it. Yes it takes up a lot of room and yes we car camp with it not back country. And when we car camp now we try to stay in the same same site all week. A good air mattress can make or break a trip. If you can’t sleep at night this may be your last camping trip. Remember you don’t need pricey air mattresses, ours is the cheapest one but then with the memory foam topper. Do take duct tape if it gets a hole in it though. Our children sleep on our old small backpacking ones. Their backs are fine though they do like the air mattress. One idea is to get an inexpensive mattress and get a fitted memory foam mattress pad that is fitted to the size of mattress you have. Our memory foam works fine as then we put a fitted sheet over that to keep it just like home basically.
3.) Sleeping Covers and/or Bag
The third camping essential you need are sleeping covers or a sleeping bag. If you don’t want to spend any money then you will be fine using sheets and blankets from home. If you do the sheet and blanket option there are couple things to learn. Basically, the ground is trying to turn your body temperature to be the same as it. So the better separation from the ground you have the warmer you will be. Usually in the summer months you don’t have to worry about this too much but we still do the same. We put an old quilted blanket down on the tent floor first and then put our sleeping pads down. This helps if you roll off the pad or simply walking it feels nicer as well. If you don’t separate yourself from the ground and have sheets and blankets you may get cold. Sleeping bags have changed for us as well. When we first started we got the expensive fancy warm pack-able sleeping bags for backpacking. They now sit in our closet. We now prefer the sleeping bags that are flannel on the inside and not nylon. The flannel makes them feel warmer and it doesn’t stick to you on warm nights and it is better padding as well to sleep on. This is our favorite sleeping bag: TETON Sports Mammoth +20F Double-Wide Sleeping Bag; Double Sleeping Bag Perfect for Base Camp while Camping, Backpacking, and Hiking; Blue
A tent, a mattress and sleeping covers/bag are the main three big essentials you need to go camping.
Remember this:
You may buy the most expensive tent but if you are cold at night and not able to sleep you will not camp again.
Or you may buy the most expensive sleeping pad but if it rains in the night and you get wet you will not camp again.
Or you may buy the most expensive sleeping pad but if you are freezing cold or wet you will not camp again.
So keep in mind that you need to take care of yourself and family. If you have the finances and want to invest in your family camping trip now and for future trips, take care to buy or find quality equipment. And remember it probably won't cost any more than a weeks vacation staying in a hotel and you will be able to use it again and again.
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