Help-First Time Camper

IsabelleC

Hi all

Myself and my partner are going camping in France and Italy for two weeks in July. Its my first time camping and I was hoping for some advice on things such as tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear etc. Have been looking online but there are so many brands and types of gear out there its hard to know what's the best. Looking for a two man tent, waterproof and easy to assemble but we are not bringing a car so it needs to be light weight. Any hints on anything else we might need?

thanks in advance

Cookie_Monster

tent
ground mat
sleeping bag
pillow (always handy for longer camps)
Cooker of some sort
container for water
torches
sharp knife of some kind (penknife, multitool etc)

what are the toilet facilities going to be like?

Also you should probably go camping for a weekend somewhere before hand to make sure you are comfortable with it and realise if you have forgotten anything

IsabelleC

thanks cookiemonster, thats a great start. Any advice on the best type of tent to go for?

Cookie_Monster

depends on conditions but I'll assume from your post that something like a light <6kg two man is what you want. get one with a porch to keep wet clothes and footware out of tent yet protected from the weather. Depends on budget really. Cheap tents will be hard to pack down small and will be heavier in general. Gellert tents do pretty good copies of more expensive tents. I have one, never had an issue.

If in Dublin go to Millets (just past end of Henry St) and take a look around and ask for advice, they stock a good selection of lower end gear for people who aren't totally hardcode

IsabelleC

hmmm 6kgs sounds pretty heavy, was hoping for something in the 2-3kg range. There is a millets close to where I work so I might go and take a look there. Thanks a mill

steve_

Camping is for n00bs

adagio

Thermarest is a light weight easy to blowup mattress.
Decide what your will be cooking and then buy accordingly... Jetboil.. MRS pocket rocket.. titanium knife/fork/spoon combo..etc
Take your time and go to as many shops as possible... check out: http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/Mail_Order_Camping_Equipment_44.html
for good info. Remember that most shop assistance will try to sell you what they have in stock... make then explain exactly why they suggest product A over product B.
I find Angus in Costwold Belfast to be super reliable and honest.
Best of luck.

del88

After much search on the net and forums last year i bought this gear and was very happy with it..
Tent....vango tempest 200 ....2.65kg



opitional porch...Vango Adventure Tarp Excalibur 1.30kg
sleeping mat.......vango ultralite mat 3/4.. 460g with stuffsac
vango pots.....Stainless Steel Cook Kit 2 Person
sleeping bag.....deuter travel lite 300....
I bought my stove from lidl ...bit big but is ok...if i was to but a new one i'd go for the mrs windpro................
That's about it......just remember if your doing a lot of hiking i'd lose the porch and keep your pack as light as possible....best of luck
Shop around for best price online and if you can , buy everything from the one site..

fonkalei

here's a checklist which might be handy:

http://www.backpacker.com/spring_summer_fall_gear_checklist/gear/12107

this website also review all types of gear.

also checkout youtube for gear reviews e.g. what to look for when buying whatever gear yr looking for.

goodluck

Irishboy29

If the tent is just for both of you then I suggest you buy a 3 man tent. A 2 man tent will be too cramped. I bought a 3 man tent from nellysroom.com . They have a few 3 and 2 man tents for sale. I bought the tent called the weekend 3 man, the price was very good for the quality.
http://www.nellysroom.com/Weekend_3_Person_Tent/p295492_709619.aspx

If you are going camping in France then a 1 or 2 season sleeping bag will be fine. It will also be lighter.

Travel as light as possible and share the load.

dogmatix

And be careful about the sleeping bag - I once took a one season sleeping bag to camp at Yellowstone in August. Yellowstone is nice and hot during the day - near freezing at night. Thought I would die. Had to spend the night in the toilet block defrosting my toes under a hand dryer.

If only get one type of sleeping bag then bring a three season - better to be too hot then too cold.

ian_m

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Also you should probably go camping for a weekend somewhere before hand to make sure you are comfortable with it and realise if you have forgotten anything

I would recommend this also. I went camping last year for the first time, there's always something you will need and you won't realise it until you go through the process.

We are looking forward to camping again this summer. Have fun!