So I've had a few friends ask me about camping and they're either worried about cost or don't know what to do. So here it is

Camping thread

The first thing you're going to need is a spot to camp at. Your options are pretty numerous if you know where to look. You have national parks, state parks, national forests, BLM land, county land, and private land.

One way I find places to camp at, is to hit up "deer leases" during the off season. Simply find an area you like and look up that county + deer/hunting lease. You can call the owner and I've found that they're usually quite willing to let you camp for cheap or even free.

Another option is to find a ranch. If you ask nicely or offer to pay, the rancher I know will let you camp. Just be warned that they'll usually nosy and may stop by a time or two. A benefit of this is that they usually have stock ponds for their animals so you could fish.

Now that you've found your site, you gotta pick the type of camping appropriate to that site and area. There is a couple of questions you gotta ask yourself.

- is there firewood nearby?
- are there trees?
- are there burn bans?
- water source?
- facilities?
- can my car get in?

There are a few different types of camping. I'll break it down into three.

- Car camping
- Backpacking/hiking
- Bushcraft / primitive camping

Once you get into that you'll have a few shelter options

- Tent
- Hammock
- Vehicle
- Bivvy/Tarp/other

Car Camping:

If you've ever gone camping with your dad, you were probably car camping.

Most State parks, national parks, and private campgrounds are car camping sites.

Expect onsite water, bathrooms, electricity, and fire pits. And plenty of other people around. That doesn't

mean that car camping is 100% lame though. It can still be fun. And if you're in BLM land with a Jeep/land cruiser you can still experience the backcountry and have the "real" camping experience most people aim for. Plus it lets you carry more luxury and comfort gear and food.

Backpacking/hiking: most people who start seriously getting into camping get into this. Basically if you want it, you gotta carry it. Expect most campsites to be primitive or nonexistent and having to carry everything that you need. That includes food and water, your shelter, etc

On the brightside there are tons of hiking trails you can go on and plenty of sites that you can camp at. While not as comfortable or as easy as car camping, it's a lot more rewarding and fun. If you got some flat ground or two trees spaced apart you're in business.

Bushcraft: During grade school you probably read a book like Robinson Crusoe, Swiss family Robinson, Hatchet, My side of the mountain etc. Bushcraft is Similar. Basically take backpacking but place an emphasis on thriving and surviving, self reliance, and living off the land.

Your gear will be more rugged and comprehensive, and you'll be practicing and studying skills more. While other people might be pitching tents or hanging hammocks, you'll be constructing Lean-to, platform, huts or plow point style shelters. Rather than use firestarters or propane

you might be using firesticks or fire drills. Hunting and trapping, or fishing might be used as well as foraging. Basically you're going back to the basics. I'm not the expert here and @Heartwood_Fab is probably the guy to ask when it comes to bushcraft. Def not for beginners.

Now that you have your site and you know what type of camping you're in for, let's talk about gear. Some gear may be reusable in other forms of camping, other not so much.

Gear thread:

Car Camping:

Car camping gear is optimized for comfort. Luckily this makes it great for first timers, due to it being readily available and cheap. If this is your first time, just head over to Walmart or target and pickup some Ozark Trail or Coleman gear. But here is what you'll

need.

- fire kit
- cook kit
- shelter
- light
- food storage
- sleeping pad/sleeping bag / air mattress
- chairs

If your parents took you camping as a kid they may have most of this in their attic, and they'd probably give or lend it to you.

So let's break this down.

A fire kit is all the tools you'll need to get you started. Usually that's a fire starter, lighter, and maybe some accelerant.

You'll have to buy and make your own. Just grab a lighter, fire starter, and maybe some lighter fluid or bug spray.

Car camping cooksets are basically just your normal pots and pans but smaller and are cast iron or stainless steel and perhaps foldable. This may include a propane or camp stove / grill top.

Bring what you feel you'll need to make a decent meal.

Car camping shelters are usually either Tents or Vehicles/Trailers or RVs

I've taken out the back seats of my car, thrown down a piece of plywood and a mattress topper and it's surprisingly cozy.

Car camping tents are optimized for space. A usual tent can fit 1 or 2 people-

comfortably and fit 3 to 4 at max capacity. The good news is that you could always go bigger and I've seen tents rated for up to 12 people. Being able to stand up and walk around your shelter is always a nice feeling.

Light: Either a camp light, lantern, flash light, or headlamp (recommended).

Food storage: bear bag or cooler/ice chest

Sleeping system: whatever helps you sleep the best. Air mattresses are pretty popular nowadays. Make sure the ground is clear of sharp objects below your tent

Folding chairs: you're not going to leave camp too often, so you might as well be comfortable. Plus you won't get the fun lounging campfire experience without these. Just pick something that packs up nice and has a cup holder.

Backpacking: now we're getting into something I'm really into

Backpacking gear is lighter and more packable due to the fact that you'll have to lug it around everywhere. Try your best to keep your base weight under 30 pounds and aim for sub 10 pounds.

Here is what you'll need:

The big 3
- Pack
- Shelter
- Sleep system
- cook kit
- shitkit
- light
- medkit
- water filter
- water bottles
- Map/nav tools
- knife
- poncho/ rain jacket
- repair kit
- hiking boots or shoes

- Pack

Your pack is your best friend and should be one of the first things you drop money on.

If your pack is well designed, lightweight, and packed well you can forget you're even wearing it at tines.

For your first trip you could always use your regular backpack.

Some good brands to consider are Osprey, Zpacks, and Gossamer gear.

But if you're just getting started hitting up a Surplus store and picking up an old ALICE pack or rucksack is perfectly fine.

Shelter: backpacking shelters are made to be lightweight and packable and most people use Hammocks or Tents. Personally I prefer hammocks, but that isn't always an option. Bivvies, and tarp shelters are also viable options. For your first time buying a cheap hammock off of amazon

Is a perfectly viable option, I got my first hammock for $15, and combined with a hammock bugnet I got at walmart for $14, that's a complete shelter. But if you want to get a great hammock at a surprisingly cheap price SimplyLightDesigns has some awesome hammocks for cheap.

If you pack a hammock, you're also going to need a tarp and a ridgeline as well to provide you any protection from rain.

Tents don't need this, but will require a footprint to protect the bottom from wear and tear. REI has a ton of options. Just remember to go up a size.

Bivvies are like tents, but worse. They're cheaper but they don't breathe and provide you minimal protection from rain. With backpacking tents now being a lot lighter, bivvies are basically only used for emergencies.

Tarp shelters are probably the lightest option here.

Tarp shelters are just that, a tarp you use as a shelter. Basically find a tree, or two trees, or two trekking poles/sticks. Rig up a line and stake the tarp down and you're done. Minimal protection from bugs, some protection from rain, but ultralight.