Having the right camping supplies can make the difference between a fun and relaxing camping trip and a total disaster.  Even though disasters make for good stories later on, it’s generally a good idea to invest some time and effort into getting the right camping supplies before going on a camping trip.  Camping is one of my favorite ways to spend a weekend, but starving out in the middle of nowhere while getting drenched in the rain all night is not. 

Fortunately, getting good camping supplies is easy these days.  You can order just about everything you’d ever want or need online with just a few clicks and some electronic order forms.  No longer do you have to make a long haul to a camping supplies store, which are often few and far between. 

However, there are still many advantages in actually going to a camping supplies store.  First of all, you of course get a first hand look at the camping equipment you are about to buy.  Sometimes an item looks great in a photo, but in real life you realize that it’s a flimsy, poorly made piece of crap.  Secondly, most of the larger and better camping supplies stores are staffed by people that know at least a little about camping.  They often have good recommendations on brands to go with, have been using various camping supplies for years, and usually don’t work on commission so you can trust them. 

When I first started camping, I bought all my camping supplies live in a store, just to get the advice of seasoned campers.  Now that I’m more confident with what I’m doing, I order everything online.  I’ve found the brands I like, and I usually know what I’m going to need.  Most of the larger camping supplies stores, such as REI (my personal favorite) also have websites you can order from online, so you can continue buying your equipment from people you know and trust. 

The more difficult question isn’t how to get camping supplies, or where, its what camping supplies are you going to need?  This is harder to answer and depends on what kind of trip you are going to take.  If you are ‘car camping’ and aren’t hiking with your equipment, you can never have too much stuff.  If there’s any doubt in your mind, just bring it, and with time you’ll get a feel for what you actually use and what you don’t.  If you are hiking far with your equipment, take the reverse attitude.  If there’s any doubt in your mind, leave it. 

Camping is a favorite activity among many families and groups.  It is a way for people to get in touch with nature.  It is amazing how the equipment for camping has advanced.  The old camping stoves made cooking a real challenge.  First you had to fill the camping stoves with liquid gas, which could really be a hassle if you forgot to bring the funnel.  It was also very dangerous if done close to the open camp fire.  Next you had to twist the rod that extended into the gas tank that attached to the camping stoves on the outside, just the right way so that you could pump the tank.  This involved covering the hole on the end of the rod and pumping until you could no longer get any more air into the tank.  Then you had to twist the rod the right way to get it to lock back into the tank.  This was to get the first burner going on the old camping stoves, the process needed to be repeated if the second burner needed lighting.  The fuel tanks on the camping stoves were not very large, so often times they needed to be refilled during the cooking process. This could cause even the hardiest of camper to turn to cold cereal for breakfast.

The new camping stoves are quite different.  There is a very large selection of camping stoves ranging from the old models described above, to stoves that are turned on as easily as your kitchen range.  The newer models of camping stoves have many burners that can be used simultaneously.  These camping stoves do not require the pumping and twisting like the old models.  The fuel sources have also changed in the new camping stoves.  Most are now in closed disposable canisters so you do not have to be handling highly flammable liquids while you are in the process of cooking.  The fuel tanks come in a variety of sizes also so you do not have to worry about running out of fuel in the middle of making a meal.

There are camping stoves that have ovens attached so you can bake on your camping trip.  There are so many helpful pieces of equipment for camping, that the food preparation no longer needs to take up as much of your time.  Instead of cooking on the old camping stoves for over an hour to prepare each meal, you can go explore the camp grounds, go swimming or hiking.  Convenient camping stoves help free up your time and make preparing a meal in the great outdoors fun.

When you were a kid you probably never gave it a second thought as you pulled out your family’s sleeping bags and dragged them into the back yard to camp out. For every time you dragged those sleeping bags out through the dirt and grass, your mom had to wash them and that isn’t an easy task! There are rules to washing sleeping bags and if you don’t follow those, things can get pretty smelly not to mention down right expensive!

First rule of thumb is that they should only be washed when absolutely necessary. The materials used to make a sleeping bag are designed so that they don’t have to be washed all the time however; a couple of good camping trips and some sweaty teens and you have no choice but to wash them.

Many people take them into the local cleaners to get them cleaned. This is convenient but not really necessary. Unless you have a bag with 750 down fill or higher, then you should use a professional cleaner because the make up of the bag will make it harder to clean yourself. Bags that are 750 down are usually high climber and hiking bags and require special handling when being cleaned anyway. If you do take your sleeping bags into the cleaners do not get them dry-cleaned. Dry cleaning solution is a petroleum-based solvent that will destroy your sleeping bags in the long run.

The first step to cleaning them yourself is to do so in an oversized, commercial washer and dryer. Never attempt to wash sleeping bags in a regular washer and use a front load, tumble washer. Regular household washers with agitators can eat your bags or cause the insulation material to ball up.

Second, wash all sleeping bags in cold or warm water with a gentle soap. Many people use a mild dishwashing soap instead of laundry soap. Never use hot water to wash sleeping bags because it breaks down the material.

Finally, and perhaps the most important part of cleaning is the drying process. Down sleeping bags have to be dried thoroughly on the medium setting on your dryer. This is really important because many down sleeping bags are made with a material that will begin to melt at higher heat levels.

It is important to pull them out during drying so that you can smooth it out from time to time. When washed wet clumps of down develop within the bag and need to be smoothed out so that they can dry completely. Be mindful while doing this, because in pulling the clumps apart you can damage the down material.

If your sleeping bag is made up of synthetic fibers you don’t have to make sure to smooth it out but it is recommended that fabric softener be added to control static in the bag. Synthetic sleeping bags also need to dry at a low heat, making sure that they dry completely.