Find Camping Gear

Bill Hilton
Mickie's Place Outdoor Gear

Taking your kids camping can be an exhilarating experience: getting away from the couch and the TV for a week or so, wandering in the woods or on the hills, teaching your family about the great outdoors. Getting out into the wilderness can be among the formative experiences of a child's life.

And if you don't prepare for it properly, it can be at uncomfortable, exhausting or even downright dangerous. Here's a top ten of must-haves for a family camping trip:

* Good-quality, stable tents. Play tents for backyard camps may be great fun when you pitch them by your own back door. But they're in no way adequate for taking junior hiking in the forest. They should be sturdy, and have a thick sewn-in groundsheet. A flysheet is also a must. If you're going into the woods or by water make sure your tent is also fitted with no-see-um netting to keep the insects at bay. Check your tents before you go, too, to make sure that all the right bits are there!

* Suitable backpacks. Maybe your kids aren't quite big enough to lug full loads by themselves, but it's a good idea to get them used to carrying their own gear as far as possible. All backpacks should have a padded waistbelt. Remember that the principle is that the weight of your gear should rest, via the waistbelt, on your pelvis - not your back! Make sure your bag's seams are double stitched, and don't rely on it to be waterproof: always use a plastic liner.

* Something to cook. Maybe you're going hunting. Well, that's great - but don't rely on catching something to eat. You might be the greatest hunter on earth, but you can't guarantee a kill. So make sure you have adequate food. These days you can buy fantastic 'boil in the bag' camp food that's ready in minutes and can be eaten from the bag - so no dirty pans. And you can use the boiling water to make a hot drink. A good way to find cheap BIB food is to have a look around army surplus stores - modern military field rations are usually BIB.

* Something to cook on. If you're planning to cook on a fire, check that that's OK with the authorities responsible for the area you're visiting. Also make sure that you know how to light a fire and you have experience of open fire cooking - probably the most tricky of the camping arts. Even if you're a regular Davy Crockett you should take a stove as backup. The best are spirit burners such as the Trangia brand. Sure, they're slow, but they're stable, safe and completely reliable as long as you don't run out of fuel. Gas and liquid fuel stoves are great if you have experience of their advantages and risks, but spirit burners are probably best for kids - it's pretty difficult to burn yourself on one. And don't forget to take matches!

* Proper clothes. Take a variety, and make sure you have warm and waterproof gear. Remember that kids get cold and tired more easily than adults, and are more prone to hypothermia. Take two hats each - a warm and woolly one and a broad-brimmed one. For the kids sun cream is also a real must.

* Maps and compasses. This may sound obvious, but lots of people get lost in the wilderness every year because they're not properly equipped in this regard. Take both, and know how to use them. For the purposes of teaching your kids, a Silva compass is probably best. They're much easier to use and learn than prismatic or military models, which are often designed more with laying artillery in mind that getting to a campsite. Make sure your compass isn't graduated in mils, but in degrees - they're the units your kids will learn about in school.

* Books and games. If you get stuck in your tent because it's raining or the insects are biting, make sure the kids have something to do. Taking Gameboys and the like probably isn't a good idea, but a couple of good paperbacks or a travel chess set can help while away the time.

* A good sharp knife. The one piece of gear no camper should be without. Take a good knife, use it wisely, and make sure your kids learn to treat it with respect. A Swiss Army Knife is great for most things, but if you're going to be bivouacking consider taking a sturdy sheath knife.

* Repellents. For both insects, and, if necessary, bears. Unless you're in a malarial swamp an insect bite won't kill you - a grizzly bite probably will. So make sure you're properly equipped. Most camping stores can help you choose the right brands and show you how to use them. It's probably best to avoid DEET-based insect formulas altogether, especially for the kids - they work well, but they're associated with negative health effects, including some cancers.

* A first aid kit. Again, an absolute must - and you must know how to use it. If you're unsure about what to take, consult your doctor. If you're unsure what to do, enrol in a first aid course. Don't be afraid to take the manual camping with you, either!

When all's said and done, the most important thing you can take on a kids' camping trip is your knowledge and experience. Kids are often smarter than we think, but they look to us to pass on our skills and steer them to safety when the going gets tough. Show them the positive example of your skills and attitudes to the outdoors, and you'll turn your kids into backwoods enthusiasts for life.