Good Morning All,

So we have already talked about alot of your camping gear, now it’s time to talk about general site gear. This is literally ally the “stuff” that you have to bring with you when you go camping. Alot of it you could do without but you usually bring it because it makes life a little more convenient. I am going to list them as they come to me so don’t think this is in any particular order.

1. Lanterns – This is pretty much a must have for very obvious reasons, you need some light at night. As you will see flashlights are also on this list and some people feel that you can take one or the other and they may be right. Personally I prefer to have both for very different uses. A good quality lantern can be used to light up an entire area of your campsite. Flashlights are great for late night trips to the bathroom or the campground gathering area for Bingo.

Now some people prefer battery operated lanterns and some prefer “gas” powered. When I say gas I mean propane, lamp oil, white gas, etc… I was always a propane kind of guy until recently. My kids have gotten to the point where you don’t have to “child-proof” the area always and so I have recently begun leaving the lantern on the picnic table or camping kitchen instead of permanently mounting it to a tree at the six foot level. Don’t worry I always used zip ties to hold it in place, not a nail pounded into the tree.

Basically what I’m trying to say is that I think I am going to put away the propane for awhile and get a battery operated lamp because of how hot the propane lanterns can get. Just for awhile. I trust my kids but sometimes they are so focused on whatever they are doing they don’t always remember to only grab the handle.

2. Flashlights – As mentioned above this is a must have on my camping trips. We always bring at least two (one for each kid) and we always put fresh batteries in them prior to heading out from the house.

3. Camping Kitchen – This item may not be so important to those of you that have trailers and/or RV’s but to tent campers this is a life saver. Basically it’s an aluminum table that has a countertop and sometimes shelves below it and a hanging rack on the back. I have seen very basic ones as I just described, I have also seen very advanced ones (In Cabellas Master Catalog for 2005) canvas gear bags hanging off the side with a builtin sink and a spice rack.

A camping kitchen is a very condensed “kitchen equipment rack” and it works very well to keep alot of your cooking equipment all centralized and easily accessible. In my opnion they are very much worth the $50 – $100.

4. Cooking Equipment & Utensils – This is one area that I never skimp on. I take 2 to 3 skillets, 3 to 4 pots and our 12 quart Dutch Oven. I went to the dollar store a couple of years ago and spent about $20 on utensils. I basically duplicated most of our utensils from home. I have a plastic container with a lid that has all of these utensils in it and in one place. This way when we are packing to go on a trip I can just grab this tub and not have to worry about scavenging through our kitchen looking for the right pair of tongs. You will alos need some bowls to prepare and serve your food in. As well as a couple of plastic serving plates. If you can find one of those sets of plastic bowls where all the bowls and there lids fit inside of the largest one that is best. You are only going to need the space for the largest bowl when you pack.

5. Spices – I’m not a “bland” food kind of guy so I must have a minimum of garlic, onion, salt, pepper, Essence of Emeril and oregano with me whenever I cook. At a flea market a couple of years ago I found a shaker that had four sections to it and in each section was a different spice. I didn’t buy it but took the idea and made my own. I found a similar container at a local kitchen shop and filled it with the spices I like (as mentioned above). Small and compact and easy to use.

I will continue this more later…

‘Till Next Time…Remember “There Ain’t No Better Camping Then New Jersey Camping!”

Eric