Camping

You'll need a nice tent with a rainfly (not one where the rainfly covers about 1 square foot of the top, but one that covers the entire tent. Look at some of Coleman's or Ozark Trail's [Wal-Mart's brand] models). Also, get a piece of plastic the size of your tent (not bigger or very much smaller it will defeat the purpose of it) for a ground cloth. If the plastic is bigger than the tent, it will catch water and it will puddle in your tent. It's purpose is to keep water out from under your tent.

Next, you'll need a sleeping bag (very important). One with a temperature rating of 20º for winter is good (a winter in the south, at least. You might want a -25º for northern areas like New York) and a rating of 40º or 60º would be good for summer. You may also want an air mattress (they're sooooo nice). Just be sure it will fit in your tent, assuming the tent is small, and get a pump. Ozark Trail has things like that.

Besides the basics, you'll want a flashlight, extra batteries for the flashlight, a fire-starter kit, a first-aid kit, water-proof boots, a poncho or raincoat, a knife, compass, rope, maybe a pillow, and last but certainly not least, a Bible.

You're also going to want food and clothes, but I'll leave it up to you to figure out what you'll want to bring.

When you make camp, try to get a slight hill to set your tent up on. That will let the rainwater drain under your tent so it doesn't run under it and puddle in the tent.

Hope this helps. For great camping supplies, check out Coleman and Ozark Trail. They are good brands and not too expensive.