QuestionMark

Howdy everyone...

Newbie here. I've had the camping bug for a few years now and figured I'd give it a shot. We're relative newcomers to the Houston area but I've been scouting out a few places for our first 'night' out. My wife is on board, and our 4 year old son is certainly excited about camping. Here's what I've got (or done) so far. What am I missing??

1. Got a tent..nothing to fancy. A middle of the road Coleman that should work for a night or two (we'll pick our weather this time). Didn't want to pay too much in case we didn't like the experience.

1a. I also bought seam sealant and will do that to the tent, as well as set it up in the backyard once or twice before we leave the house.

2. I've got two tarps -- one to put under the tent (with no exposes tarp edges) and one to put on the floor inside the tent. (I've been doing my lurking/homework here and on other sites).

3. A nice coleman battery powered lantern and assorted flashlights.

4. Folding chairs for each of us to use while at camp.

5. Air mattresses and rechargable pump.

6. We'll eat out of the cooler and dry items for the first trip. Maybe grill up some hotdogs on the fire. I wanted to keep the food/cooking to a minimum for this first adventure.

I'll start making lists of the usual things such as blankets, clothes, plates, cups, toilet paper, etc. But what else from an "ah-ha!" perspective should I try and remember? I don't want to invest a lot of money at this point, but if its something that will make a difference between being comfortable and being miserable, I'll jump on it. We're going to a state park or something, preferably during the week when its not as crowded.

Thanks for any input!

Mark