Family camping essentials

Our family has been camping since I was six years old. Right before our family prepared to take its first trip my Dad decided to give each family member a piece of camping equipment. Each “piece of the camp” was necessary in order to complete the site and Dad thought giving everyone an essential piece would not only teach the kids responsibility but also help distribute the overall weight that we would have to carry out to the site.

Dad took charge of the tent, a triple room 6 person family sized unit with aluminum poles and a huge roof vent.  There was plenty of room for us to sleep comfortably and provided a sheltered area for eating. Mom looked after the sleeping bags and lanterns. Each of us got a rectangle closed-cell pad and a single sleeping bag to go on top. My brother got a brand new propane stove, three pots and a frying pan. The stove was green with a double burner and folded up into a neat square about the size of a backpack. I got a bright pink, all purpose, and multifunctional camping knife. It was the perfect size for me and served a variety of different functions. From cutting rope to scaling fish we caught from the lake, my knife served the family well during our annual trips.