it's nice to have a screen house that is seperate from the tent - because you can take it to the beach, or choose to leave it at home if it's a shorter camping trip. but, a screened room is definately nice for rain-free, bug-free, eating and card-playing at night with a lantern.

to me, this is camp cooking at it's finest! and much cheaper than a camp stove.

a whistle is very handy for people who like to go off in the woods, esp. kids who may get lost and feel panicked. this whistle has other features like a flashlight, etc.

we like sleeping on cots. and my husband, who is very tall and big, swears by the slumberjack brand. they are comfy even for big guys!

i know this backpack is meant for laptops - but i really like this size for hiking and daytrips.

a good camping cookbook can give great ideas beyond only hotdogs and s'mores

a hatchet is an important tool for cutting large logs into firewood, i like to use a carpenter's hatchet because the axe-head and handle are one peice of metal - very sturdy! you can also use the back part of the hatchet as a hammer for getting tent pegs into a hard area of ground, etc..

i think it's nice to bring a tablecloth and use these clamps to hold it down.

having a clothesline is nice for longer camping trips. clothes can be handwashes with woolite.

some sort of water bottle/ canteen for each person is super necessary we found out the hard way one year, when one friend suffered from heat exhaustion!

i think a dutch oven and a cast iron skillet are way better purshases than those flimsy aluminum fold-up skillets are.