Preparing For a Basic Campout

Here's a list of what every Scout should have on a campout.

• Sleeping Bag
• This is a very personal choice - sleeping bags range in functionality and price.  I'd recommend as light of a sleeping bag as you can afford because it ends up being the heaviest thing in your backpack (and i personally feel that you should always be thinking about a 50 miler when you think about your camping gear.  I recommend bags made from real down - it's lighter and warmer than synthetics. 
• Sleeping Mat
• Alps Speeping Mat I have one of these - I've had a lot of sleeping mats and this one is the best quality for the best price when you're looking for a self inflating mat.  I recommend getting as small of a mat as you're comfortable with.  
• Foam Sleeping Mat For around $20 you can get a foam one as well.  
• Camping Utencil
• Spork: This is what i personally use - it's one tool (so it takes up less space) and very functional)
• Titanium Spork I use this one - it's lightweight and indestructible.  at $12 it's not for everyone though.  You can get a pack of 4 plastic ones for about $10 online or at wall mart. 
• Regular fork/spoon/knife from the kitchen (ask your mom first!) - you can get a dedicated fork/spoon/knife from a thrift store like DI or St. Vincent Depaul for probably 10 cents. 
• Camp Stove
• Campfires: In our dry environment one of the things that's becoming more commonplace is for campgrounds not to allow campfires.  A good pocket stove is a great way to ensure you are always prepared for anything that comes our way.  
• Backpacking Stove  This one on amazon is fantastic and under $10 - you'll need fuel that fits it so i recommend going to your local camping store for that.  
• Emberlit Camp Stove:  This is a great stove for light backpacking.  You can cook anything on it and it has a very small environmental footprint as well.
• Mess Kits/Camp Cookware
• Classic Mess Kit - ~$10 - this is what most of your dads would have had when they were a kid.  Very Handy, it has everything you need and at a very low cost
• The camp cookware i have is big enough to fit a camp stove fuel canister in so i can conserve space and weight in my backpack but they tend to run anywhere from $20-$50 for a set.  
• Tent
• For most scout adventures we'll be camping near the car so we can use a big tent.  This is usually provided.  
• Backpacking Tents usually fit about 2-3 people and are ultra lightweight so they can be carried with you on your backpack.
• Coleman Hooligan - ~$50 it's the best priced small/light tent it's ~7-8 lbs
• Kelty Salida - ~$150 this is the tent I have, it's very light at around 3 lbs so that's what you're paying for with the extra money yet it's about $100 less than the REI or Cabellas equivalent.  
• Footwear
• This is fairly subjective just as a sleeping bag is.  The things to think about are:
• Waterproof - Modern sandals made by Keen or Chaco or many others fit the bill here for a great waterproof shoe/sandal but they can be spendy $50-100.  I've personally done a lot of 5-15 mile hikes with Chacos so i recommend them.  
• Hiking Soles -  Just about anything these days will do for this.  You'd be surprised that on a very long hike comfort tends to be more important than super thick soles
• Ankle Support - This is something that will vary on an individual basis.  The more you depend on ankle support the more you'll need it.  I've personally never needed ankle support on a long hike or campout and have always opted for lighter footwear.  
• Comfort and lightweight - New Balance shoes are amazing for hiking.  They're comfortable, lightweight and very versatile.  That's right - running shoes for hiking/camping!  A good pair of NBs can be had for like $50