Spring Camping!

Since my impending educational leap is set to begin this autumn, I have a goal for the spring.
I wish to go camping.
My idea is as follows:
1. camp in back yard for a trial run and all that entails.
2. build a campfire in backyard as trial run for fire, cooking over a fire, and reinforcing safety rules about fire for the girls.
3. make a list of  items we may need to build or buy for real camping
4. take the plunge and go camping for real, deciding on
        A. pack our stuff and hike to a campsite
    or
        B. hike around the chosen area then set up camp by our van, as              the campsites are road accessible?
5. fine tune the things we didn't like or that didn't work well for us.


Pinterest, that diabolical time suck of inspirational ideas, has given me an enormous supply of camping educational tips/hacks/must-do/must-have/never-evers.

If anyone ever actually read the blog, this is where I would ask for the readers' favorite things and most hated things about camping.
Instead, I am pinning like a madwoman and reading and researching. Why not do it now, when I can make lists and plans and slowly gather items over time rather than wait. If I waited til the spring to research i will find out it costs more than I expect, all my ideas cost more in time or money than I expect, it seems. Ha.