I am very new to camping and need help putting together a list of essentials to take along. What items would you definitely take on a camping trip (in a tent - not an RV)and what would you leave at home?

I'd recommend getting a book for a list. Also, this website may help:

http://www.camping-usa.com/checklist.html

I'm assuming you're car camping as opposed to backpacking. When backpacking you need minimal, very light equipment, and with car camping you can take some luxuries and heavy things.

What you need also depends on where you're going. Is it a hot area, or are there going to be freezing nights, rain, etc.?

It will also depend on amenities. Some national forest and national park campgrounds have pit toilets, and no water. Other have showers, etc. Something like a KOA will have even more ameneties.

Look at a list, tell us where you'll be going, then write back with specific questions.

Are you backpacking or car camping??? The list may be quite different if you're backpacking and required to carry everything on your back.
Either way you need (obviously): tent, sleeping bag and pad, flashlight and/or candle lamp, bug spray, sun block, firstaid kit. Unless you're eating at restaurants: camp stove, cookware and food. Tools I recommend: folding camp saw, hatchet, swiss army knife, small sewing kit, waterproof match holder w/matches or a lighter and most definitely T.P.
Leave behind the boom box, please. If you must have tunes, a personal player that won't subject others to your personal taste in music.
I also always take 1 or 2 cotton bandanas. Very cheap,take up very little space, have a variety of uses and can be rinsed out and dried very quickly.
Don't take too many clothes OTHER than socks. Nothing worse than being stuck wearing the same old wet dirty socks!

We camp some every year but it does take awhile to accumulate the stuff you need.

Some basics:
Tent
Sleeping bags
Cot or other type of cushion to sleep on
Propane stove
Propane or battery operated lantern(s)
Kitchen items (dishes, cups, silverware, pots and pans)
Coffee pot
Mosquito repellent
First aid kit
table cloth
zip lock bags, paper towels
dish towels and cloths for cleaning
dish soap
quarters for showers

Stuff we like to take:

Wire hanger that can be unhinged to put a roll of paper towels on and hang from hook on tree or picnic table.

Tub for washing dishes.

Pop up canopy or tarp to cover eating or food prep area to keep the mountain sun off (can be hot).

Laundry line to hang wet stuff between trees.

Chairs

Seems like there is a lot more stuff judging by the looks of our car when we go but I can't think of it now!

You'll also need a small plastic dish pan, sponge, and small bottle of dishwashing liquid or camp suds to wash your dishes (can also double as a wash basin or tub for washing small items of laundry). If you're car camping and want comfort, you can bring a pillow, but if space is an issue, what we often do is take the stuff sack that our sleeping bags are in and fill them with our jackets and/or other clothing, and use them for a pillow.

Also, if car camping, you might want to bring a beach chair so you have someplace comfortable to sit. The new ones that fold up and fit in a nylon carrying bag are good, they are pretty light and don't take up much space; many even have a cup holder in the arm rest.

Even if it's warm, unless you're camping in an area where you know it will absoloutely stay that way (the deep south, for example), bring a light jacket (polarfleece or microfleece is good) or light nylon windbreaker, and some long pants; it can often get chilly at night. You should have a rain jacket or poncho, too. Long pants can help protect against poison ivy and bugs, as can a lightweight long sleeved shirt or windbreaker.

Thanks, for the replies. We are going in a small pickup. Several suggestions I hadn't though of. Will check out the camping-usa website.

Here's my camping checklist -- I know, it's ridiculously long but I like to be prepared. When you get back from your trip it's a good idea to make your own list as you unpack -- and be sure to include all the things that you forgot to take that you wish you hadn't! I keep my list in an excel spreadsheet so that I can just print out a list and check off items as I pack.

tent silverware
tarp plates
air mattresses pans
air compressor can opener
sheets dish soap
pillows dish rag/sponge
blankets dish washing tub
lantern/extra batteries
dish towels
stove paper towels
propane toilet paper
bucket tissues
rubber mallet soap
hatchet
shampoo/conditioner
firewood/kindling/newspaper
towels
matches washcloths
bug spray toothbrush/toothpaste
sun glasses
razor/shaving cream
flash lights/extra batteries
deodorant
garbage bags comb
water mirror
binoculars foil
flip flops cutting board
hiking boots knives
hats cooking gloves
chapstick roasting fork,spatula,tongs
wet ones cooking grate
broom/dustpan cups
ear plugs pastry brush
spray water bottle spatula
table/chairs big bowl
tent ground cloth salt/pepper
first aid kit coffee press
fishing gear coffee
medicines coffee cups
clothes pins sugar
clothesline cream
table cloth saw
table cloth clips alarm clock
games/cards scissors

Previous lists are good and appear to be thorough. If you're camping in a dry area where fire danger is a possibility (very common this year) be sure to bring a disposable foil roasting pan or its equivalent to put underneath the propane or Coleman stove. Also... if bugs are an issue in the area (e.g. blackflies in the Adirondacks or no-see-ums in other areas) make sure the bug repellent has Deet as the active ingredient. Many brands are available and typically found at camping supply stores. Also helpful for bugs around the campsite at night are citronella candles - the ones in the small metal bucket are great. If you don't have a store in your area that has some of the these items readily available, there's a huge store near me in NJ that has an incredible selection and they discount heavily on most things. It's called Campor and they're on the Web at www.campmor.com - have only used them a few times but had good experience.

I know this sounds antithetical but bring a cell phone for emergencies and a good watchman or radio to stay on top of the shifting markets. Any good bug spray with DEET is a must!

One other thing to consider, since you are not going in an RV, you probably want to avoid campgrounds where everyone else is in an RV. Some of these camping areas serve as vacation homes for RV owners, and some of the set-ups are truly amazing - gardens, strings of lights, satellite dishes.

When we have gone in a tent, we try to camp in "public" camp grounds - that is those run by state, province, Federal govt. These usually have a maximum number of nights you can stay (usually 1 or 2 weeks) and so you get far more tent campers. Some privately-run campgrounds have tents-only areas, but make sure these are not just some open field with tents packed in so it looks like a housing project.

Have fun - bring lots of bug repellent.

I agree with the post about editing your list as you unpack. That's how you develop a REALLY good list over time.

One item I haven't seen on the list is baby wipes. They are relatively light, and a great substitute for a shower. You need 2 or 3 per "bath". We always take them on backpacking trips.

We also take tortillas to wipe out (and eat) the leftovers from bowls and cooking pots. That way we don't have to use so much water for dishwashing.

Don't forget the groundcloth for the tent. When car camping, we also take a couple of blankets to use on the tent floor, for more padding. We use sleeping pads, too, under our sleeping bags. Cots just seem to be more trouble than they're worth.

The whisk broom and dustpan are handy for sweeping out the tent each time you pack it up. An S hook to hang a flashlight inside the tent is good.

I don't know if anyone listed duct tape, but that's always good, as are extra tent stakes. A pack of playing cards and a good book are reasonable options.

We make sure that everyone in the group (including kids) has a belt pack with water, purification tablets, some hard candy, a whistle, waterproof matches (not the kids), and a space blanket even for short hikes.

Add a flashlight to that belt pack list. There should be at least one first aid kit for a group.