If you've never camped out before, or if you have little experience at it, here's some information on some of the business of life in the woods. This is not a complete reference to camping by any means, but hopefully it will serve to bring up some of the most important things to think about.

Take This
      What is put down here is based on the idea of you having a vehicle to carry you and your stuff; this is not intended as a guide for backpacking.  Here are some things you really should take whenever you go camping, in no particular order:

Water Tent Blankets--even in summer. If you don't need them for cold you may need them for shade, bundling items for carrying, or just padding underfoot. More than one way to light a fire--always have multiple fire starters. If you use matches, take the strike-anywhere type. Best is survival matches (also called lifeboat matches) because they're waterproofed. Tools for making camp--axe and shovel for clearing ground, hammer for driving tent spikes. If you have room, take a garden rake. Sharp cutting tools--knives and scissors Spare footgear Spare socks and undergarments--enough for a fresh set each day, and a couple of extras for emergencies. Mundane work clothes for changing tires on the roadside--to quote an article I read years ago, do you really want to break down on the road between Needles and Barstow with nothing but Tudor garb? At least 50 feet of rope--don't use the fuzzy nylon type; it doesn't hold knots well enough. A hat--still the most cost-effective sun protection ever made Sunblock Insect repellent Toilet paper Sleeping gear--cot, pad, sleeping bag, etc. Don't waste space bringing a pillow unless you really need one for you neck; you can use your spare clothing in a pillow case.

Personal medical and small injury items--aspirin, Ace bandages, Band-aids of various sizes, Bactine or some antibacterial lotion, skin irritation ointment like Benadryl, Chapstick, sunblock, etc Soap for washing dishes Flashlight--easier to carry than a lamp and usually not as hot. Spare batteries Some kind of personal kitchen--a small stove (with fuel), sturdy plates and pots, silverware (both for eating and for cooking), etc. 1 or 2 day's worth of food--take non-perishables like canned stew. Take items that are canned or freeze-dried, and that can be cooked with a minimum of trouble (maybe all in one pot to minimize the amount of cooking gear you carry).       Even in a commercial campsite, you should always have the supplies and equipment to feed yourself for a day or two, just in case. You may get too sick to walk to the inn, or it may be storming too hard, or the people who supply the camp may crash the delivery truck, etc. Always have emergency rations and some way to cook them. This is especially important in cold weather. Can opener! Salt--for food, and in a pinch can be made into a paste for toothpaste, dishwashing, and treating wounds Personal hygiene items--toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, towel, washcloth (shampoo is optional) Fire extinguisher

      Consider how much time and effort you are willing to put into setting up camp and breaking down, and how much personal work you are going to do in camp. For example, if you go with a group that has coordinated to set up a common kitchen and cook together, you might take a two-burner propane stove and cast iron skillet for communal use, but it would be a waste for you to haul a similar stove for your private use. If the only cooking you plan is to boil coffee and an occasional can of soup, a folding Sterno stove and a pot would probably be all you need.

Little Details Can Make a Big Difference

• Give very careful thought to your medical needs. The last thing you want is to be out in the woods 45 minutes from the nearest doctor, and have your asthma go wild. If you require regular medication, check and make sure it's in your pocket or glove box in your car just before you leave your house. The same is true of sting kits if you're allergic to flying insect venom.
• Take an old carpet, or heavy canvas tarp, to spread under your tent. You want something that will keep the tent floor dry, and protect the floor and your feet from root stubs and small rocks. (In my opinion, the old canvas types are better because modern plastic ground cloths rip easily. However, canvas is heavier and requires more cleaning when you get home.)
• Use a cot or a camp bed of some kind--only a masochist or an Army Ranger thinks it makes sense to sleep directly on top of rocks and roots. And if your tent has a built-in floor, take some kind of padding to put under the legs of the cot, so they don't damage the floor.
• I apologize for the indelicacy, but take a couple of rolls of toilet paper, and medicine for both constipation and diarrhea. Even in a civilized area, the water will not be exactly what you're used to. The food and your energy expenditures will be different. These differences may show up in your digestion--be ready for it. (Yes, the Gulf War site management supplies toilet paper in the latrines but believe me, this is one item you don't want to depend on someone else for.)
• Buy snap-close containers for holding your soap and toothbrush; you don't want sand or dead bugs in either. Stores that sell camping and hiking gear usually have such things; failing all else, try the Container Store.
• KEEP THINGS DRY! Few things are more miserable than being cool and damp all the time. For yourself, make sure you have a poncho or umbrella or something big enough to cover your period garb. Pack your spare clothing in plastic bags. If you are going to leave something outside your tent and you can't let it get wet, take a waterproof cover for it.
        I like to use a vinyl cloth that is big enough to cover my folding table, and hangs all the way to the ground with a couple of inches to spare all around. I can tuck the short edges under the table legs, and weight down the long edges somehow. This way I have a covered shelter under which I can keep things dry outdoors. But even under a cover, do something to make sure that the bottoms of things that must stay dry don't contact the ground, so damp seeping under the cover doesn't get them. Use plastic containers if you can. If you must use cardboard boxes, line them with plastic bags or varnish the bottoms.
• Take some items, which can stand being left out in the weather, in snap-lid plastic containers like big Tupperware bins. When the containers are emptied, they can be used as basins for washing hands and dishes.
• Make sure your flashlight and/or lanterns are easy to find and keep in hand. Get a flashlight that has a lanyard ring and tie a cord to it so you can loop it around you neck or belt.

Cooling Food
      If you want a more-period way of keeping things cool (cool, not really cold) or if you just don't want to buy ice, try this trick out of the old Boy Scout handbook: put the items you want cooled in a stoneware crock or some other sturdy container. Dig a hole that is a couple of inches shallower than the container, and about 6 inches larger all around the sides. Set the container in the hole and fill in the gap with a mix of sand and fine pebbles.  Put up a cloth that shades the area for a couple of feet around the container and keep the fill around it wet. The shade and evaporative cooling will prolong the life of your consumables a couple of days.
      To keep out animals, first of all use a container that has a tight-fitting lid. Try to get one that has a snap-down like a  Mason jar, and that has handles and/or a strong rim so you can rig rope or tie wraps to secure the lid. This should be at least as secure against marauding raccoons as the average ice chest. If you want still more security, take a box or wire cage you can securely stake down over the container.
      The method explained above depends on heat transfer through the walls of the container. Don't bother burying ice chests; their insulation should prevent heat transfer. For an ice chest, just make sure it stays shaded with a couple of inches of air space between the chest and the shade.

Heat and Sunlight
      This is something that surprises a few people every year. If you're going to be out in the sun all day, you have to take it into account. Even though the event is in March, it is still possible to get dehydrated, sunburned, and overheated, especially when you're dancing in armor.  Take sun block and use it, take water and drink lots of it. If you're hot, don't drink alcohol or beverages with a lot of sugar; they require a lot of water in processing by your digestive system, and will actually dehydrate you more.

Watching Your Health
      In the woods you really do have to pay closer attention to personal hygiene; you never know what might drift in on the wind. Always obey your mother's old command to wash your hands before you eat and after using the latrine. Before you put food in anything that has been sitting out, rinse it out. Always keep covers over food and anything used to prepare it. If you shave with a blade, wash your face carefully both before and after. If you get any breaks in the skin, as soon as possible clean them out with soap and disinfectant, and cover them with bandages.
      You'll probably be walking a lot more than you do at home, and the ground can be rough, so give good thought to your footgear. The attractiveness of period court slippers must be weighed against the chance of turning an ankle on rough ground in camp. Use soft socks (pure cotton are better than artificial fibers) and keep your feet clean and dry.

Caring for Your Gear
      If your leather shoes get wet, drying them over a fire is not a good idea. It will quickly dry the outer surface but if you heat the leather enough you will drive the oils out of the interior along with the water. It's better to put on the spare footgear you should have brought, stuff the wet items loosely with dry paper or grass, and leave them upside-down where the air is as a warm and dry as you can get. You want air to circulate inside them to carry away evaporating moisture. When dry, treat them with oil.
      If you take any kind of machinery, make sure you also take any tools or cleaning gear you may need to keep that machinery in good working order. For example, if you use a compressed-gas stove, take a spare toothbrush and pipe cleaners to clean the jets after stew gets splashed onto the burners.