Camping has accumulated a reputation for complexity it never earned. At its core it is four decisions: where you will sleep, what you will eat, how you will stay warm, and what you will do with the hours the city usually fills for you. Get the first three roughly right and the fourth takes care of itself.
Start with the site
Flat ground matters more than a view, though at a good camp you rarely have to choose. Look for morning sun and afternoon shade, and set your tent door away from the prevailing wind. If you're staying at a prepared site, most of this thinking has been done for you; your job is just to arrive before dark.
Bring less than you think
A first camping list wants to be three pages long. Cut it to one. Shelter, sleep, layers, food, water, light. Everything beyond that is a luxury, and luxuries are heavy. The best gear decision is usually the thing you leave in the car.
If it rains
Rain is only a problem if you treat it like one. Pitch the tent taut, keep one set of clothes dry no matter what, and let the weather have the afternoon. A storm heard from inside a well-staked tent is one of camping's better shows.
Most mountain rain moves through in an hour anyway. Make tea, deal a hand of cards, and step out when it's done. The ground dries fast up here, and the light after a storm is worth the wait.
Then do less
The first evening always feels slightly aimless. That's the point. Make dinner slowly. Watch the light change. Go to bed embarrassingly early and wake up with the sun. By the second morning the aimlessness has turned into something closer to rest, which is what you came for.
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