Hi Mark,

There's been a lot of good advice so far. My advice is do not buy anything. Rent or borrow everything. It doesn't sound like you or your wife all that enthusiastic about camping (although I admire you for trying), so there's no point in buying anything if you're not going to use it. Reviews and opinions on different products probably aren't going to be very helpful for you, since your needs are different than everyone else's.

If you decide you do want buy your own gear, don't be seduced by all the fancy name brand equipment out there. Most likely you won't need it, in some cases, it might actually be worse for you. For example, there is some very lightweight high end backpacking gear, but for a car camper most of the stuff is harder to use, more delicate, and much more expensive than you need.

For a beginner camping family, I think you could probably outfit a family of 4 for about $200 with tents, sleeping bags, and stove. Costco sells family sized tents for approximately $100, sleeping bags can be as cheap as $20 (for mild weather), and there are decent single burner stoves for about $20 (double burner for about $40). None of this stuff is what you would consider top quality, but it's not junk either. It'll definitely last you long enough to decide whether or not you want to pursue camping as a family activity, and might last you a lot longer than you want (so you won't have an excuse to go buy new gear)

Also, I've taken a lot of beginners camping, the most important thing to remember is not to try too much too soon. You don't want to scare them off if this is their first time camping. Start them off in a nearby park, with full amenities. That means pay showers, toilets, maybe running water and other luxuries. Showers and toilets are a must for anyone not used to camping, the quickest way to turn off your wife to the outdoors is to hand them a roll of TP and tell them to dig a hole. Don't forget that they're not interested in practicing their survival skills, they're just there to have fun. If you know any friends or family that have been camping before, ask them if you can tag along. It will make life a lot easier for you if there's someone with a little bit of experience to show you the important things.