Thats good news. I just noticed Cutter has two kinds of repellent with picaridin. One with 7% and one the 15%. Which one were you using, and how much did you have to use?

Just a few quick notes:

1) As mentioned, you don't need a down sleeping bag. Down is realistically useful primarily for hikers, where every ounce and cubic centimeter is counted. Car camping, you don't need to worry about it. Synthetic bags are warmer in damp weather, easier to wash, and generally a tad bit cheaper.

I'm a big fan of the Big Agnes bags for car camping. They are squarish, as opposed to tapered or mummy style, so they have a lot of room. They also have a sleeve on the bottom side into which your pad goes, so that you don't roll off in the middle of the night. Highly recommended for inexperienced campers, or those (like me) who thrash around in their sleep.

2) Sleeping pads: even with a thick self-inflating pad, your more "pointy" areas (like hips and shoulder blades) tend to sink into the foam, making cold spots. In addition, I find the pads themselves don't offer the support I like. As I've gotten older my tolerance for discomfort has decreased substantially! After many years of suffering on even the really thick pads, I finally hit on the magic formula: a standard Thermarest, topped by one of their closed-cell foam RidgeRest pads, which easily fit into the Big Agnes sleeve. It's heaven!

3) Tents: Don't buy anything with a rain fly that doesn't come within 6 inches of the ground. Cheaper tents often have skimpy little flys, which you will regret in your first downpour. REI's house brand tents are generally reasonably priced and well designed, and you could do a lot worse.

If you find you like camping, you might consider ditching the tent and buying a double TentCot. They are incredibly comfortable - more than any pad on the ground - and I can virtually guarantee that your wife will not complain about sleeping in one!

4) Bug protection: I wasn't even going to comment, but the use of DEET bothers me. DEET melts plastics (including nylon) - do you really think it's a good idea to put a chemical like that on your skin?? Not me! I've been using REPEL brand plant-based (eucalyptus) repellants for several years, and am completely sold on them. They are at least as effective as the DEET I once used, and I don't have to worry about mutating from the chemicals.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Hmm... let me check the can.... 15%. The little can that Walmart has as an impulse item in the check outs for $2. I spray it lightly along my arms and calves, squirt it into my hand and rub it on my cheeks, forehead, neck, ears and dry my hand in my hair (getting a little thin).

What bit me was a deer fly. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, but a flamethrower will repel those things in my experience. I remember "macing" one with 100% DEET once and it wasn't even phased.

Misquitoes buzz around you, but they don't get closer than a few inches. Oddly, it seems to attact the males, which I squash happily- only something like .1% of skeeters are boys, so I figure every one I hammer is another vote for inbreeding which will either make them worse or kill them off in a few hundred years. :P

It works really well against black flies. I'm allergic to those things, 10-12 bites and I'm having chills. Not blessed nibble.

Kochanski gives the same advice in his Clothing & Sleeping Bags DVD. The closed-cell foam acts like a snowshoe on the softer pads like the open-cell foam. It's funny that people think the rougher you camp, the more you have to sacrifice on the comfort of sleeping while experienced survival instructors teach that to work on the comfort of your bed is a top priority so as to help conserve energy and think clearly in the roughest camping level there is, having to unexpectedly survive in the bush totally cut out from civilization.

Frankie

I'm gonna go get a bottle of the 15% stuff tomorrow. Black flies are more of a problem to me than mosquitoes and if it works for them I'm satisfied. And I know what you mean about deer flies. That is, if what I call "horseflies" are the same thing. I hike on a horse trail and those jokers know how to bite and draw some blood. I swear sometimes I feel like a small animal came out of the bushes and took a bite out of my leg.

Some may find the following chemical weapon against the 'Bugs' useful, along with Neem, Tea tree oil and Citronella there is another natural insect repellent called bog myrtle,

http://www.stopbite.com/

Might be useful for those if nothing else seems to work. The Vikings apparently used it as an insect repellent. Its was also put into ancient traditional heather beer brews. The beer is available today, I had a couple of Pints during the week from the local supermarket. The Vikings used to drink the brew before going into battle with their customary berserk frenzy. A bit like MREs

Wives that think roughing it involves staying at Motel 6 are tough to please when it comes to even car camping. BUT ...anything you can do that will enhance her experience is your only shot ...and we all know that once they hate it there's no going back.
So ...that said ...you are now only limited by your wallet and available storage space in your transportation vehicle of choice for this trip.
I'd go with the most comfy sleeping arrangements and a roomy tent.
For car camping getting lightweight stuff has merit only from the standpoint that if you progress to backpacking or have (want) things small and compact for future trips you won't have wasted money ...but kitchen chores are much easier with Coleman Propane stoves and lanterns....and if you progress to using smaller stuff someday, you can relegate these items to your disaster kits and backyard camping etc.
Choose food that simplifies the meal process..not too many pots and pans and ingredients that keep well in an ice chest.
Make sure the kids have stuff to do if it rains ... or when you are tired of chasing them around the campground. Spaghetti, Mac 'n Cheese, hot dogs, burgers, steaks, pork 'n beans, chili etc ... you get the idea.
If you're thinking of taking short hikes....consider water bottle carriers for everyone and bring bottled water.
I have always liked car camping ....and bring more creature comforts each time. Lounging around the camp fire is great, especially after the kids had collapsed for the night. If the wife has a favorite special beverage this is the time to break it out. If not, or she's already given up ever doing this again, make sure you have one for yourself.
Quiet parks, are best, since rowdy neighbors tend to make for a negative experience. And a short quick trip ...a couple days .. is better for the first time...that way if its really horrible it doesn't last long and your shortcomings in planning due to budget or "I shoulda thought of that" items won't require "doing without" for a long time.
Good luck recruiting the spouse ... but if she doesn't want to participate in the future it can become guy thing with your kids ... which can be a great bonding thing...which is always good.

I would basically second everything said.
If you’re just starting out car-camping in temperate weather; weight and extreme service capabilities aren’t really important. Start with cheaper versions (i.e. heavier and higher temp. bags and tents) and find what works for you. If it doesn’t turn out to be a good experience, you don’t have a huge investment in equipment. If you (and the wife) like camping upgrade individual items as you need to. Also kids grow (we have several sizes of stuff).

Consider these items:

Kelty Triptease Lightline(tm)- it makes guy lines easier to see, hopefully harder to trip over (if you use a flashlight)
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores...6&langId=-1


Insul Mat Max-Thermo-Lite 1.0 Sleeping Pad - Regular - '06 – The side beams make this feel wider than it is ((harder to roll off of)
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductD...0000008001&

My experience with deer flies is not too bad. I developped a technique. They are so big that you can't miss them when they start hovering around you. I just pretend to ignore it and let it land on my arm or whatever part of exposed skin. I let it settle for a few seconds maybe, and just before it bites me, I swat it diagonally which makes it drop on the ground and then quickly step on it to crush it and finish it mercilessly.

Black flies are another matter. They are so small and are like little piranhas, they gang up on you and when they bite they actually remove flesh. I once ended up to the hospital on account of black flies.

Frankie

Just make sure you finish them off, nothing worse than a wounded one, it just makes them mad