[turnipmonster]

I highly recommend getting a jetboil stove. it's the most efficient thing I own. you will also need a compass, cooking/eating utensils, paper towels, a good lighter, and a million other little things I am forgetting.

as far as camping, there are two ways to camp in most national parks. you can apply for a backcountry permit, which means you can set up camp wherever you want within a designated (but very large) area. some parks have seasonal restrictions on fires for backcountry campers.

the other way to do it is reserve a campsite. a campsite consists of a fire ring, grill type thing, flat space for your tent, parking space and nearby bathrooms/dishwashing stations/etc. usually these campsites are a mix of ppl with RVs and tent campers.

there is usually a separate "hiker's camp" which is normally a lot further away from cars (no parking spots nearby) and cheaper.

car campsites will run you 15-25/night, hiker's camps are around 5 bucks. backcountry permits are sometimes free, sometimes 5-10 bucks. you can usually apply for a receive a backcountry permit the same day you want to camp. if you want to get a car campsite, for that time of year you will need to reserve far in advance. there will be a *lot* of other people camping. I am not kidding or exaggerating.