Equipment:

The equipment you bring is completely dependent on what you want and where you are camping. There are a couple of essentials. I found a couple of websites that were very helpful in determining what to bring. You can visit them through these links:
Camping Checklist - Complete Listing of Essential Items
Coleman - Tent Camping Checklist
Camping checklist - camping list

Popular Locations:

• Clear Lake
• Frog Lake
• Indian Henry
• Kingfisher
• Ripplebrook
• Riverside
• Trillium
• Promontory
• Sunstrip
• Roaring River

To reserve a site in one of these campgrounds and many others please visit Reserve USA and search for an individual campground or search Mt. Hood to get a list.

Costs:

• The standard fee at most of the campgrounds on or around Mt. Hood is $16.00 per night. This is a standard single site that can is meant to hold six people.
• If you plan on having multiple cars it is $10.00 per night per extra car.
• Food, drink, and supplies must also be figured in to the cost, but that is completely dependant on what you bring. This is usually the most expensive part of camping.

Safety:

• Pack a first aid kit.
• Bring more food and water than you need in case you get stuck there longer than you had intended.
• Check the weather report before leaving.
• Arrive early enough to have camp set up before dark.
• Never leave a fire unattended.
• Pitch your tent in a location that won't flood.
• Don't leave trash and food laying around at night because the animals will make a mess of your site and eat your food.
• Be safe around wildlife. Don't do anything stupid.
• Bring enough light sources in case you need to do things at night.
• Have a source of fire that works when wet.
• Have an axe in case you run out of wood.
• Have at least a ½ gallon of water per person per day.

Benefits:

• Very relaxing
• Great social event
• Can enjoy many other recreational activities while camping
• Depending on what you do it can be a great physical exercise

Recommendations:

• If you plan on making reservations you may want to visit the campground and find a good site before planning.
• Be sure to bring things to pass the time such as board games or cards.
• If it is a large campground bring bikes for transportation and fun.
• Come prepared for bad weather no matter how confident you are.