I remember my first "night camped out" in the back yard when I was 5, all I had was some blankets. As a teenager I would take only an old rectangular cotton sleeping bag. Later I carried a piece of plastic to put over me and a bag for my jacket that made a pillow. Finally I bought a pack frame, sewed my own pack and bought a 3/8" foam sleeping pad. I always cooked over a fire in a coffee can, one for food, one for coffee.

The point being, gear just makes things more comfortable, if you are tough enough, you can trade discomfort for weight. No need to not camp just because you don't have nice gear. Jim