Chris and Ponzi are having a world of pain fun getting camping gears together for Scoble's FU-Camp.  If you are just starting to get into camping, my advise would be to get as little as possible.  Part of camping fun is learning about what you need for the next trip.

If you get too much stuff out of anticipation, you'll waste too much time packing and unpacking.  And chances are, you won't make the second trip until years later.

My list of starter essentials for drive-in camping:

• tent(s) – easier to put up the better.  Make sure the tent is big enough to accomodate air-mattresses.  Don't waist money on hammers and stuff.
• a couple of large tarps – these are useful in many ways.
• sleeping bags – spend most of your money on this.
• air-mattress – I can't live without this.  There are some good ones out there that you can inflate and deflate silently in a few minutes.
• comfortable foldup chairs
• 2 lanterns and 1 flashlight
• an outdoor stove
• lighter and some firestarters
• a water bucket with a good handle
• a large plastic pan
• some thin ropes
• some protection against bugs (I like burning kind).
• ice chest(s)

That's it.  Oh yes, you'll need a bigger car.

As to pots and pans, just take throw aways from your kitchen until you know what you need for your choice of camp food.  And don't touch that glistening wood chopping axe unless you don't mind losing a toe.  Campsites or stores near them have firewood and they burn just fine without chopping them into smaller pieces.

If you enjoy hiking, you would already have the right shoes and cloths.  If you don't, don't get any so you won't have to hike.  When I go camping, I use my 15 year-old pair of sneakers (due to very low mileages logged) and a pair of slippers.  I use the sneakers to drive and unpack.  Then I switch to my 'thinking man's slippers', aka high-on-food gear, and that's that until it's time to pack again and drive away.