SHOPTALK : Now’s the Right Time to Scout Out Best Buys in Camping Equipment : Stock up on such essentials as sleeping bags, tents and coolers at end-of-season sales. Then head for the hills.

Sometimes we feel like we’ve just got to get away from it all. The shopping. The sales. The malls. Spending. Spending. Spending. We need a vacation and no hotels please. We don’t want to see so much as a gift shop. Tropical islands are out, too; our credit cards are maxed.

Camping sounds about right. Getting back to nature. Ah, the fresh air, the quiet, the trees. Just a little breather so we can build up our strength for (you guessed it) holiday shopping.

The end of summer and early fall are a great time for camping. The weather is ideal and campgrounds are less crowded than at the peak of summer. Best of all, camping equipment is on sale now as sporting goods stores make room for new winter merchandise.

Being novices, we first talked to some experienced family campers to determine exactly what equipment we would need. We decided the “must-haves” were a tent, an ice chest or cooler and sleeping bags. Nice, but not essential, are folding chairs, a lantern and a propane stove. We were pleasantly surprised at how many people really like to lend their camping equipment to fellow nature lovers. So borrow what you can and look for a good price on what you’ll have to purchase.

When selecting a tent, make sure to get one with a “rain fly.” A rain fly goes over the top of the tent and slides down the sides. It keeps the tent dry during a shower and can be removed on balmy nights to leave just a screened rooftop.

We found some great deals on tents at Big 5 Sporting Goods. As always, call first to check on stock and prices, which are subject to change. We liked the Coleman “Mountaineer” four-person Dome Tent. It’s priced at $99.99, down from its regular $169.99. We also liked the “Rainier” by Hi-Point. This is a five-person dome tent, which regularly sells for $169.99 and is now $119.99. It’s taller than Coleman’s “Mountaineer,” with a center height of 72 inches.

Two other well-priced tents were at Price-Costco and Oshman’s, which will special order a tent for you if you can’t find the one you want. The Mt. Tek Giant Family Dome is regularly $139.99 and is on sale at Oshman’s for $99.99. At Price-Costco, a 10-foot by 10-foot “Family Dome Tent” by Wilderness Trails is priced at $99.99. This was one of the larger tents we saw, sleeping five to six people.

We saw sleeping bags on sale at virtually every sporting goods store we visited. The best deals seemed to be at Price-Costco. Two different four-pound Coleman sleeping bags were $25.99 and $39.99. The tricky part of buying a sleeping bag is selecting one for the climate in which you will be camping. And don’t forget a mat for under the bag!

Now for the cooler. Big 5 has a 54-quart cooler by Rubbermaid for $24.99. It’s regularly $29.99. There is also a 32-quart Thermoelectric cooler by Coleman for $119.99. Or get the same cooler at Price-Costco for $89.99 plus a $12.50 delivery charge. Our first choice is Coleman’s 68-quart Cooler for $39.99 at Oshman’s. It simply holds more food for the money.

Again at Oshman’s, we were crazy about those adorable khaki folding chairs by Lafuma. With backs, they sell for $19.99 or, as a stool, for $14.99. These chairs fold down to almost nothing. A Coleman two-burner propane stove is priced at $49.99 here. That’s only $2.50 more than the same stove at Price-Costco, which must be special-ordered.

Big 5’s Century Lantern by Primus is now $19.99 from $25.99. Again, we preferred the Coleman propane lantern at Oshman’s. With a case, it’s $21.99, reduced from $24.99.

Or you can skip the lantern and have a campfire. Just be sure you have plenty of marshmallows!