As someone already mentioned here for starting a fire tiny dry twigs in teepee shape work best for me, but good luck finding those when camping in a desert.

We have Coleman 2 burner propane stove. The only reason I went for this one is because it has walls on three sides to prevent wind blowing out the fire. I could not find same design with one burner because I would rather get that to save on space.

To store most of the camping gear (tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, stove, flash lights, pan, lighter etc) we use plastic tub from Walmart.

As to equipment/gear, if you plan on doing camping often I would suggest in investing money on good quality gear that won't fail when you need it the most. I'm not suggesting to buy a 2 person tent for $1000 and sleeping bags for $500 each. But good quality gear is a must since it will be constantly abused whether by using it or moving around etc.

Good luck and stay safe.