Im planning a camping trip in the near future, and have some questions that Im hoping some of you can chime in on. Im definately not new to camping, but i havent camped in a remote dangerous area in a long time. Mostly overnighters at the lake or close to civilization. This will be our first big rodeo in the t4r and with my 11 year old son.

Im just kind of nervous this being our first extended stay deep in the forest with my wife and son. Looking for safety tips, must bring items etc. Keep in mind im not a millionaire.

The place we're going is my favorite camping place i have been to, and i havent been there in about 12 years. It is gorgeous and some of the amenities of the trip include:

7000ft elevation
60 - 80 degree weather
200ft water fall
creek with rainbow trout
mountain cliff indian ruins
peaks where you can see all the major mountain ranges in AZ
2 mile hike to canyon with 800-1000ft sheer cliffs(90 degree drop offs)
beautiful forest trees etc

Along the hike to the canyon and cliffs, the trail gets a little dangerous. There are areas near the canyon where the canyon is next to the trail and one slip can potentialy be disasterous. Im wondering if i should tandem a rope to my son to be extra safe or am i being too overly cautious and protective.

Im trying to keep the items im taking to a minimum or compact in size. Has anyone used any pocket size camping gear before? I was looking at the pocket saw and was wondering if stuff like that really works.

Considering the temperature, ice wont last too long. This will be a 3 -4 day trip. I was wondering the best method of keeping things cold without buying a camping fridge or anything like that. Maybe dry ice? Hows that work?

What foods do you guys take? planning on fishing for dinner, but still need some steak etc. Also some dry foods, canned goods and what not.

Any tips on safety, suggestions for fun around the camp or things to do , items that come in handy etc etc would be appreciated. Or "dont forget to" do this or that also.

Sorry my post is kind of scatter brained and what not.

Trying to make this a great , unforgetable camping trip and want to make the most out of it.

THanks for any help.