You need some kind of shelter, usually. I use a tent, but there are various kinds of trailers, and more elaborate things. Some people just sleep in the sleeping bag out in the open. I've done that once or twice.
If you camp in a state park there are usually toilet facilities, but in national forests you might find only a pit toilet and a manually operated water pump. So, in the state park you can probably get a shower and will therefore make use of soap and towel. If there is no place to take a shower, just plan on being dirty and grubby for a few days; it won't kill you.
Most "organized" campsites in the US and Canada will have safe drinking water. If you will be camping in pure wilderness you should have some plan for water purification. This could mean boiling it, or some kind of filtration or chemical process.
To boil the water, and to cook, someone in the group should have a stove. You can actually cook over a wood fire, but it blackens the pots and is slow to get started. Obviously if you are going to cook, you need utensils. Most experienced campers have a box of old pots and stuff for this purpose. You can use paper plates and cups, but many people have metal or plastic ones.
You should have a sleeping bag in case it gets cold at night. If it's really hot you can sleep on top of it. For a pillow I sometimes roll up my jeans and then wrap my towel around them. If you are traveling by car and have lots of room, you can bring a pillow. Even though you are sleeping in a tent, the bottom surface is essentially the ground, and it is both hard and lumpy. Most young people take this in stride.
The tent should be pitched in a place that will drain in case of rain. If you pitch it in a basin (depression, even very shallow), you may wake up in a pool of water.
Insects are an issue in some places. You need mosquito repellent (perhaps combined with sunblock). You may also pick up a tick or two during the day, so check yourself at night. If you are camping with your boyfriend you can check each other. This may lead to further nighttime activities.
You need some kind of light at night. This can be flashlights, or a camping lantern. The flashlight is useful for going to the toilet at night.
If you are camping in bear country, make sure you secure your food at night. There are specific well-known techniques for doing this. Presumably whoever you're going with will know about this.
One activity is wildlife watching. There are birds, of course, and sometimes deer, moose, bear, and many others depending on where you are going. For some people the objective is fishing. some people hike. Some people are looking for wild vegetables or mushrooms (be careful!). Some just want to go drinking. Some take mountain bikes along and ride the trails. Some take ATVs. Some people go rock climbing. My favorite is walking on the rocky shore of Lake Superior and eating wild berries.
PS -- Backpackers have lightweight versions of the equipment mentioned, since they have to carry it everywhere.
