Not even a newbie yet - but thinking of trying

Lots of good advise here, I would go with the shorter trip too, Definitely relax around a campfire, Don't over pack, think of it as a hotel stay maybe pack into a bag or two, Get to site as early as you can get in, this way you have lots of time to casually set everything up, I would also use paper plates, plastic utensils, paper or plastic cups, at least for the first trip, Makes it easier to pack and just throw away when done.

Most of all make the DW happy!
Good luck!