I've been doing border collie rescue for over 9 years now and have 3 of my own that camp with us (we're all here at the Fort now in fact!)
Just wanted to add that choosing what kind of dog/puppy to get is a really big decision and not something to rush. Agree with PP about getting your son a leash/collar for Christmas and then taking your time to choose the right dog after the fact. The first 6 mos. of a puppies life are super critical to what kind of dog you're going to live with for the next 10-15 years (or more) and you need to be prepared to spend the time it takes to do it right or you'll be spending many many years trying to fix things - or worse, giving your dog up.
Please do your research if you're getting a purebred dog. Choose a dog based on your family's lifestyle, not what they look like. Personality, temperament, energy level, grooming needs and if they fit with your family's day to day routine are much more important that looks. Trust me! In rescue, we've had more young pups dumped in rescue that were bought (often on impulse with no research at all) because people liked the looks/size/brains of a border collie, but had no idea at all what it was like to LIVE with one. Please take your time and choose carefully.
There's an excellent book by Ian Dunbar called "Before and After Getting Your Puppy" that I would strongly recommend you read before you get your pup. Raising a puppy well is a LOT of work (speaking from experience here) - and that's just the housetraining.

If you don't have the time/energy to devote to such a young dog, I'd also recommend you consider adopting an older dog. The advantage is that you know what you're getting when you work with a reputable shelter/rescue in terms of size/temperament/personality, and you don't have to go through all the extra "puppy work." Just please be equally careful that you check out the shelter/rescue you adopt from. Sadly, not all are reputable, and even some that are well meaning really don't do such a fantastic job of finding out as much about their dogs as they can so they can make a proper match.
When it comes to camping with your pup - lots of great advice already. I'll just add to take it slow and don't expect your dog to just instantly take to camping the first time out. Crate training your dog can help, and in our case we planned to have the first day or so of our very first trip to the Fort with our dogs to get them acclimated and establish a schedule/routine that works for them. We're now on our 5th trip here (all of 2-3 weeks) and we're up to 3 dogs now, and I can happily report that EVERYone is having a good time. Takes a little extra time/work on our part - we have very active dogs that can't just sit around all day happily/quietly. We make sure to get them plenty of exercise each day before we head out to the parks, and then we leave them with safe, stuffed toys to chomp on in their crates while we're gone. We also leave the air/fan on, blinds closed and the TV on - what they can't see/hear they can't bark at, and we don't ever want to be "those people" whose dogs yap in the camper all day and annoy our neighbors. But with a little extra effort, everyone can have a happy, fun time.
OK, I've rambled on enough. Good luck and I hope you'll post pics of your new pup when you bring him/her home!!
