53 Item Guide for Car Camping Beginners

Gabrielle Retcho
Jul 25, 2017 · 4 min read

A couple weeks ago I lost my mind and decided extended car camping (ECC) is the life for me. Going from a 1,500 sq ft. apartment to a midsize SUV requires a serious lifestyle overhaul. And so began the research portion of the preparation process.

My takeaway thus far: The internet can be really annoying.

This search of “what the f*** do I really need?” for living life on the road, turned into a thirty minute deep dive in an article on “The Cost of Living full time on the Road in an RV.”

Then, enter the ridiculous results of outrageously expensive on-the-road items, deemed necessities. Some items were:

  • Dyson hair dryer (seriously, click and laugh with me)
  • Cashmere socks
  • A ‘killer soundtrack’
  • Vogue also chimed in with “mints”…

Odds are if you plan on ECC, cashmere socks and hair dryers aren’t must-needs. You need to know which camping items transfer from ECC to, well, regular camping/backpacking.

Honestly, I’m a little lazy and was looking for a bulk listing of everything I’d need. No dice. I needed to do the legwork myself *insert groan*.

Only three sources have proven helpful for conveying the gear I’d need: The Outbound Journal’s “How To” section, The Manual and Roots Rated. I’m sure there are other helpful sources which I’m not familiar with — feel free to clue me in.

In case the internet fails someone else like me, I created this 53 item list with links and pricing. This list is preemptive and not yet proven accurate.

This listing contains the most sensible, reasonable priced items I could find. I’m cheap, let’s not pretend like you’re not either.


1. Food & Cooking

My dietary restrictions are ridiculous so this section isn’t long. I included two vegan-friendly non-perishables and essential kitchenware.

  1. Lenny & Larry’s The Complete Cookie (12 pk) ($21.49)
  2. Clif Bar Nut Butter Filled Bars (12 pk) ($17.37)
  3. Sawyer — Mini Water Filtration System ($20.75)
  4. Platypus Platy Plus Bottle ($9.71)
  5. Jetboil Flash Stove ($79.95)
  6. Stanley Camp 24oz. Cook Set ($11)
  7. GSI Outdoors Destination Kitchen Set (24-Piece) ($42.99)
  8. GSI Outdoors Water Cube ($8.50)
  9. GSI Outdoors Infinity Backpacker Mug ($9.95)

2. Tech

It’s difficult to make a living as a freelance content marketer without internet access. Time will tell if these items are functional.

  1. Goal Zero Yeti 150 ($199.99)
  2. Goal Zero Nomad 20 Solar Panel ($159.15)
  3. Goal Zero 8mm to 12v Adapter Cable ($17.17)
  4. Peak Design Capture ($59.95)
  5. Spy Tec STI GL300 Mini Portable Real Time Personal and Vehicle GPS Tracker ($49.95)
  6. Kizen Solar Powered LED Camping Lantern ($16.97)
  7. Edimax wifi adapter ($8.99)
  8. TEP Wireless hotspot ($99 + $8.99 use fee)



5. Sleeping

A note on items #33, 34 and 38: The idea here is to halve my full-size mattress topper, fasten together within a twin-sized mattress cover. In a perfect world, #38 will fit in my car, allowing more storage room. Half-DIY for the win.

  1. ENO Singlenest hammock ($59.95)
  2. ENO suspension system ($29.95)
  3. Mattress Topper ($120.35)
  4. Mattress Cover ($26.97)
  5. Pendleton Yakima Camp Blanket ($139.00)
  6. Mountainsmith Foothills Camping Blanket ($49.97)
  7. ALPS Mountaineering Crescent Lake Sleeping Bag: 0 Degree Synthetic ($40.50)
  8. Handy Living Wood Slat Bed Frame Twin ($52.18)
  9. Carcoo window shade (2pk) ($12.97)

6. Clothing

I need articles that can stand a bit more wear-and-tear than my normal Topshop. I’ll be passing through a multitude of climates so layering is necessary.

  1. Mid Cushion Low Hiking Camping Multi Performance Socks($19.99)
  2. Ahnu (Women’s) Sugarpine Hiking Boot ($114.17)
  3. prAna Women’s Halle Short Inseam Pants ($80)
  4. Chacos ($93)
  5. The North Face Adventuress Hike Pant ($38.47)
  6. The North Face Sunblocker Shirt ($30.22)
  7. Buff UV Half Buff ($14.95)
  8. Patagonia Happy Hike Shorts ($38.50)
  9. Dakine Heather Beanie (10.48)

7. Storage

My usual backseat clutter isn’t going to fly. Bring on the bins and cubes.

  1. Sterilite® Ultra™ 74 Qt Clear Underbed Storage Tote ($17.99)
  2. Grand Trunk Getaway Compression Pack Cube ($35.98)
  3. Underbed bags ($14.99)
  4. REI Co-op Expandable Packing Cube Set ($29.95)

Aside from Amazon and Target, here are a few retailers that I pulled from:

There you have it. A bull-homeless-ad-free guide for ECC. Maybe I’m completely wrong or maybe I’m right on the money. What works for me may not work for someone else.

Interested in my successes & failures of life on the road? Follow along.

You’ve got one life, #liveit.

Gabrielle Retcho

Written by

Traveling digital content marketer. Constantly desperate for bangin’ pad thai.

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