What to Carry When You Go Car Camping
If you’re new to car camping and are not sure about what to carry, this post will be a perfect read for you.
While you can carry loads of stuff in your car, it still doesn’t mean you carry anything and everything.
Whether you’re heading for a car camping adventure by the lakeside or planning to spend a night at the beach under the moonlit sky, it’s important to identify the items you need to carry while camping in your car.
I’m an avid car camper and have successfully completed over five car camping adventures in the last two years.
I have braved extreme weather conditions such as heavy rainfall and snow and have imbibed great car camping skills by regularly facing challenging situations during my car camping outings.
In this guide, I’ll help you identify the ‘must-have’ car camping items and why you need them.
Read on to know more…
Car Camping Essentials — Things You’ll Definitely Need
To provide you with a better understanding of the surefire things you’ll need while car camping, I have categorized the items in three segments — Tent essentials, cooking essentials, campfire essentials, and mixed essentials.
In this section, we’ll go through each segment in detail.
Tent Essentials
Car camping does not always mean sleeping in your car outdoor.
Here’s a list of things you’ll need to ensure you get a sound sleep while you are car camping.
Trust me, I carry all of these and do not miss out on ANY of them.
Leaving even one of these items behind can lead to stressful situations.
Tent
If you’re camping, there is a high chance that you may encounter extreme weather conditions.
That means you should have a tent that allows you to brave the weather outside.
This is where the importance of a three-season tent comes into the picture.
A tent with a simple zipper and limited poles is good for camping. Some extra pockets to store your portable charger, camera, etc., would be nice too.
If you plan to place an inflatable mattress inside your tent, make sure you pick a 4-person tent to accommodate the inflatable mattress.
Even though I’m a solo car camper, I prefer a 4-person tent that can easily accommodate my comfortable inflatable mattress.
So, the capacity of the tent you want to carry is completely up to you.
Inflatable Mattress
So, you’ve bought a tent, but what about the mattress?
An inflatable mattress can be a good buy if you’re not too fond of sleeping on the ground. Most inflatable mattresses also come with comfortable pillows.
All you need to do is connect the inflator pump to your car, and within minutes, you’ll have a mattress ready to sleep.
Don’t you have a tent?
No problem; most inflatable mattress easily fit in SUVs, and minivans.
Most of the times when the weather conditions are unfavourable, I prefer sleeping inside my minivan.
Sleeping Bag
An emergency sleeping bag is also something that you must carry in your car.
Emergency sleeping bags are also known as survival bags. In the event of nature’s fury, if by any chance your tent gets damaged, an emergency sleeping bag can help you sleep peacefully at night.
The reflective material of sleeping bags retain body heat and protects you from winds and rain.
If you ask me, I am not too fond of sleeping bags.
However, I always ensure I have one at the back of my car for emergencies.
Cooking Essentials
The cooking essentials will depend on the type of food you’re planning to cook.
Cooler
A camping cooler is a must-have item especially if you’re car camping during the sultry summer days.
Your portable cooler can serve as your mini-refrigerator, a table, a chopping board, and a makeshift stool.
With a cooler by your side, you’ll not have to worry about ice or chilled beverages.
It can also come in handy to carry your favourite meats.
However, make sure you don’t leave you cooler in the sun.
Place your cooler in the shade or allow it to rest inside your car.
Cooking Stove/Grill/Skewer
While it’s true that food tastes wonderful when cooked on a grill, for outdoor cooking, a small gas stove is the most convenient way to prepare meals while you are car camping.
These days, you can also find electronic portable gas stoves that come in handy to warm pre-cooked food.
I personally love cooking on a grill, especially during the winter season.
The taste of grilled food is absolutely awesome.
Cookware
Other essentials that you may need for cooking include a chopping knife, charcoal or other fuel (cooking stoves that use biomass as fuel are also available on the market), garbage bags, mixing bowl, serving bowl, dinner plates, glasses and mugs, spoons, salt, sugar, tea or coffee, cooking oil, matches or a lighter, and a couple of kitchen towels.
Potable water
This one’s a no-brainer…
Don’t forget to carry clean water for drinking and cooking.
Also, make sure you carry extra water. Consider carrying at least ½ to 1 gallon per person per day.
I typically do not feel very thirsty, but when I’m car camping I feel three times thirstier.
Campfire Essentials
What’s camping without a fire? Believe me, lighting a fire is one of the most exciting things about car camping is starting a campfire.
So, if you’re unable to start a fire, you are going to have a tough time.
Here are a few things you’ll need for successfully starting the much-awaited campfire:
Hatchet
A hatchet or a firewood axe is a great tool for chopping firewood or preparing firesticks from logs of different sizes.
A good quality hatchet is necessary for car camping.
Also, the hatchet can come in handy for stoking and poking the fire.
Other Campfire Essentials
Once you have enough firewood, you’ll need matches or a lighter to start the fire.
So, make sure you don’t forget to carry either of these two car camping essentials.
Remember, you also need them for lighting your cooking stove!
Mixed Essentials
This segment comprises miscellaneous items that you cannot afford to leave at home.
They are ‘must-have’ car camping essentials. Let’s look at them one by one.
Lights
Even if you don’t like to string lights around your campsite, you’ll need at least a few battery-operated flashlights or lanterns.
Kerosene lanterns inside a synthetic tent are a big ‘NO.’ An LED lantern is a good option.
Keep in mind that you’ll need more than one flashlight or lantern for minimal illumination of your campsite, especially for cooking in the dark.
You can also use a solar-powered lantern. I carry several battery-powered flashlights and keep my van illuminated to keep away wild animals.
First-Aid Kit
It’s always better to be safe than sorry. It is critical to understand that accidents can happen anywhere, anytime.
So, it’s always a good idea to be prepared for the worst.
Make sure you carry a first-aid kit with the following items:
- Gauze rolls
- Bandages
- Antiseptic cream
- Medicated cotton
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Anti-inflammatory medicines
- Rubbing alcohol
- Needles
- Hand sanitizer
- Antihistamines
A first-aid kit is the first car camping essential that I pick while packing the items.
Thanks to my first-aid kit, I was able to treat a deep cut on my leg which resulted from slipping on a huge rock.
Portable Power Supply
While car camping is a great way to get respite from the cobwebs of life, it doesn’t mean you disconnect from the world entirely, especially if you’re on a solo car camping adventure.
Whether it’s your cell phone, tablet, or your mp3 player; all the devices use power, and it can be a challenge to charge your devices when you are camping.
So, it’s a smart idea to carry a portable power supply with you.
It can be a rechargeable portable power supply or a solar-powered portable power supply.
Portable Shower
Surprised to know that a portable shower exists?
Well, it does, and it is an excellent solution if your campsite does not have a shower.
You can buy a solar-powered shower or a battery-operated shower.
At first, my friends laughed at me when I told them about my portable shower.
But now, they all carry it whenever they go camping or hiking. It’s a very useful self-hygiene item.
Camping Chairs
If you want to enjoy some peaceful moments under the starlit sky near the camping fire, you need a comfortable camping chair.
Collapsible chairs or beach chairs can be used as camping chairs.
It’s easy to carry them in your car as well as use them.
They need very less storage space.
Grooming Essentials
The personal items and toiletries you need would depend on your camping duration, weather, and surroundings.
Here’s a list of items you may need:
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Body wash
- Shampoo
- Sunscreen
- Toilet paper
- Portable camping fan
Just like the portable shower, you can also carry a portable camping fan, especially if you are camping during summer.
A portable camping fan is an excellent comfort item. You can hang it from your tent or place it on a stool near your pillow.
There are several battery-operated and solar-powered portable camping fans on the market.
Pick the one that’s convenient to carry and store.
Extra Clothing
Even though you’ve thoroughly scanned the weather forecast, it’s a fact that nature is unpredictable.
The weather can change any moment, anytime. With some extra pairs of clothing, you won’t have to worry about the sudden weather changes.
You won’t even have to worry about washing or drying your clothes.
I carry at least three to four pairs of extra clothing, especially during the rainy weather.
You never know what surprise the weather has in store for you.
Final Thoughts on Car Camping Essentials
Now that I have provided you with a comprehensive list of car camping essentials, make a note of everything that’s on the list and make sure you don’t miss out on any of the items.
Whether you’re a first-time camping enthusiast or an experienced camper, I’m sure this list will help you with your upcoming car camping adventure.
While there’s nothing as fascinating as sleeping under the stars, if you leave behind any of the items mentioned here, you may end up spoiling the fun.
Take extra care if you’re camping in the wild.
Follow all the rules of the campsite and make sure you don’t litter the place.
Remember, there will always be a next visitor.
So, make sure you leave the campsite clean. I hope you enjoyed reading the post.
If you feel I have missed something important, feel free to add the item to the list by mentioning the name of the item in the comment section below.
Also, let me know if you need more tips on car camping; I’ll be glad to assist you.
