This article was produced in partnership with Dometic
Escaping into the wild on a car camping odyssey is an easy idea to pitch from your couch. Dealing with all the logistics of pulling it off is another story. First, there’s mapping out a great place to go. Then there’s gathering all the gear and grub—or buying cool new stuff (more on that in a moment). Long before you begin packing up your vehicle, organization is key from the get-go.
Newbies to car camping may find the prospect of ditching the comforts of home for a few days of “roughing it” in the forest, mountains, or desert to be daunting enough for second thoughts. Even veteran campers can feel the inertia. Don’t let any of that stop you. These essential car camping tips and gear suggestions will (metaphorically) light the campfire and make your next adventure easier to both plan out beforehand and enjoy when you’re out there.
Finding the Perfect Spot
The most important part of making your first car or truck camping trip a resounding success is finding a great location to set up your site. Plenty of online resources can help you dial in a desirable outdoor adventure, starting with the National Park Service and your local state park services. These sites open a treasure trove of possible camping areas and provide important camping intel—ranging from reservations and regulations to campsite amenities. Reserve America is the hub reservation site that most federal, state, local, and private campgrounds use as their system to manage guests in the parks, and will most likely be your online go-to for locking down a spot.
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Another great resource for finding a camping spot—covering an even larger expanse of national, state, and public lands, including on the vast Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grid—is an app called onX. Not only does the subscription-based service (which works with Android and Apple devices) provide tons of maps and ideas for where to hike, camp, and enjoy the backcountry, it’s also equipped with extensive maps for off-roading driving, hunting, and snow sports.
Photo by Aldeen Li on Unsplash
You’ll want to plan at least a month out when nailing down a great place to car camp. Popular spaces, especially in national and state parks during high season, can be snatched up several months in advance, leaving a dicey supply of first-come, first-served spots for gamblers rolling up without a reservation. Even if your first (second or third) choices aren’t available, some diligent searching online will usually turn up other good options in the area you plan to visit—possibly a primitive campsite a little farther off the beaten path, or a private campground offering cabins or glamping sites. For the latter, Hipcamp…
