Car Camping Checklist with Printable PDF
Our Car Camping Checklist helps you plan your dream road trip. We love road trips and camping. Car camping gives us a great sense of freedom. We love to hear the sounds of the night or the birds singing in the morning. We like to sit in front of the tent, observe the surrounding nature, and drink freshly brewed coffee. Our proven checklist, with Car Camping Essentials, helps you have an amazing and safe adventure. We also give you a Printable Car Camping Checklist PDF. We share some of our favorite things to take along for car camping and hands-on tips for car camping.
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How To Use This Car Camping Checklist?
This is the second part of the Road Trip Planning Guide, which helps you to enjoy great adventures safely. The popularity of traveling by car and sleeping in a tent or car has increased during last years. Traveling by car and closer contact with nature became more popular.
My partner Chris and I are almost full-time travelers. We have the opportunity to work remotely, so we still travel and experience various road trips around the world, but most often, we travel around the USA. We love car camping, sleeping in a tent, and being close to nature. Our most extended road trip took us nine months, and it was from Alaska to Florida. However, each year, we spend at least 3-4 months on road trips.
By Car Camping, we mean you pack your car with camping gear, drive to a campsite, park, and unload your campsite close to your car. Car Camping offers a little bit of luxury of sleeping in comfort compared to backpacking camping, where every item and a single ounce are counted. Keep this Car Camping Checklist with your camping gear to be ready for the next adventure!
In our previous post: Road Trip Packing List Essentials, we shared the checklist of what we always take for each of our road trips, no matter where we spend the night in a hotel, RV, or campground. So, check our first part of Road Trip Guide, please, especially:
- Health & Hygiene
- Documents,
- Navigation,
- Safety Driving,
- Entertainment.
We don’t repeat them below because they are obligatory items to take on Car Camping.
In this post, we focus on the Car Camping Checklist. We focus on the Campsite to make your stay comfy and cozy. This is our proven list of Car Camping Gear that we take on road trips when we decide to sleep in a tent. Don’t forget to download our free PDF Car Camping Checklist.
Car Camping Checklist – Road Trip Inspirations
My partner Chris and I have made many road trips, and many times we stayed in a tent, car, or RV to reduce the cost of travel. But also because we love being closer to nature and sleeping in a tent or a car gives you this closeness to nature.
If you are looking for inspiration for a car road trip during which you will need this Car Camping Checklist, check out our articles:
- Road Trip Packing List Essentials
- Day Hiking Packing List
- Arizona Road Trip Itinerary
- Utah National Parks Road Trip Itinerary
- Colorado Road Trip Itinerary
- Oregon Road Trip Itinerary
- Driving the Dempster Highway Comprehensive Guide
Car Camping Checklist – Shelter
Camping Tent
Choosing a camping tent depends on your needs. How many people are you going camping with? What time of the year? How many nights are you going to spend in the tent? How often are you going to change the campsite? Is the place where you camp windy, is the ground soft or rocky?
We use a small, quick setup Rei tent suitable for 3 seasons. During car camping, we sleep in a tent, keep things in the car.
We also have a Coleman tent, which is also great for car camping, is durable, and affordable.
However, car camping might be a little bit luxurious, and you can bring a big tent with additional space for your camping gear and extra room, perfect for family or groups of 6 friends. It is important, especially if you will spend a long time in one campsite or travel with kids.
Tent Extras on Car Camping Checklist
- If you are going for a longer trip and it can get rainy, it is worth taking an extra tarp – Rain Fly with rope, ground cloth (called footprint) if your tent doesn’t have it.
- Camping Accessories Kit with Stakes Mallet Hammer, extra Tent Pegs, Nylon Guyline Rope, Aluminum Cord Adjuster, is a must-have item on our Car Camping Checklist.
- Tent Repair Kit is also Car Camping Essentials. It would be best if you were prepared for whatever the wilderness brings when you are camping. Kit includes two adhesive-backed ripstop nylon patches, two mesh screen patches, two spools of nylon thread, shock cord.
- Fabric Repair Kit – Repair Patches provide a simple and easy method of patching holes and tears and an excellent protective film solution. Each Repair Patch is made from an exceptionally tough, matte finish that resists puncture and tearing.
- Another great solution we love is Fabric and Vinyl Repair Tape, which fix rips and holes fast with an ultra-strong, peel-and-stick repair tape that requires no heat or sewing. It’s ideal for use on tents, tarps, jackets.
Lantern
We like to have our campsite well lit. That is why we take the Waterproof Lanterns.
Table with Chairs
We always pack a small table with chairs. Tables are not always available on campsites. We often spend the night outside campsites, like in BLM areas. That is why the table and chairs are a must on our Car Camping Gear List. We like to eat a meal comfortably, drink a glass of wine, admire the sunrise or sunset.
Hammock
On our Car Camping Packing List, Hammock is a must. We love relaxing in the hammock. Car Camping is perfect if you have trees on your campsite and we can hang a hammock in which we rest in the fresh air. We use light and a durable Hammock for Two.
It is great because it takes up little space, and we often pack it with us also for hiking. Here you can read How to Choose the Best Backpacking Hammock?
Car Camping Checklist – Sleeping
Mattress or Sleeping Pad
The choice of mattresses is huge, depending on your needs, budget, weather conditions in which you will be staying. You can pack a larger mattress in the car and enjoy better sleeping comfort. Like on this inexpensive light Double Sleeping Pad. If you travel during the summer months, it will be great.
The most important thing is great insulation because we often go on road trips in the off-season, and it is much colder. That’s why we use on colder months these Therm-a-Rest BaseCamp Sleeping Pad. This pad has an R-value of 6.0, making it best for adventures in extremely cold conditions; it provides high insulation levels from the ground. Furthermore, it is a Self-inflating Pad. We choose it because we also love backpacking.
Don’t forget Mattress Hand Pump.
- MORE THAN A SLEEPING PAD: this deluxe camping mat also includes a 4 in 1 pump bag to quickly inflate and deflate the air mattress. The pump bag doubles as a stuff sack with carabiner for easy self attachment to any backpack or tent. The bag handle is a removable paracord survival bracelet with a bottle opener, whistle, flint starter, & compass.
- EASY AND FAST INFLATION
- LIGHTWEIGHT
Car Camping Checklist – Sleeping Bag
Again for car camping and for backpacking, we use the same sleeping bag. Because we love hiking in the mountains and wilderness, we prefer a Warm Sleeping Bag. The weather can change rapidly, so a warm sleeping bag is essential. We have had situations where snow was falling already in August. Or the temperature dropped lover 32°F (0°C) degrees.
Camping Pillows
We use a Camping Pillow, which has an affordable price and great quality. They are comfy enough for us. Furthermore, this compressible pillow is ideal for comfort camping, road trips, and air travel.
Camping Blanket
For some of our road trips, we also pack a Warm Camping Blanket that can spread out on the ground and insulate from moisture or serve as an additional cover around the fire. It is not only on our Car Camping Checklist. We use it at our home and in the garden, as well.
Headlamp or Flashlight
We always have a Headlamp in a tent, when we sleep.
First-Aid Kit
We also have a First Aid Kit at hand in the tent. We always take it to the tent overnight, just in case. So, don’t forget it too.
You can find more about Safety in the first part of our Road Trip Planning Guide. We always take the first-aid-kit on every hike, even for an easy hiking trail. It’s a must. What more do we pack for a hike? You can check on our Day Hiking Packing List.
Optional on our Car Camping Checklist
Bug Spray
Depending on which region you are going to and at what time of the year, a Bug Spray can be handy on the campsite. Flies and mosquitoes can be tiring. So, it’s worth packing Bug Spray for the trip.
Bear Spray
If you are going to a region where bears can occur, it is worth taking the Bear Spray with you. Consider carrying “pepper spray,” a bear deterrent made from red-hot peppers’ juice.
Car Camping Checklist – Kitchen
Car camping has the advantage over backpacking in that you can pack more food, have more kitchen supplies, and have a lot of fun cooking. You can easily pack fresh produce as well, not just powdered soups. Of course, it all depends on your culinary and dietary needs. So this part is about the necessary equipment for a camping kitchen.
Camping Stove
A Two-burner Propane Stove is perfect for cooking. This model will be great for any camping because it has additional wind protection. It makes cooking at the campsite a lot of fun. It offers excellent quality at a reasonable price. Boils water reasonably fast and is durable. It’s incredible, especially for car camping.
Car Camping Checklist – Fuel
Don’t forget to pack Fuel as well. Sometimes there are problems with buying fuel. How much take depends, of course, on your needs, how often you cook, for how many people, how long your trip is. But pack a minimum of 16.4 oz (465 g) cylinder.
Kitchen Pot Set
Lightweight Camping Cookware Pot Set is a perfect idea for camping lovers. We like this 4-piece set because it is small, light, and very durable. Moreover, it is easy to clean. Lid-pan and pots nestle together. The soft bag prevents from being scratched. Kit includes 34 fl. oz. (1L) and 26 fl. oz. (0.77L) pots, plus lids that double as a 12 fl. oz. Saucepan and 17 fl. oz. Frypan. It’s great for 2 people.
Cooking Utensil Set
We love this Camp Kitchen Cooking Utensil Set because it is intended for enthusiasts of camping cuisine, for people who like to eat healthy at the campsite and happy to prepare outdoor meals. It is packed in a great quality backpack available in several colors. The equipment consists of 17 parts, including knives, scissors, cutting board, opener, and BBQ set. So everything you need to cook when camping.
Car Camping Checklist – Camping Dishes & Cutlery
Camping Dishes and Cutlery deepens on your group size. For 2, we use this Unique Complete Messware Kit Polished Stainless Steel. It’s durable and perfect for adventures.
Pocket Knife
One of the best camping items is a Pocket Knife. You can spend around $100-200 for great quality. It will serve for years in the most difficult conditions. One of our favorites is Benchmade. It offers all-around functionality, is durable and perfect. It has a coated, premium CPM-S30V steel blade and is American made.
Can Opener & Bottle Opener
But be sure to pack something to open a can or bottle.
Coffee Maker
Car Camping without the smell and taste of fresh coffee does not exist for us. We sincerely recommend Bialetti Express Maker. It has been serving us for several years and travels the world with us.
Furthermore, it is well made, sturdy, extremely durable, and easy to clean. The aroma of coffee will wake up any camping sleepyhead.
- Double-Wall Insulated - Bottle is 750ml, wineglasses/cups 14oz, both are made of advanced vacuum-insulated drinkware technology, to ensure your drink maintains the precise temperature you wish it to have, whether hot or cold. It is sweatproof and won’t burn your hand of hot contents.
- Durable and Unbreakable – Crafted of eco-friendly, premium 18/8 stainless steel.
- Ergonomically Designed
Camping Coffee Mug
Stainless Steel Enamel Mug is perfect for camping. They are great for anyone who needs a fun camp mug, travel mug, or just something fun to set on a desk. They have great graphics, so coffee drinking in the morning in the outdoor tastes the best.
Wine Glasses
These Stainless Steel Wine Glasses have been with us for several years. With a unique stem design that unscrews to allow the base to be compactly snapped into the bowl for storage, this wine glass is perfect for efficient packing and storing. So it’s possible to unwind with a nice glass of wine during your camping adventures with the Stainless Wine Glass.
Water Filter & Water Container
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter for Hiking, Camping, Travel, and Emergency Preparedness is a must-have for camping lovers. Each Life Straw personal water filter will provide 1 000 gallons (4 000 liters) of safe drinking water without using chemicals. It removes 99,9% of bacteria, including e-Coli, salmonella, and protozoa, and more.
Collapsible Sink
FlexWare Collapsible Sink for Washing Dishes and Person During Camping, Hiking, and Home is also on our car camping checklist. It can be used for showers, storage, a carrying basket, or washing dishes at the campsite. Furthermore, dual carrying handles make it easy to move.
Marshmallow Sticks
Campfire Roasting Sticks for Marshmallow and Hot Dog are perfect for car camping. It will bring joy to both adults and children. Furthermore, it will ensure safe fun by the campfire. Marshmallows Symphony smores maker is extendable like a radio antenna up to 34 inches, keeping your children at a safe distance from any fire pits.
Fire Starter
Don’t forget Fire starters which are the best option for campfires, сharcoal grill starter, BBQ, smokers, coal stoves, fireplace. Ideal for camping.
Cooler & Ice
Coleman Cooler is a perfect item for car camping, especially for summer months road trips. It’s very well made and has been great keeping food/drinks cold for a few days with the constant opening. Furthermore, insulated lid and extra wall insulation keep ice up to 5 days in temperatures as high as 90°F. Moreover, it has a high capacity: holds up to 100 cans. Finally, it’s easy to clean. So, it’s a perfect cooler for camping.
Dish Towels & Biodegradable Paper Towels
On our Car Camping Checklist are always kitchen towels. But we pack biodegradable paper too. It often happens that we have to save water, so then we use paper towels.
Biodegradable Trash Bags & Ziplock Bags
We follow the Leave No Trace principle. We always pack all garbage carefully and leave the campsite tidy. So, Trash Bags & Ziplock Bags are a must on our car camping checklist.
Biodegradable Dish Soap
We always use biodegradable dish soap to protect nature. We always buy biodegradable cleaning products and biodegradable cosmetics before the trip because they are often difficult to get in small towns.
Fishing Rod
If you like fishing, pack a fishing rod and all necessary accessories and permits, if required, at the site.
Car Camping Checklist – Other Kitchen Accessories
- Camping Grill
- Cutting Board
- Tablecloth for picnic table
- Aluminum foil
- Jug for drinking water
Car Camping Checklist – Food
What we eat during the road trip depends on where we are going, for how long. We also like to eat in local bars to try some specialties of the region we are visiting. We like the camping kitchen and try to prepare fresh meals. Simple meals in the fresh air give us a lot of joy. We buy fresh vegetables, fruit, eggs. We always pack oil and olive and the basic spices we use: salt, pepper, basil, garlic, smoked paprika.
But on Car Camping Checklist are also ready meals, quick to prepare. When we care about time, we use ready-made meals which need only hot water.
We always pack snacks such as protein bars, beef jerky, instant soups, or ready-made camping meals. We love Mountain House Camping Food such as Rice & Chicken or Beef with Noodles. If we plan hiking, we always pack instant camping food.
In the following sections of our guide, we will provide some of our proven camping recipes for healthy, tasty, and quick meals.
Don’t forget to download our free PDF Car Camping Checklist. Clik below.
Car Camping Checklist – Hygiene & Toiletries
In the first part of the Road Trip Planning Guide, we list exactly what toiletries we pack for the trip.
We always choose biodegradable cosmetics.
If you plan to camp in the wilderness, where there is no toilet, don’t forget Camping Shovel. According to the Leave No Trace rule, Camping Shovel is a must for any road trip when the toilet is far away. Pack also Biodegradable Toilet Paper.
Car Camping Checklist – Clothing
What clothes to pack for your car camping again depends on which region you are going to, at what time of the year, for how long.
We can recommend a few of our rules that we always follow when packing. Layers are the basis. Even when we go to the deserts or Hawaii, we pack a few warm things and thermal underwear with long sleeves. We are always ready for the possibility of a sudden break in the weather.
Our clothes are comfortable and resistant to damage. If you are going hiking during your road trip, check out our Day Hiking Packing List.
The minimum we always pack (regardless of the season) is:
- Hiking Shoes or boots
- Camping shoes
- Rain gear
- Fleece jacket
- Underwear
- Long thermal underwear top & bottom
- Socks
- Swimming suit
- Pants & Shorts
- T-shirts
- Warm Hat and Gloves
- Summer Hat
- Sunglasses
I tried car camping for the first time earlier this year with my family in Northern France. It was a great experience but a lot of lessons to be learnt, on what equipment we were missing and how to cook things without making a mess. It got a bit stressful in places but we got around it. Hopefully next year we learn from our mistakes, take the equipment we forgot and hope next time, it will be a great time. Great post and a great checklist here for those who are thinking about doing this.
I love car camping and the freedom it brings, I’ve also experimented with camping INSIDE your car, which gives you access to even more places along road trips (especially in more populated places)! It’s definitely tricky to figure out spacing & sleeping, but fun nonetheless if you have the right vehicle. Also, I love how you included wine glasses in your packing list. A must-bring!
This checklist is so incredibly helpful. We typically pack everything into a car and it’s not until I’ve gotten to the campsite that I realize I’ve forgotten essentials. Love that you included all the biodegradeable products, some I wasn’t aware existed so they’re on my short list now for the next trip.
I’ve never gone camping independently before. I’ve gone on multi-day hikes but usually with porters so they prepare everything for the group. Next year when it’s safe enough to travel, I’m thinking of going on my first independent camping trip. So, this list is very helpful for me as a total newbie. Didn’t realize you could still have fancy dinners when camping!
Yes! We have all these but the coffee maker and mug since we don’t drink coffee. I like to bring my bed pillow and blanket, too, since we have rooms in our minivan. Hehe… Just like you, the food we pack depends on where we go and for how long because we also like to check out local restaurants.
I love this car camping checklist of yours. Really includes everything that one might need on a camping trip. I like your point about cooking simple dishes. And making it all fresh. I love to do that too.
This is definitely the ultimate list for camping gear. There are quite a few things that I found for the first time – like the collapsible sink. And I definitely agree with you on hammock. No camping is fun without one. Good thought and suggestion on how to best help nature using biodegradable products. Well done indeed!
While i have camped in the mountains before, going on a roadtrip, and camping on the go is high on my list of things to experience. This really is a comprehensive checklist, as often one seems to forget few things during such trips, and often they end up realising it afterwords.
Love your comprehensive checklist here and how you have expanded on your choices for inclusion for the list. Car camping does open up so many accessible and stunning spots in nature and is fast becoming a favorite for many. This resource will really be so helpful for those keen to try out camping with their cars.
That’s is quite an extensive list there! I have been camping a lot myself lately and have been jotting down my own list, from the experience every time. Thankfully there are no bears where I live so no need for a bear spray (I did not even know that’s a thing!). I don’t have a hammock but I think it’s a great idea!
I’m not a designated camper – and the last time I came close, we had a fully equipped RV at our disposal so that it was basically impossible to do anything wrong. I love how you include not only the necessary stuff but also all those lovely gadgets like for instance the wine glasses; actually, I’d like to have those even at home 😀
This is such an elaborate list, which covers almost all the things. I liked the idea of the sleeping bag, I was under the impression it should be fluffy and cozy. But you pointed it right, the sleeping bad should depend on the kind of weather, which is present in the place. I loved the idea of the collapsable sink, it makes things more neat and clean.
Really detailed and informative checklist! I remember how our car used to be cramped with camping stuff with no leg space to move too! Can’t wait for spring/summer to enjoy camping!
These tips are really useful, especially about the mattress. We usually skimp on this because of weight or space, and I remember the last time we camped I got so cold I had to use the emergency blanket to insulate me from the floor!! Thanks for the tips and suggestions.
I am yet to try out car camping and glad to find your post covers every minute details. Not only the list is only comprehensive, it is also going to help people get the actual stuff from the links provided. Love the way the post has been structured category-wise with minute details.
I’m not much of a camper, but I can see how some of these items would make camping much more comfortable than the camping I endured as a child, lol! I am even thinking that getting a hammock would be fun for day trips. Thanks for sharing your very detailed list. I may give camping another go next summer 😉
Ah, car camping, it brings back such lovely memories of our first time living in Europe. My parents would load my sister and me up in our VW station wagon and we would go exploring!
These are all such great suggestions. I haven’t tried car camping before! I might have to check that out!
Which water filter bottle do you use? I had looked at reviews of many different models and, after reading the reviews, it seems that there is no water bottle & filter that wins. It seems the filters are usually very expensive and may only last very few days at best. What do you think?
I must admit I am past the camping point in my life. But this was still a great checklist for quick overnight trips to less developed spots. And would be great if we finally get to try glamping. I never thought to pack bear spray. But when we travelled in British Columbia it might have been a good idea. We have added a good first aid kit to our day trip gear after a minor tumble I took last week. A great checklist to keep.