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,...
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Hi, we are Agnes & Chris! Welcome to The Van Escape! We are travelers, photographers, and bloggers. Our goal is to share travel & photo experience and inspire you to outdoor adventures through America. We love wildlife, off the beaten path places, soaking in hot springs, and van life. We also like cities by night and tasting local food & wine. We give you ready itineraries, hints, and essential tools to prepare you for your unforgettable lifetime journey. We only describe the places we have been, which we know and recommend without hesitation. All photos are also ours. We are so glad you’re here!
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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?