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Here is a breakdown of our ultimate car camping packing list! Car camping is one of our favorite ways to travel. We absolutely loved our van life in New Zealand, and this is the next best thing. It’s the perfect way to spend time in nature – we love going out and spending the night offline and under the stars. Not to mention, it’s also a very economical way to travel and is great if you’re not quite ready for tent camping.
Alright, here’s our packing list for a comfy cozy car camping experience!
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Our car camping packing list
Car camping packing list: Bed Essentials
- Car camping air mattress + pump – we brought this one and it was a great price plus super comfy and cozy! It’s also really easy to inflate and store, so I would highly recommend it. That said, we put this in the back of our 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Before you buy any car mattress, make sure it will fit in your car!
- Sheets (Queen sized fitted + regular) – we brought inexpensive queen sized sheets that are now our designated car camping sheets. We chose this over sleeping bags because (a) we already owned them and (b) it wasn’t going to be that cold. I would recommend a sleeping bag if it’s going to be pretty cold.
- Blankets – we brought two medium-weight blankets (this one in size large and this one) to use on our car camping bed and I’m glad we had both! It was around 40º F at night and with these layers we were very comfortable sleeping.
- Pillows – we just brought our 2 pillows we use at home and it was a great way to bring the comfort of home into the camp!
- Window covers – for privacy, covering the windows is key. You can actually get custom ones made specifically for your car model. We got ours for our jeep from WeatherTech and they were a bit pricey but work great!
Pro tip
Since we plan to do this almost weekly, these items are now exclusively for car camping and packed in a clear box in our garage (like this one). That way we can just grab them and go and know all the essentials are covered!
Car camping packing list: Clothes
- Hiking/wilderness outfits & underwear for the number of days you’ll be camping
- Warm socks – pack extra! We both love these wool ones.
- Rain coat – I wear Northface rain coats and Scott wears his Columbia one everywhere
- Sweatshirt/long sleeve shirts to sleep – it can get cold!
- Beanie & gloves – again, it can get cold at night and it’s better to be safe than sorry
- Hiking Boots – these Columbia ones are a great price point and I swear by them! I’ve never gotten a blister in them (even on the first wear!) and my first pair is still going strong after 75+ hikes in them.
- Slip on shoes – only packing our hiking shoes was definitely a rookie mistake. Pack some easy slip on shoes like Birkenstocks to slip on after your hike, when you have to go to the bathroom, etc. and leave your muddy hiking shoes on the floorboard.
- Sunglasses
Car camping packing list: Food Essentials
We pack all of our food in a clear food bin and it really helps with our organization. We also don’t really like to cook real meals on camping trips (maybe we’re lazy, maybe we’re weird :P) so we typically don’t bring a camping stove or cooler or anything. But if that’s your jam, you do you! Just don’t forget cleaning supplies, utensils, etc.
Anyways, this is an idea of the food we pack:
- Large jug of water and refillable water bottles – this is super crucial since you don’t want to run out of water. We bring our reusable water bottles and this large 10.5 L water jug and then refill throughout the trip.
- Pre-made PB&J’s
- Muffins
- RX Bars
- Apple sauce packets
- Dried Mangos
- Apples
- Trail mix
- Cans of cold brew coffee (+ cute camping themed coffee mugs for fun)
- Paper towels
- Garbage bag
Car camping packing list: Toiletries
- Baby wipes – these are crucial! If you’re not staying at a real campsite with a shower, these will be your shower. We realized how important it is to wipe down before bed since dried sweat can make you super cold (plus it’s pretty gross lol).
- Hand sanitizer – I’m sure with COVID you’re already used to traveling with copious amounts of this, but definitely have this on hand at all times.
- Makeup/face wipes
- Toilet paper
- Deodorant
- Tooth brush & tooth paste
- Hair brush
- Contact solution/contacts case + glasses
- Sunscreen
- Bug Spray
Car camping packing list: Technology essentials
- Power bank – we use this one and it provides up to 3.5 full phone batteries
- Car phone charger – we use this one for our iPhones
- Camera + extra batteries & memory cards – check out all of our travel photography gear!
- iPhone SD card reader – this SD card reader is a game changer for uploading and editing on the go
- Offline Netflix episodes – a lot of series will allow you to download episodes offline, so make sure you do that when you have Wi-Fi! Then you can enjoy a few episodes under the stars.
- Gorilla pod with phone attachment – this is great for watching Netflix without having to hold your phone the whole time
Safety essentials
- Pepper spray – Scott bought this one for me years ago and it’s just good to have on hand in the car.
- Headlamps – oh my gosh where have these been all our life? We previously were those stupid people trying to use our phone flashlights to climb down after sunset hikes, etc. and these headlamps changed our world! We use them as intended to hike at dusk now and they’re also super useful when going to the bathroom at night, getting ready outside the car, and even hanging for light inside the car.
- First aid kit
- All medicines – your prescriptions + Benadryl, Advil, etc.
Resources & tips
Before you embark on any car camping adventures, here are a few resources and reminders. Again, we will write a more in depth article on this later this summer!
- Don’t forget to buy/pack your hiking pass and/or camping permit for ALL of the days you’ll be there
- Always make sure you’re allowed to camp where you park
- Don’t forget to crack the windows before bed
- Most areas you’ll camp won’t have service, so download offline Google Maps for the area prior.
- Make sure you always come prepared with water and supplies, and of course LEAVE NO TRACE.
Outdoor adventure inspo
- 9 Best Hikes in Washington State!
- Gorgeous Cannon Beach Oregon getaway!
- Kelly Butte Fire Lookout Hike – our favorite hike in Washington!
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Enjoy your car camping!
Kylie & Scott
(If you liked this article or have any questions, please comment below! And make sure to follow along on Instagram @LoveHardTravelOften)
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