Best Car Camping Gear

If you are ready to give wild camping a shot but not quite ready to make the time and financial commitment, why not try it out using the vehicle you already have? We car camped in both our Toyota Highlander and our little Honda CR-V and it only took some minor modifications to make it work. Our experiences were surprisingly positive. You really just need to have a few good essentials and you need to be organized.

Here's a link to our Car Camping 101 page, where we provide sketches of our packing plan and a summary of the steps we take to go from "Traveling Mode" to "Camping and Sleeping Mode" in no time flat.

Below is a detailed list of the things we have used for car camping, with a summary of the advantages of each and links to the products we purchased wherever possible. 

Below are what I would consider to be specialty gear items that I'd absolutely recommend investing in to make your initial experiences positive ones.  Of course, you'll need additional basics like bedding, food, and water, but these are included with the things that you probably already have, or can get from 'non-specialty gear' sources.

4 Inch Trifold Memory Foam Mattress with Ultra Soft Bamboo Cover,  Full Size

Comfy and folds up for easy transporting and storage. We did need to squeeze this a bit to make it fit between the wheel wells, but it was well worth the effort to have the full size width we needed for two adults and a little dog.

Reflectix 24-Inch by 25-Feet Bubble Pack Insulation

You can spend a LOT for custom window covers, or you can buy a roll of Reflectix and make a simple set yourself. We made brown craft paper templates for our rear window and the passenger side windows (the driver side are just a mirror image so you can use the same templates for both), traced them onto the Reflectix and cut them out. These are the size of the exposed glass so they tuck into the window frames and stay secure without any special fasteners.

Jetboil Zip Camping Stove Cooking System, Carbon

Since this is a true specialty camping gear item, it may seem a little pricey for what it is but trust me, it's worth it. It's super light and compact and it's all you really need if you don't mind limiting your diet to coffee and freeze dried camping food meal packs... and of course, granola, nuts and trail mix! We bought our Jetboil individually at a local camping store, but if I had to do it over again I'd go with this option because it comes with the cooking cup and a cover that serves as bowl/measuring cup (and we likely paid more for the combo).

(For those needing a "proper grill" recommendation, we include that in the Next Level section below.)

VILLEY Tall Folding Camping Chairs, Supports 350 LBS, Green

This is the closest I could find to the chairs we started with. This style is easy to set up (just pop it open) and it has storage pockets and a pop up tabletop on one side. They are also very comfortable. The only drawback is the size and weight, but if you're not planning to backpack with it and are okay leaving it outside when you camp for the night, this is a nice option.

MARCHWAY Lightweight Folding Camping Chair, Supports 330Lbs (Black)

These camping chairs are more like the chairs we later purchased for the van because they are extremely small and light and will pack away neatly in our cabinets. The trade off is they are not as comfortable as the chair style we linked above, and they take more time to set up. So if you are planning to stick with car camping and the bigger ones fit nicely in your vehicle for travel, you may prefer those.

These are all the things we got for car camping. The great part is that we were able to use just about everything here in our newly completed Mercedes Metris camper van so even though we ultimately "upgraded", practically nothing was a wasted purchase.

Portable Camping Toilet with Lid and Carry Bag

This portable toilet is similar to the one we bought. It is basically a little potty seat with an open area below. It's designed to to be lined with a trash bag but I think you could also dig a hole in the ground and place this on top.

If you do not like the idea of doing your business out in the open, be sure to pair this with a pop-up privacy tent (linked below).

If you use the tent and set up a little outhouse for yourself, we suggest bringing along some composting material (like coconut coir). Keep this in a bucket with a scoop, right beside the toilet. After using the toilet, sprinkle a scoop or two of coconut coir on top. This will cover everything up discreetly (solids only, better to divert the liquids) and absorb the moisture, helping to dry it out and eliminate the odors fairly quickly. This process might make it possible to leave the same bag in place and use it more than once. (Full disclosure: since we were not camped in the same place for multiple days we did not try this- but it seems feasible.)

Pop Up Portable Camping Privacy Tent 6.2 FT Tall with Carrying Bag

Pop up Privacy tent. Great for a makeshift outhouse but also great to use as a changing room (changing inside the car can be challenging). Pops open and stores compact and flat.

Portable Refrigerator Freezer 20 Quart 12 Volt /110-240V AC

Either this or a good cooler would be considered a necessity if you want to bring perishables like fresh fruits, veggies and dairy on your trips. We love to start the day with kefir and end the day with wine and cheese so it was a necessity for us. Plus, this doubles as a support for our bed extension platform. We now also use this refrigerator in our camper van.

Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 240 (Solar Panel Not Included)

We charge this portable power stationup before leaving home and use it to power the refrigerator and also our devices (phones, tablets, rechargeable fans and lights) when we are parked. You can also purchase solar panels to charge this up off-grid.

Coleman Tabletop Propane 2 in 1 Grill/Stove, 2 Burner

For those needing a bit more sustenance than processed snacks and freeze dried meals, this will do the trick.

60" x 22" Hitch Mount Cargo Carrier, Aluminum

This is similar to the cargo carrier we have. If you have a hitch, you should get this. Pair it with a big storage box like the one we linked below and you will have room for everything you need.

Rubbermaid ActionPacker️ 48 Gal Lockable Storage Bin with Lid

This fits nicely in our trailer. We added some weather stripping to keep any rain out and it works great for carrying tools and "dirty" items we want to keep outside the car.

Napier Backroadz SUV Tent | Grey & Green | 10'x10' 

We purchased this car/SUV tent with high hopes, but we picked up our van shortly after so we haven't tried it out yet. However, we do think it would be a great addition to any car camping setup, especially for longer trips. This tent provides a place to keep supplies safe and dry even in bad weather and a nice place to change or even hang out. It can also be used as a stand alone tent, so it can be left in place to reserve your campsite if you ever need to take your car into town for a supply run.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This page contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. However, I only recommend products I either use myself and absolutely love, or their equivalents (some of my tools are no longer available but I always check the specifications and reviews carefully before recommending any alternative products)! Thank you for supporting Blue Quarry when you shop.

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