22 Car Camping Tips

Skip the stove on the first trip. Sandwiches are fine; add cooking gear once you know you like camping.

From How Much Does Car Camping Gear Cost?

Essential tent and bags, Starter everything else. A good tent with cheap chairs beats the reverse every time.

From How Much Does Car Camping Gear Cost?

Camp in warm weather first. Summer gear is cheaper and smaller than cold-rated bags and pads.

From How Much Does Car Camping Gear Cost?

Buy at end-of-season clearance. September and October discounts buy next year's kit at this year's prices.

From How Much Does Car Camping Gear Cost?

Book the site before buying gear. Popular campgrounds fill months ahead on weekends. Reserve first.

From Car Camping for Beginners

Don't overthink it. Pick a campground, buy the basics, go. You will know what you want after the first trip.

From Car Camping for Beginners

Never skip the sleeping pad. The number one mistake. The ground pulls heat out of you all night; even a cheap pad changes everything. Kids too - a smaller pad is fine.

From Car Camping for Beginners

Match bags to sleepers, not to each other. A cold sleeper and a warm sleeper want different bags. Nobody should sweat or freeze to match their partner.

From Couples Camping Gear List

Get zip-together sleeping bags. One left-zip and one right-zip of the same rectangular bag: together a double, apart they still work on warm nights.

From Couples Camping Gear List

Pack layers, even in summer. Campsites get cold at night. A fleece and long pants.

From Car Camping for Beginners

Don't buy the cheapest tent on the shelf. Bargain-bin tents leak, snap poles in wind and fight you on setup.

From Car Camping for Beginners

A 3-person tent for two people. A 2-person tent fits two people and nothing else - no bags, no shoes, no turning over.

From Couples Camping Gear List

Families: gear stays in the car, or size up. A 4-person dome sleeps a family of four when the duffels stay in the car. For standing room and bags inside, get a 6-person.

From Car Camping Gear List for Families

Pitch it at home first. An unfamiliar tent in the dark after a long drive is miserable. One trial run in the yard.

From Car Camping for Beginners

Use the cooler you own. Any insulated cooler works unless it is broken or too small. If you need one, a basic chest cooler does the job.

From How Much Does Car Camping Gear Cost?

Keep drinks out of the food cooler. Drinks get opened constantly and warm the food. A cheap drinks bag on ice keeps the main cooler shut.

From Car Camping Gear List for Families

Don't pack too much. No camp kitchen, folding table, hammock or camp rug on trip one. A basic kit is enough.

From Car Camping for Beginners

Sleeping bags go in loose. Out of their stuff sacks they fill the gaps around everything else.

From Car Camping in a Sedan

The cooler goes in last. It is the most rigid thing; pack around the space it needs.

From Car Camping in a Sedan

Use the back-seat floor. Chairs, shoes and small bags fit there for free.

From Car Camping in a Sedan

Wear the bulky layers on the drive. The jacket and boots do not need trunk space.

From Car Camping in a Sedan

Know what your car holds. Four bags, four pads, four chairs and a family cooler fill a compact car. A midsize SUV is the comfortable minimum for four.

From Car Camping Gear List for Families