How we pick your car camping kit

One sleeping bag, pad, chair and headlamp per person, a tent with room to spare for the group, and a bigger cooler for two or more when the car has room.

Your car changes the size of the tent, cooler and chairs:

compact car (Civic, Corolla, Prius)

A tent that packs to a duffel, a cooler of 35 quarts or less and backpacking-style chairs and air pads.

midsize SUV or wagon (RAV4, CR-V, Outback)

A tent that packs to a duffel, a cooler up to the 52-quart family size and compact or quad chairs.

full-size vehicle (minivan, truck, full-size SUV)

Any tent, cooler or chair we list - nothing has to pack small.

In the vehicle means no tent: the folded seats are the shelter, and the bag and pad still have to suit the season. A compact hatchback sleeps one; a sedan needs the tent.

Starter, Essential and Premium are quality levels, not budgets. A family's Essential kit is $1,000-1,260 today because four people need four of everything personal. If the total is more than you want to spend, the tier below is one click on the result.

Warm weather means bags rated 40°F or colder and pads of R-value 1.5 or more. Year-round means bags rated 20°F or colder and pads of R-value 3 or more, which costs more.

Yes adds a stove and a cook set. No leaves both out; the rest of the kit stays the same.