The Fine Art of Car Camping – There’s Really Nothing to It
COVID did wonders for both RVing and overlanding. People in need of a vacation but unwilling to fly on planes and stay in hotels decided to try their hands at RV camping or traveling overland in tricked out trucks. But both RVing and overlanding are prohibitively expensive. Enter the current craze known as car camping.
You could make the case that car camping is essentially the same thing as van life. I will not argue. They both involve sleeping in your vehicle while you traverse whatever land masses you feel are your cup of tea. The point I really want to drive home is this: when it comes to the fine art of car camping, there is really nothing to it.
It’s Just Camping
Whether you car camp or participate in the van life hobby, it’s really just camping. You are spending time in the great outdoors. You’re cooking over an open fire or a propane stove, enjoying marshmallows in the evening, and waking up to beautiful sunrises and curious critters sniffing around the campsite. The only difference between car camping and tent camping is your choice of accommodation.
It goes without saying that you’ll have no problem with car camping if you’ve already proved you can make it in a tent. When you car camp, there is nothing to pitch at the end of a long day of driving. You don’t have to consider things like wind, rain potential, and whether or not you’ll be able to drive your tent stakes into the ground.
Instead, you just unroll your sleeping bag in the back of the car or truck and fall asleep. There isn’t much to it. As a result, you really do not have to spend a ton of money to enjoy car camping. It is almost a zero-entry hobby if you own a decent car, warm clothing, and some basic cooking utensils.
A Little Gear Can Make You More Comfortable
None of this is to say that you cannot or shouldn’t buy additional gear. In fact, a little bit of camping gear can make you more comfortable. One of the first things that comes to mind is a camping stove. Cooking over a camping stove is more convenient than working with a fire. If you enjoy open fire cooking, more power to you.
A camping chair eliminates having to sit on the ground. A propane lamp will save your phone battery while some cheap netting will let you keep the rear hatch of your car open, during the overnight hours, without exposing you to hungry mosquitoes looking for a free meal.
If there is one piece of gear I would consider a must-have for any type of camping, it would be the cam strap. My preferred brand is Rollercam. Regardless, cam straps are incredibly useful. Their main purpose is to secure cargo in place while you drive. But once at the campsite, they can double as laundry lines or anchors for that previously mentioned netting. You can use them to hang your food in a tree or secure your camp chair so that it doesn’t blow away overnight.
Enjoying Nature on the Cheap
When it comes to the fine art of car camping, there is really nothing to it. If you already know how to camp, doing so out of the back of your car is a piece of cake. Car camping offers the opportunity to enjoy nature on the cheap. Of course, you are free to spend money on overlanding or RVing if that’s what floats your boat. After all, it’s still a free country.
