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03 — Road Trip / Checklist

Car camping gear checklist

The complete list for camping out of a vehicle, whether you sleep in it or beside it -- including the vehicle items people forget are part of the kit.

By Brijon M.Last updated How we pick
A vehicle set up for camping with gear organized in the cargo area

The short answer

Car camping needs four systems: a sleep setup sized to your cargo area or a tent, power that does not come from the starter battery, a kitchen you can run off a tailgate, and the vehicle kit. Measure the cargo area before buying any mattress.

01 — Before you buy

Measure first, if you plan to sleep in the vehicle

The most expensive mistake in car camping is a mattress that does not fit, and it is entirely avoidable in five minutes.

  1. 01Flat length, rear seats folded, from the back of the front seats to the closed tailgate.
  2. 02Width at the narrowest point -- between the wheel wells, not at the tailgate. This is the number that fails most purchases.
  3. 03Height to the lowest part of the closed tailgate or roof. This is what stops a tall air mattress fitting.
  4. 04Note the step or slope where the seats fold, which most crossovers have.
  5. 05Subtract an inch or two from the width, because filled mattresses bulge. Then see car camping mattresses.

02 — Gear list

The list

Sleeping in the vehicle

  • A mattress sized to your measurements, ideally with bolsters for the footwell gap
  • A closed-cell foam mat to go under or over it -- a vehicle floor is colder than tent ground
  • A sleeping bag or bedding rated below the forecast overnight low
  • Window covers, reflective side out, for privacy, light and insulation
  • Magnetic insect screens for cracked windows -- you must ventilate for condensation
  • A small towel for the condensation you will still get on the windows

Sleeping in a tent

  • A tent sized up by two over your headcount, with a footprint
  • Extra stakes, sturdier than the ones in the bag, and a mallet
  • An insulated sleeping pad with the R-value the conditions need
  • A sleeping bag, plus a liner if you sleep cold
  • A cot, if getting up off the floor is difficult -- with a pad on top for warmth
  • A doormat or carpet offcut for the tent door

Power and light

The tailgate kitchen

  • A two-burner propane stove and more fuel than you plan to use
  • A pre-chilled cooler, with block ice plus cubes
  • A second soft cooler for drinks, so the food cooler stays shut
  • One pot and one pan, plus a plate or deep bowl, mug and spork per person
  • A collapsible sink or wash bag, biodegradable soap, a scrubber and a towel
  • A water jug, and a plan if the site's tap is shut for the season
  • Two trash bags, and a crush-and-separate habit
  • A cutting board, or vegetables chopped at home

Camp comfort

  • A chair per person
  • A tarp and cord for shade or a covered cooking area
  • A small rug or mat for the area outside the tent or tailgate
  • Camp shoes you can slip on
  • A warm layer, a rain shell and dry socks, accessible rather than buried

The vehicle kit

  • A spare with air in it, a jack, and a wheel wrench that fits
  • A tire inflator with a gauge, and a jump starter
  • Basic tools, duct tape, zip ties and cord
  • A quart of oil and a jug of coolant
  • Water in the car, separate from the cooler
  • A shovel and traction boards if you will be on dirt roads
  • Leveling blocks, or a few flat boards -- sleeping on a slope in a vehicle is worse than in a tent

03 — Organization

Where things should live in the car

Car camping is logistics more than equipment, and the difference between a pleasant trip and a frustrating one is usually whether you can reach what you need without unpacking the vehicle.

  • The cooler goes in last and nearest the tailgate. It gets opened more than anything else.
  • The sleep system goes in first and stays dry, in a bag or bin, because wet bedding ends a trip.
  • Kitchen in one bin or crate, so the whole kitchen comes out as one object rather than six trips.
  • A cabin bag with headlamps, snacks, wipes and the reservation -- everything you might want before unpacking.
  • Soft bags, not hard cases. Duffels deform into the shape of a car; suitcases waste the gaps.
  • If you sleep in the vehicle, have a plan for where the gear goes at night. The mattress occupies the space the luggage was in. Front seats, a roof box, or repacking nightly.

04 — Pre-departure

Check before you go

  • Current fire restrictions for your destination. They change through the season and are enforced across much of the West.
  • Whether the campground's water is on. Many shut it outside peak season.
  • Food storage rules. In bear country, certified containers may be mandatory and a regular cooler does not qualify.
  • Whether dispersed camping or vehicle sleeping is permitted at the specific place you plan to stop. Rules differ between adjacent units.
  • Road surface and conditions. Many dispersed sites need a road your vehicle may not suit, especially after rain.
  • Tire pressure, including the spare. The one check that is both free and genuinely consequential.

What to buy

The gear we would buy for this

Trail & Terminal earns a commission when you buy through our Amazon links, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we pick -- see our affiliate disclosure and selection method.

1

Best for sleeping in the vehicle

Luno Air Mattress 2.0

Vehicle-shaped with bolsters. Add a foam mat on top, because a car floor is cold.

Cargo areas are not rectangles, and a mattress that bridges the wheel wells and footwell gap is the difference between sleeping flat and sleeping in a trough. Measure first. See <a href="/road-trip/best-car-camping-mattresses">car camping mattresses</a>.

Specs

  • Air mattress with inflatable side bolsters
  • Sized per vehicle make and model
  • Bolsters fill footwells and the seat-back gap
  • Hand or electric pump options

Good for

  • Built around real cargo geometry rather than a rectangle
  • Fills the footwell gap flat mattresses leave
  • Packs flatter than foam-core alternatives

Bad at

  • Minimal insulation -- a foam mat on top is effectively required
  • Vehicle-specific, so it does not transfer between cars
  • More chambers to inflate
2

Best for the tailgate kitchen

Coleman Classic Propane Stove

Two burners and fuel you can buy anywhere. The right stove for a vehicle-based trip.

Weight is irrelevant on a car trip and fuel availability is everything, which makes propane the obvious choice -- canister fuel is an outdoor-retailer purchase while propane is at every gas station. See <a href="/camp/best-camping-stoves">camping stoves</a>.

Specs

  • Two independently adjustable burners
  • Standard 1lb propane canisters
  • Folding wind baffles
  • Match light on the base model

Good for

  • Propane is available at essentially any store in the country
  • Two burners means coffee and food at once
  • Case design protects itself in a loaded trunk

Bad at

  • Coarse simmer control
  • No igniter on the base model -- bring a lighter
  • Bulky flat footprint
3

Best for the layer that fixes a cold car

Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol

Cheap insurance against a cold vehicle floor, and it protects the mattress underneath.

A vehicle floor over cold metal and moving air conducts heat away faster than tent ground, and most car air mattresses have no insulation. R-values add, so this plus a mattress is a genuinely warm setup for very little money. See <a href="/camp/best-sleeping-pads">sleeping pads</a>.

Specs

  • Accordion-folding closed-cell foam
  • Moderate manufacturer-stated R-value
  • Reflective coating on one face
  • Nothing to inflate or puncture

Good for

  • Addresses the cold-floor problem that nearly every car mattress has
  • Protects an air mattress from the cargo floor
  • Can be cut to fit awkward gaps

Bad at

  • Not comfortable enough to sleep on alone in a car
  • Bulky folded, and does not compress
  • Foam compresses permanently over years

Questions

Frequently asked

What do I need for car camping?
A sleep setup sized to your cargo area or a tent, power that is not your starter battery, a kitchen you can run off a tailgate, and the vehicle kit -- a working spare, a jack, a wrench that fits, an inflator and a jump starter. Measure the cargo area before buying a mattress.
Can I run my car's engine for heat while sleeping?
No. Running an engine while you sleep in or near a vehicle is a carbon monoxide risk that causes deaths every year, and it is worse in snow where an exhaust can be blocked. Use proper bedding, a foam mat for insulation and window covers instead.
How do I keep from draining my car battery while camping?
Do not power anything from the vehicle while parked. A power bank covers phones and lights; a power station covers continuous loads. Anything run from the 12V socket with the engine off is drawing from the battery you need to start the car in the morning.
Do I need a tent if I sleep in my car?
Not strictly, and many people carry both so weather and arrival time stop dictating the plan. Sleep in the vehicle for bad weather and one-night stops; pitch the tent for longer stays and for living space. The tent also frees the cargo area for gear.
Where should the cooler go in the car?
In last and nearest the tailgate, because it gets opened more often than anything else. A second soft cooler for drinks takes the frequent openings so the food cooler stays shut, which does more for ice retention than upgrading the cooler would.

References

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