Car Camping

[T Mat]

I car camp a lot, especially for winter ski trips. A van was nice but it's only RWD and chains are annoying. Lots of camping in a Mazda 3 and in a Crosstrek with 1-2 people, 5'5 and 6'3". Only one person is spacious, two is definitely tight; a ski box helps. I'm switching away from the mattress to a modified cot and thinner sleeping pad, as it preserves some headroom. For us in non-winter the car setup is the backup and tent or cowboy camp is preferred for more space. California weather helps.

I agree, blacking out windows is a must, especially in more urban or parking lot environments. Car camping for me is ideally in forests/blm.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

I prefer tent camping when I am with a group, and over the years have had a bubble camper that I am selling, and a pop top for trucks, and a trailer. Done with those for now. Too bulky and complicated in tight spots.

Just this weekend I did a solo Yellowstone 2 nighter in my new and rather minimalist for me setup. Cot with bins underneath and a 3 drawer setup for my night stand. A smooth surface tailgate topper. It is cramped in terms of headroom and trying to get dressed inside the back of the truck but super comfy. I see using it mostly for solo trips. I am used to tent camping in grizzly country, it is humans that worry me the most and this felt bomber.

Photo of 1 of 2 grizzlies during this spring outing. Plus the setup. Moving to a smaller one burner stove and still need window coverings. The used topper i just bought the windows need work too as the hard plastic melted and they can't open.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

 

[Aerlind]

View attachment 26743

But your meal here looks soooo tasty…what’s in it? I’m always looking for ideas for camp food. I upgraded to a Blackstone last year, because it’s much easier to cook on than a stove (and doesn’t require cooking IN my camper, like my stove…) and since I travel mostly with a big truck and a horse trailer, I have plenty of room.

April/Early May and October are my favorite times to go to Yellowstone. I’m jealous.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

But your meal here looks soooo tasty…what’s in it? I’m always looking for ideas for camp food. I upgraded to a Blackstone last year, because it’s much easier to cook on than a stove (and doesn’t require cooking IN my camper, like my stove…) and since I travel mostly with a big truck and a horse trailer, I have plenty of room.

April/Early May and October are my favorite times to go to Yellowstone. I’m jealous.

That was just a quesadilla with avo and cilantro. This was my yummy dinner salad! I precooked the mushrooms pepper and eggs for my breakfast burritos then left campground at 530 am and would find a pullout later in the morning to heat it all up. And could sit in Lamar and watch life unfold from a different era almost pre humans.

I was up in the park in October last year. In 24 years of living in the greater Yellowstone region I have not been up there enough because there's so much to do closer to home but I'm now regretting that. The park is so amazing and while I don't like the mosquitoes in summer and the crowds can be aggravating it's actually super easy to get away from people on the trails especially after the horrible mauling which I think is going to turn a lot of people off to hiking. I think they need to recognize that very few people have been killed by bears in Yellowstone since it's Inception. Not at all to diminish the horror of those who have been mauled and relatives of those who have been killed.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

@@Aerlind funny that you went bigger and I went smaller. My setup shrunk significantly this year though so in an effort to have room to move arpund the truck bed everything has to fit under the cot.

 

[Aerlind]

@@Aerlind funny that you went bigger and I went smaller. My setup shrunk significantly this year though so in an effort to have room to move arpund the truck bed everything has to fit under the cot.

I am a little spoiled with having a lot of room, because even without the horse trailer I can pack quite a bit in the truck and camper, with plenty of room to move. However, I AM somewhat limited in places I can go and roads I’m willing to drive on….yes, the truck has 4WD, but literally nobody actually PICKS a 3/4 ton diesel truck with an 8’ bed to go off roading, for a reason! And I’m 10’ tall with the camper, so I have to be mindful of tree branches.

It amazes me how far you don’t actually have to be from a road in Yellowstone to get away from the crowds. I’m an hour and a half from the West Entrance, so I frequently do a day trip into the park, when I don’t have other plans for the day. I’ve packed a picnic lunch in July, hiked a whole mile from the trailhead, sat down, ate it, and hiked back without seeing a single person until I got back to the trailhead…and I was only a mile out! I agree that the fear of bears may turn some folks off…but I hope that it helps others to realize that wildlife are, in fact, wild and should be respected! Accidents do happen, but stupidity makes them more likely!

 

[RachelV]

It literally never occurred to me to try camping in my CX-5, mostly because I have the truck camper….but I may look into that for this summer, because I might be driving out to California, and you know what I don’t want to do? Buy diesel in California!
...

The way I shopped for this car was literally to go into the Mazda dealership, lay in the back of all the cars, and buy the smallest one I could sleep in. It'd be tight for a long trip. Def can't fit too much gear if you want to be able to sleep in half of the back without playing Tertris every evening. A roof box would be a game changer in that respect.

This thread reminds me that I wanted to do a car camping ladies trip this summer with me & Lark (who is a dog). I should start thinking about where I'd like to go for that...

 

[Aerlind]

The way I shopped for this car was literally to go into the Mazda dealership, lay in the back of all the cars, and buy the smallest one I could sleep in. It'd be tight for a long trip. Def can't fit too much gear if you want to be able to sleep in half of the back without playing Tertris every evening. A roof box would be a game changer in that respect.

This thread reminds me that I wanted to do a car camping ladies trip this summer with me & Lark (who is a dog). I should start thinking about where I'd like to go for that...

I did that with my horse trailer (before I got the camper). I think the sales guy thought I was nuts, opening the tack room and laying down in each one!

 

[contesstant]

View attachment 26741Technically, that’s how I spend my summers…though I have a truck camper, because I have a truck, because I have a horse….so it’s not a “pure” as traditional car camping. But we occasionally take trips without the horse, and my camper is fairly primitive.

Pictured is us camping in Northern California. It was very hot and there were a lot of bugs, which is why my horse is wearing a silly coat! It keeps the bugs off of her.

And while the idea of camping at the ski slopes is appealing, my truck is terrifying to drive on icy roads, and the camper isn’t very well insulated…so it’s not a great option! (Not to mention fuel efficiency is horribly, the truck gets 12mpg with the camper on and diesel is expensive!)

That's my kind of camping!

I've never camped in my car. Tent camping, on the other hand, I am a pro at.

 

[GladeDuchess]

But your meal here looks soooo tasty…what’s in it? I’m always looking for ideas for camp food. I upgraded to a Blackstone last year, because it’s much easier to cook on than a stove (and doesn’t require cooking IN my camper, like my stove…) and since I travel mostly with a big truck and a horse trailer, I have plenty of room.

April/Early May and October are my favorite times to go to Yellowstone. I’m jealous.

Bangers and instant mash is a quick and easy dish in the bush.

Campfire tacos are one of my favorites, in cast iron pans, but you are golden with a Blackstone!

In Maine at least, copious amounts of pickerel and perch can be had to cook fresh, but they are a right bit boney. We found an interesting method of preparation was to bone the filets as best we could, then run the meat through a crank grinder and form balls that can be breaded and fried. : )

I tend to avoid the freeze dried food for all but the most spartan, lightweight ventures. I've found prepping some things at home, and freezing them, can add variety and keep well. Things like soup bases or things to add to your taco meat and such.

 

[WaterGirl]

I use these window screens for car camping and a battery fan.

Amazon.com

I miss my MDX best SUV to sleep in

 

[Aerlind]

Bangers and instant mash is a quick and easy dish in the bush.

Campfire tacos are one of my favorites, in cast iron pans, but you are golden with a Blackstone!

In Maine at least, copious amounts of pickerel and perch can be had to cook fresh, but they are a right bit boney. We found an interesting method of preparation was to bone the filets as best we could, then run the meat through a crank grinder and form balls that can be breaded and fried. : )

I tend to avoid the freeze dried food for all but the most spartan, lightweight ventures. I've found prepping some things at home, and freezing them, can add variety and keep well. Things like soup bases or things to add to your taco meat and such.

Part of the reason I got the Blackstone is because out west, we’re nearly always under some sort of fire ban in the summer….and after spending a few nerve-wracking evenings watching a wildfire burn from my porch last summer (it was still 3-4 miles away and downwind from me), I have no desire to contribute to that. It’s been rare I’ve had a campfire while camping, and I honestly don’t think I’ve ever cooked on one since we’ve always planned not to be able to have one!

I have some freeze-dried meals “just in case” but rarely eat them. The camper has a fridge and freezer so I can keep things cold better than a regular cooler, which is handy, and makes meals much easier.

 

[teppaz]

As a carless New Yorker, this thread is sending me into fits of envy.

 

[Christy]

When I was younger and car camping with friends was a major hobby, one of us would usually end up sleeping in a car or truck at a campsite just for space or privacy, and we would try to make it somewhat homey. But tents are so easy to set up nowadays, and I find them so much comfortable than sleeping in my car, not to mention that I need the car to house stuff animals shouldn't be getting into (the cooler, other food boxes, anything scented). So I don't anticipate wanting to sleep in a vehicle again, unless it's a super sweet camper van (one day, maybe...).

 

[GirlfriendJustGo]

Thule, and others, have a fabulous line of roof top tents! I've been toying with thoughts of one, but they are not cheap! Not the lightest or easiest thing to get on and off if needed either, but does make wet and rocky ground a non-issue.
The retractable awnings however do have a lot of appeal, not the least of which is being able to enter and exit on a soggy day without letting a bunch of rain in!

Paging @GirlfriendJustGo . That girl has a hammock that sets up in a Bronco!

That hammock (Meraki) was money well spent. Never thought it would be so comfortable to sleep in!

 

[HappyPlace]

The car cot was a work around for my CRV, in which the seats did not fold flat.
I do have a Honda Passport now though, and it was not lost on me that the seats fold flat, and has a right bit more length, so a straight air mattress works. Having the cot already though, the extra storage underneath is a bonus. : )

Good points on seats that don't fold flat. I'll keep that in mind for the future. I also had not considered the extra storage UNDER the cot, which is certainly nice.

 

[HappyPlace]

But tents are so easy to set up nowadays, and I find them so much comfortable than sleeping in my car,

Sometimes it's nice to not have to pack away a wet tent though.

 

[Kimmyt]

Both of my climbing partners sleep in their vehicles. I just hitch rides with them and set up a tent. Someone needs to keep their stuff at the campsite to 'hold it' anyway.

I used to have a Tacoma me and my husband liked to camp in and I did really enjoy that. We built out a platform and had storage under it for all our gear and camping supplies. I handmade some black felt window covers so I could stealth camp at rest stations, etc. on long drives. I also did the 'lay down in the back of the car when car shopping thing' way back in the day when I was buying my first car out of college. Which, probably makes more sense here in Colorado than in the suburbs of Philly where I was at the time (pretty sure the car salesman though I was bananas).

The one thing that can get a bit annoying for our climbing trips when my partners sleep in their vehicles is that when we all load in to the vehicle to get to the crag there has to be some shuffling of sleeping supplies to make room. But on a windy night, sleeping in a car can make a huge difference in the amount of sleep you get.

I have to say though that I really like my little tent now. When I'm solo camping I just use a little 2p tent so its small and cozy and super quick and simple. Maybe I feel that way because the rest of the time I'm camping with my family and all the stuff that 4 people need to bring on a week long trip or whatever, but I really relish getting out with my minimalist tent camping setup.