Car Camping: The Ultimate Basecamp
What do you think of when you hear basecamp?
A shower. Warm meal. Comfortable place to sleep. Electricity? All are correct.
Basecamps aren’t confined to buildings or tents.
It’s any structure that can provide you with the amenities and comfort needed to propel you into your next hike, ride, or adventure.
That vehicle sitting in your driveway, just so happens to be one of the best base camps out there.
At Hele Outdoors, we’ve seen thousands of vehicle basecamps and talked with hundreds of customer who are using their vehicle as the ultimate spring board to adventure.
In this article, we’ll talk about the 3 biggest benefits of using your vehicle as a basecamp on your next adventure.
1 - Storage & Capacity
Unlike hiking or backpacking, using your vehicle as a basecamp doesn’t limit you to packing the bare minimum.
Now, I’m not saying to bring the kitchen sink, but, you can afford to bring a collapsible sick with a water tank!
Leveraging your vehicle at your basecamp means you get to bring more things with you that will make camping feel like less of a burden:
- Portable sink/shower
- Cooler
- Dual burner stove
- Proper cooking utensils
- Etc.
While you do have all this extra space to bring more gear, it’s important to keep it organized, or else it will fill up faster than expected.
If you are planning to sleep inside your vehicle (more on this later) using an elevated sleeping platform will allow you to stash and organize gear under your bed.
This means you won’t need to pull everything out when you get to camp.
Simply pull up, grab what you need, and enjoy the outdoors - because your bed is already made!
2 - Protection from the Elements
Sleeping in your vehicle provides the ultimate protection from the elements.
Instead of a millimeter of canvas separating you from hail, rain, wind, or snow - you have 4 solid walls of insulated metal.
Some vehicles are flat enough for you to lay a sleeping pad/bag down and call it a day - others aren’t.
If you lay your seats flat and notice: uneven levels floors & obstacles (like folded seats) - don’t worry.
A dedicated vehicle sleeping platform will solve for this + open up a ton of extra space for you to store your gear.
You can opt to build a sleeping platform yourself with power tools, a trip to Home Depot, and some carpentry skills.
or
You can opt for a modular sleeping platform like the Hele Box, that will fit in your vehicle right out of the gate, and pack away into a sleek case once the trip is over so you can get your daily driver back.
Both options have their own charm, and it doesn’t really matter how you get it done.
As long as you have a sleeping platform, you’ll be making the most of your basecamp!
3 - Safety
We hope you never need to worry about your safety being at risk while camping, but its something you need to be conscious of.
One of the biggest benefits of sleeping in your vehicle is the ability to leave your basecamp at a moments notice.
You can go from your sleeping platform to driving down the road in less than a minute.
No need to wait for the sunrise, or rely on a canvas/polyester tent to keep danger away.
For some - it will create the peace of mind needed to sleep soundly on their trip, adventure longer and come back with epic memories (not horror stories.)
Of all the various camping trips I’ve done in my life (on beaches, mountains, rivers, etc.) the night’s spent with a vehicle as my basecamp were the best.
You simply can’t beat the amenities, protection, and peace of mind that comes from 4 walls and a “get away” plan.
If you are worried about finding places that are secluded enough while also being able to bring your vehicle with you, check out this article on finding epic car camping sites.
With AWD and a little perseverance it’s easier than you think to slip away from the crowds and into your next adventure!
Looking for more information of our sleeping platform, you can check it out here.
Want more information on car camping? Check out the home page of our car camping guide!