car camping products

Minimalist Car Camping List

There's A LOT of gadgets & gear that can enhance your car camping experience.

This article takes the minimalist approach.

Nothing fancy, just the bare essentials to ensure you have a pleasant experience.

Here’s our list of must haves for a comfy car camping trip:

1. Quality Cooler 

Not all coolers are created equal. If you are going off-grid, it’s important to have a cooler that will keep your food fresh. 

The goal is to find a cooler that can keep ice solid for at least a few days. This doesn’t mean that you need to go out and spend $500 on a new cooler. 

I’ve been using this Lifetime cooler and it usually keeps a bag of ice for 3-5 days depending on the temperatures of the destination. 

I found it on facebook marketplace 3 years ago for $50 and it’s been a trusted companion on countless car camping trips ever since.

Every day or two remember to open the plug on the bottom of your cooler to release the melted water so your food doesn’t end up soggy - also helps reduce the weight of your cooler when lifting it in and out of your vehicle.


2. Elevated Sleeping Platform 

We believe that an elevated sleeping platform in your vehicle is the most important way to optimize the relationship between space, organization, and comfort. 

It will likely be the biggest spend on your build, but it’s worth the effort. 

Here’s why: 

  • If you are laying on the floor of your trunk area, where does all your gear go? A car sleeping platform allows you to stow gear underneath your sleeping area, increasing the storage capacity of your vehicle. 
  • Sleeping platforms should provide a full 6ft of sleeping length so you don’t have to contort yourself when it’s time for shut-eye 
  • Provides instant access to your bed so you don’t waste precious time setting up or breaking down a sleeping apparatus.   
  • An extra layer of safety for a quick get away & protection from wildlife (bear vs. man?) 

There’s a ton of videos out there for building DIY sleeping platforms with wood and power tools. DIY systems can be customized (which is pretty cool) - the trade off is their weight (heavy) and space they take up in your garage/apt if you manage to remove them from your vehicle in the off-season. 

The other option is to opt for a modular vehicle sleeping platform that fits in a wide range of vehicles. 

The Hele Box is the perfect solution if you are looking for a lightweight, compact, and easy to remove car camping system.  It’s height adjustable so you can dial in the perfect ratio of storage space/headroom and it fits in most SUVs/Trucks. 

car camping platform

It’s trusted by hundreds of customers, has 50+ 5 star reviews, and has been tested by experts in the outdoor gear field.  

“The Hele Box elevates car camping to a new level of comfort” -  GearJunkie


3. Recovery Gear 

The last thing you want to be when car camping, vanlifing, or overlanding is stuck. Packing appropriate recovery gear can get you out of a pinch and give you a sense of security when taking the road less-traveled. 

Here’s a few things you should have with you: 

  • Tow Rope
  • Tire patch kit 
  • Portable air compressor to pump up tires 
  • Tool box or kit 
  • Duct Tape 

I recommend having a separate recovery box/case to keep all your “please get me outta here” items in one place. 

 

4. Gear case/storage 

This is the place for “everything else” you’ll need on your car camping trip. Your box of gear should be loaded up with anything you’ll need that’s not a big item, but requires quick access. 

I recommend a box or case that’s compartmentalized so you can divide your items for easy identification & access. Think about your compartments as categories: cooking/eating, 1st aid/repellents, relaxing/lounging, clothing/jackets, etc.. 

This will be a huge help in the organization department, allowing you to find things faster and keeping you from dismantling your vehicle looking for that “one thing” 

Car camping platform in Subaru

Bonus if your gear case/storage bin can fit underneath your sleeping platform. The Hele Box actually comes with a carrying case that doubles as compartmentalized storage and slides right underneath the sleeping platform

 

5. Campsite

The best part about car camping is exploring the awesome campsites and destinations. Finding these spots aren’t as hard as you might think, but will require you to put in some work. 

Apps are a great place to start. They often have difficulty ratings for all the trails and forest roads + provide helpful information about dispersed camping areas. Here’s 2 of my all time favorites: 

If you want to learn more about finding dispersed camp sites, check out this article! 



That’s it! These are the core pieces of gear that we recommend you invest in/download to get your car camping adventures off to a solid start. 

If you are looking for a more detailed list, check out our Ultimate Car Camping Checklist

 

Back to blog

Leave a comment