Car Camping - Part One
Car camping can seem like a daunting option when planning your next road trip. Where am I going to park, will I get a ticket, is this even legal? These are all normal concerns to have and probably good ones too. But I am here to clear up these worries and make sure your next car camping trip goes as smoothly as possible. This will be a two-part article——part one on why you should consider it as an option and the second part explaining how to do it.
What is car camping?
Car camping can mean a lot of different things to different people but I am going to explain my style of car camping. And my style is truly just camping in the car. No tents, no platform bed, no sprinter van, just a good ole CRV and a foam mattress topper.
No Reservations
This is probably the biggest advantage of camping in your car. There is no need to pay for or schedule busy campsite permits. Many national parks will require that you book your campsite more than a year in advance due to the popularity of the park. This makes planning a road trip far less spontaneous and odds are, something is going to come up over the course of a year that interrupts your plans. In addition, you’ll save about thirty bucks a night by sleeping in your car.
Temperature Control
Having the ability to heat up or cool down your sleeping environment can be a huge advantage when camping in less than ideal conditions. In a place like Bryce Canyon National Park, the temperature would drop to 12° outside. This of course froze the inside of the car and made it difficult to sleep at times. Luckily I was in my car! I just turned the car on, ran the heater for 10 minutes and fell right back to sleep.
Packing and Unpacking
Usually when tent camping, it is important to pack up your valuables and clean up your site before leaving for the day. Car camping is even better! Turn on the car and drive away with all the valuables already packed away.
Just the Essentials
Tent camping can require a lot of extra equipment to make it a comfortable experience: a nice tent, warm sleeping bags, blow-up sleeping pads, a tarp, etc… The list goes on and on to be honest. Car camping requires. . . a car andddd nope, that’s it! And you already needed the car to go road tripping in the first place so you really aren’t bringing a thing. Realistically though, some sleeping bags and a foam mattress topper can improve comfortability a bit but those are an easier purchase than a tent.
Conclusion
Wow, writing this article really made me realize how many luxuries come with sleeping in the car. This of course doesn't mean life is perfect though. Sometimes it can be a bit cramped or the car can become an explosion of all your various items. But if you can find a comfortable position and clean the car every few days, you’ll be good to go. In the next article I will talk about legal places to car camp and my set up for success. So stay tuned!
