My Budget Car Camping Essentials
Making sure you’re fully prepared is the key to having an enjoyable experience while car camping! My recommendation is to always look for your camping gear secondhand first, at thrift stores & Facebook Marketplace. But if you’ve exhausted all options, I’ll provide some links to some of my favorites down below. Here’s a list of the essential items I always make sure to pack in my car before a trip.
Bedding
A high-quality sleeping bag suitable for the weather conditions, comfortable pillow, and/or warm blankets. These are super easy to thrift or use things you already have!
Sleeping Pad
A sleeping pad makes all the difference in comfortably sleeping in your car. I personally love these fold-up mattresses but you can go as simple as using camping pads.
Camping Stove
Portable butane or propane camping stove for cooking meals. I love the Eureka Sprk Camping Stove, because it’s small, easy to use & comes in a super cute green color!
Cookware Set
Compact and durable cookware set for preparing food & set of reusable cutlery. It also helps to have some sort of tub or fold-up sink for dish washing like this.
Camp Soap & Hand Sanitizer
Make sure to bring some hand sanitizer for when you’re in a pinch and biodegradable camping soap that you can use out in wilderness without hurting the environment.
Cooler
Insulated cooler for storing perishable food and drinks. I found my cooler secondhand on Facebook Marketplace but you can also get it on Amazon here.
Food & Snacks
Having easy to make meals & plenty of snacks will keep you fueled on your trip. Non-perishables like soup or simple meals like ramen, are always great options.
Coffee & Water Kettle
Personally, coffee is a daily essential. There’s lots of ways to make coffee in the outdoors, but my preferred method is heating up water in a kettle on the stove & using a pour over.
Headlamp or Flashlight
Headlamp or flashlight with extra batteries for safety (and those pesky late night runs to the bathroom).
First Aid Kit
Basic first aid kit with essential medical supplies. You can buy a pre-made pack online or make your own. Do you due diligence in researching all the safety items you’ll need!
Multi-Tool or Knife
Versatile multi-tool or knife for various tasks.
Plenty of Drinking Water
Make sure to bring about 2 gallons of water per person, per day with you. Depending on where you’re staying you’ll be able to refill along the way (ie. campgrounds, gas stations, etc).
Portable Power Bank
Power bank for charging devices during your camping trip. You can go as simple as a small power pack for charging your phone like this one I use or bring along a more expensive pack like a Jackery.
Navigation Tools
Map, compass, and GPS device for navigation. Make sure to also download the Google maps of the area you’ll be driving through for if you lose cell service too!
Fire Starter
Waterproof matches, lighter, or fire starter for campfires.
Extra Clothing
Extra clothing suitable for the weather conditions. There’s nothing worse than going on a trip & realizing you don’t have a warm rain jacket (talking from experience).
Hiking Boots/Shoes & Slippers
Sturdy and comfortable footwear for outdoor activities. Slippers are nice for quick trips out of the car, especially late night bathroom breaks when you don’t want to lace up your boots.
Backpack or Daypack
Backpack for day trips or short hikes.
Camping Chairs
Portable camping chairs for comfortable seating.
Camping Table
Lightweight and collapsible camping table for convenience. If you’re staying at a campground with picnic tables, feel free to skip this.
Insect Repellent
Bug spray is pretty much a necessity, especially in the warmer months. I also love burning citronella candles at a campsite while cooking & eating around a table.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen for sun protection, especially if you’ll be out hiking or exploring outdoors. A daily face sunscreen is also great, camping or not - here’s one of my favorite, more sustainable options.
Sleeping Mask and Earplugs
Sleeping mask and earplugs for a better night's sleep, depending on where you’re staying. I love using this super affordable mask & headphone combo from Amazon.
Travel Towel(s)
Quick-drying and compact travel towel. I personally like this microfiber towel - get small ones for cooking clean-up and a larger one for showering.
Trash Bags
Trash bags for responsible waste disposal. ALWAYS pack out your trash with you & make sure to follow all Leave No Trace principles!
Toilet Paper and/or Portable Toilet
Depending on where you’re traveling, you may need a little more set-up for doing your business. Toilet paper is always good to have. If you’re sleeping in cities and trying to stay stealthy, you may want something like a coveted pee bottle - just make sure you don’t mix them up with your drinking water!!!
Window Covers & Mesh Window Screens
Window covers are great for privacy and also creating a dark space for sleeping-in. Depending on your rig you might be able to buy covers, but you also might need to make your own custom ones. I also highly suggest these mesh window screens so you can get some airflow in your car without letting in bugs.
Camping Lantern & Cozy Lights
Lantern or camping lights for nightime. I love using fairy lights inside my car to make it extra cozy - you can get battery powered ones (or for a more sustainable option, get USB ones that plug into a portable power bank without using too much electricity).
AAA Card & Car Breakdown Plan
Some sort of plan for breakdowns or other car troubles is a necessity for your safety. I love having a AAA card for peace of mind. Highly suggest having a spare tire and jumper cables too. Make sure to do your research and be prepared.
Camera, Books, and/or Journals
Ok so maybe this one isn’t a necessity, but I always bring my iPhone or camera along to document my experience! A journal is another great option. You may even want to bring along a book or Kindle so you can cozy up in your car and read when it gets dark.
I may have missed a few things here and there, but you’ll develop your own camping essentials list the more you get out there and find out what you truly need. I hope this will be a great baseline for getting you on the road. Happy camping!
