Have you ever imagined waking up in a pile of comfy pillows and blankets, a morning breeze drifting gently around you and a gorgeous view of a serene lake at sunrise framed by your open trunk door? No matter how far away you roam, you can turn your vehicle into a home away from home.
The Necessities
Regardless of whether you’re camping out of a truck, car or van, here are some basics you will need:
- Mattress: Air, foam, or whatever works best for you
- Sleeping Bag: Make sure you get a versatile bag rated for colder temperatures with synthetic insulation
- Propane or Gas Stove: Two-burner stove preferred. You can get an inexpensive one from Coleman but there are higher-end options available as well.
- Kitchenware: Eating and cooking utensils, cups, plates, bowls, cookware, cleaning sponge and mesh bags for air-drying. Here are a couple of kits that, together, include most everything you’ll need:
- A Multitool for Miscellaneous Tasks: This multitool includes an axe, hammer, knife, nail puller, bottle opener, can opener, screwdrivers.
- Off-Grid Power Capabilities: Most modern electronics can charge through your vehicle’s 12v outlet, but you may want to bring along an inverter such as this one as well, for any electronics that require a 110v charging outlet.
- Lantern or Other Strong Light Source: For after-hours activities such as reading, cooking, etc.
Make it Cozy!
These suggestions aren’t functionally necessary for your camping experience, but we’re going for the cozy vibe after all.
- Hang string lights around the inner frame of your truck bed, or along the ceiling of your car or van (battery-powered, warm white hue, with a remote control such as these are my personal favorite)
- Bring along an alternative light source purely for fun, such as this USB-Rechargeable Moon Lamp, which is lightweight enough to be hung from a hook in your car and provides 16 color options to match your mood
- Toss around some throw pillows and blankets in addition to your “sensible” sleeping pillow. Lots of colors and different shapes make for a fun and unique feel.
- Hang sheets up around your windows for added privacy.
- Bring your favorite camping mug for your morning coffee or hot chocolate so you can snap that perfect Instagram pic.
- Bring a dog. Dogs = Cozy.
Truck Bed Camping
If the weather and wildlife conditions (minimal insects) are favorable for sleeping under the stars, you could simply sleep right in your truck bed! Creating a cozy truck bed is as simple as filling it with an air mattress, blankets, pillows and sleeping bags.
A truck bed tent is a popular and reasonably-priced option for truck bed camping, as it provides protection from the elements. There are many truck bed tent options under $200. For example, the Napier Backroadz Truck Tent below includes a full floor to keep you clean from your truck bed, a full rainfly, and fits most truck bed sizes.
If you’re looking for a more permanent fixture for long-term or frequent truck bed camping, you may want to look into truck bed canopies / shells. They will run you closer to $1000+, but are much more durable than truck bed tents and do not require disassembly every day. TaketheTruck.com has a great blog about how to choose a truck canopy if you would like to go this route.
For meal times, your truck’s tailgate makes a great counter space for your camp kitchen.
Car and Van Camping
If you have a van, larger car or SUV with back seats that go all the way down into the floor or can be removed, you should have plenty of space to sleep in your vehicle. I have even made it work in a smaller hatchback-style car such as a Prius by putting the seats down and sleeping so that my feet are pointing towards the front of the car. This gives you more leg room than if you were facing the other way, as you can let your feet hang off the edge vs. getting cramped up at the foot of the trunk.
Same idea applies as for truck bed camping—fill the back of your car with a mattress, blankets, pillows and sleeping bags.
For your kitchen setup, unless you have a tailgate that comes down like a truck’s does, you’ll want to get a camping table. There are many collapsing / folding / roll-up options for maximum portability, such as this folding table from Trekology.
If you want to sleep with the trunk door open to feel the breeze and smell the fresh air, but don’t want to end up covered in mosquito bites, hang a mosquito net over your trunk area.
Everyone has their own unique style, so have fun with it! Add some personal touches that make you feel at home.
Note: Always ensure that you are parked in a permitted area when choosing an overnight camping spot.