Car Camping Essentials: Everything You Need for a Comfortable Night Sleeping in Your Car
I enjoy sleeping in my car for various reasons, main one being a very budget travel, but also the freedom it gives. Back before the pandemic, my usual way of travel was to pack a tent, occasionally booking a budget hotel, usually last minute. Not anymore, best places book up a few months in advance so I can no longer go on a spontaneous trip when the weather looks fine. And there is car camping. You only pack car camping essentials, which usually involve a set of things for sleeping in your car, a few items for personal hygiene, some food and plenty of water. That’s it, easy and simple, best way for minimalist travel.
Why Sleeping in Your Car Is Different From Tent Camping
I’ve seen so many beautiful car camping setups on instagram, as well as educating reels, but they don’t have much in common with real life outside of social media.
Unlike tent, space in the car is very limited so organisation matters more and minimalist style matters. The less you pack, the more chance the car will stay tidy. And of course things look different whether you are a single camper, or camper with a child and / or the dog. I usually do stealth camping which is a camping in a public space without dragging any attention to my car. If you prefer to stay on a car camping friendly campsite, then you could bring a lot of things, and do not worry about being visible to others. My aim is to stay invisible and leave no trace.
car camping on a layby in Scotland
What to pack for a 1-2 nights of Car Camping Trip
Absolute essentials
I see this frequent question often asked by car camping beginners : what are car camping essentials needed for first time out car camping. Now, people might think you need a lot of things, in reality you might have to purchase one thing or two and the rest you might already have. I would not buy anything above the essentials just in case you decide car camping is not for you.
These are the items I use to this day, whether is is a one night in Bamburgh, or 2 weeks car camping in France.
A comfortable mattress
I started with what I already had, 2 single camping sim mattresses. One of them was a bit wider, so I had to place it on top of the other. This wasn’t the most comfortable way so I purchased double Vango rock n roll mattress. It fits perfectly in my car however it has some flaws and I will possibly change it in the future. Some people use folding gym mattresses or just small single mattress, or sofa cushions. Check what you have at home first before buying. I would not recommend buying blow up air mattresses or any cheap “car camping” mattress off Temu.
What if your car’s back seats don’t fold flat? You can build a special platform in the future. For short term solution, and because I lack any building skills, I just put a bunch of clothes to leven it up. It is great especially for longer trips as it saves you a lot of space in the car and keeps your clothes nicely folded.
Then you need a duvet or a sleeping bag, a pillow and emergency blanket for colder nights.
Remember, sleeping arrangement is one of the most important things so try out different setups to figure out how to sleep comfortably in your car. There is nothing worse than ruined sleep ( though you might not get a good sleep anyway due to excitement and anxiety! )
Window Covers
For my first few trips we used simple black bin bags taped to a window. Not glamorous! Then I made covers out of old yoga/camping mats, they are not perfect but we still use them to this day. I also have 2 window sun shades protectors/covers for passenger windows – these are very useful as we need to keep windows open a bit to remove condensation, or sleeping on hot days, and they keep insects away. I buy these off Amazon. For my front window I don’t use anything, I just put a towel ( or any big piece of clothing ) across the front seats headrest as it is more discreet in my opinion.
car camping in St Bees
Personal items
This will depend on an individual lifestyle. I don’t wear make up but my daughter does, and she will bring everything with her, including hair straighteners! I will repeat again, being a minimalist helps a lot. My essentials are:
Wet wipes – for daily cleaning
Toothbrush/toothpaste or mouth wash – though you might not be able to use it
Clothes – warm pyjama ( it can get cold at night ) , spare clothes, spare shoes.
Pee jar – my least glamorous item, but helpful for emergency situations . There is nothing worse than waking up in a car with an urge to pee.
Food
Shops are everywhere so don’t overpack here, you can treat yourself to hot food somewhere. There are a few items I always take:
Plenty of water – for drinking and cooking
Simple camping food, for example sandwiches
If you have a stove, porridge for breakfast and instant soups for dinner
Snacks – protein bars
Coffee/tea if you have a stove
Mug, cutlery, plates, towel
Useful, sometimes essential
Ear plugs – I’m a very light sleeper, so ear plugs are one of my absolute essentials. Whether it’s traffic, rain or people walking past they make a huge difference.
Power bank – kind of essential for me. On my first trip I was charging my phone and my car battery went off. I now purchased jackery 240 for charging my phone, powering my laptop ( sometimes I work ), and my daughter uses it for hair straighteners.
For cooking – now I don’t necessarily recommend buying any stove systems until you are actually sure car camping is for you. I have Jetboli zip I bought on some sale and to this day it is my only cooking stove. I use it for boiling hot water so can make coffee, instant soups or mash, boil eggs or hot dog sausages in it, nothing more. Remember, unless you are going somewhere wild for longer, most of the food can be bought anywhere.
Plastic bags for rubbish / dirty clothes
I also have a simple Coleman cooler, it is useful to keeping food insulated and organised.
Dog owners:
Food, bowls, poo bags. I sleep with my dog under the sleeping bag.
My Favourite Car Camping Items
Ear plugs – I am a light sleeper so this is essential for me
Merino socks – because I can wear them for a few days
Jetboil – boils water fast in 2 minutes, this is important if I want to do stealth camping
Things You Don’t Actually Need, especially for stealth camping
Tailgate tent – you can use it only at campsites
Portable toilet – just find a car camping spot with public toilet available, like a supermarket or gym
Camping chairs – not necessarily needed on your first trip
Pots and pans – nowhere to wash them
Fairytale lights – look cool on instagram photos but attract attention
Final Thoughts
Remember to check weather forecast as car camping on a rainy day might put you off car camping for good. Depending on the season you might need a hot water bottle to keep you warm, or usb fan to cool you off. Generally I would avoid car camping in cold/hot conditions.
Very important: never cook in your car to avoid CO2 poisoning.
The best part of car camping isn’t the gear you bring but waking up in your car, happy you made in through the night 🙂 once you decide car camping is your new hobby, you can upgrade to a better mattress, a rain guard for your windows, or better stove system.