17-06-2025
Every Car-Camping Trip Starts With This Packing List
Trey French/NYT Wirecutter
One of the initial challenges I encountered while camping out of my truck was the constant need to climb onto the tailgate and into the bed area to retrieve items. My knees took the brunt of this inconvenience, especially when a cook stove or other gear occupied the tailgate. If only I had 6-foot-long arms! Fortunately, the Ontel Gopher II grabber comes close to making that a reality.
This 3-foot-long grabbing tool has two different clamping orientations. It folds up to about half its size and can lift a few pounds.
With the Gopher II, I can grab my far-away water bottle, fan, portable lights, blanket, jackets, books, and other items, as long as they weigh no more than just a few pounds. I wouldn't hold anything over my head with this tool — I use it mainly for dragging and dropping items.
If you're camping with a large tent, you might frequently find yourself crouching, crawling, and reaching for items, and the Gopher II can be helpful in those situations as well. For anyone camping out of a car or an SUV, this may be less of an issue since there are multiple access doors. However, opening and closing those doors can become just as tedious as climbing into the truck bed.
I keep the Gopher II in my truck at all times, and it works even after four years of being exposed to extreme cold and heat.
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About five years ago, I bought Coghlan's Inside/Outside Tent Mat on a whim, and I love it. I place mine on the ground below my tailgate primarily so I can remove or put on my shoes without putting my socks or bare feet in the dirt.
Whether you're climbing out of a tent, car, or truck in the morning, this small mat keeps your feet out of the dirt.
On cold mornings, it's also the perfect platform for me to quickly hop onto while I put on a bunch of warm layers, since I don't have enough vertical room inside my truck topper to change. Of course, it serves the same purpose outside of a tent.
This mat packs small, is inexpensive, and has enough weight to prevent being kicked or blown around too easily. It's big enough that you can stand on it with both feet, but it's not so large that it's bulky when stored.
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My trash bin is a food-storage container with a vacuum seal — the Better Homes & Gardens Flip-Tite Rectangular 17.3 Cup Food Storage Container. Similar plastic food-storage containers (whatever size you need) will also work (Wirecutter has several recommendations). I like this one because it's easy to open and close, it seals in odors, and it's easy to clean. Plus, a 4-gallon trash bag (which you might already use for your small bins at home) fits inside of it.
This bin seals in smells, and it's easy to open and close. It's also portable enough to carry around your campsite.
Depending on your destination, you may or may not have access to a communal trash can. And even if you do have access to one, the Flip-Tite container will save you several trips to and from said trash can. It's also small enough that you can easily pick it up and move it wherever it's needed in your camping area. If you are taking your trash with you, this bin will minimize any smell inside the car, and it takes up little space.
If you camp in areas with bear activity, follow recommended (or required) practices to keep you and the bears safe. This may involve storing your food in a bear-proof 'bear box' or a bear-proof trash can overnight, when you're camping in areas that provide these facilities. It may also involve using a personal-size bear can or a bear-resistant sack. I use the Bear Vault BV 500, and many friends use Ursacks.
When you're car camping, you'll need water for drinking and cooking. We recommend the Reliance 4-Gallon Aqua-Tainer.
'The Reliance jug has two standout features: a screw-on vent cap and a spigot cap that reverses in on itself when not in use,' writer Kit Dillon explains in our guide to the best gear for road trips. 'These features work together to prevent major spills. The screw-on vent cap doesn't come undone, unlike the pull-top vents on some competitors, which tend to pop open and spill water as soon as you hit anything other than the smoothest roadways.'
Due to its square shape, this jug stays upright. The spigot is at the bottom, so you can dispense water without tilting the jug, unlike with some other water containers. It can hold 4 gallons — about enough water to sustain two people for two days. If you'll be out for longer than a weekend, or you'll be hiking, running, or doing similar activities that increase water consumption, you might want to consider the Reliance 7-Gallon Aqua-Tainer.
I use the Scepter 5 Gallon / 20 Litre Military Water Container with a Scepter Water Container Spout. It's more robust than the Reliance jugs, but it's also more expensive, and I have issues with it. This particular model can rest on its side, but it's more stable when it's upright. That means whenever I want to dispense water, I have to lean the container over. So I refill a smaller Thermos a couple of times a day for drinking water and cooking. Also, when the Scepter container is leaned over, it leaks a little out of the vent.
My Scepter jug still works, but when it no longer does, I'm planning to replace it with a Reliance jug.
Found in the packs of alpinists on the world's highest peaks, pee bottles are also worth bringing on a weekend camping trip. This is one of the most infrequently used items on my packing list, but I'm always glad to have it when I do need it.
There are better water bottles you can use for drinking water each day, but the Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Sustain Water Bottle has proved to be a key item during adverse weather or when the bathroom is too far to walk to at 3 a.m. Some campers may want to pair the bottle with a Tinkle Belle Female Urination Device or the disposable PeeBuddy Female Urination Device.
I've chosen one of the cheapest routes for a pee bottle, and you have to wait to dump the contents in an appropriate place and clean the bottle later, which I understand is not for everyone. Nancy Redd, who covers health and personal care for Wirecutter, recommends the hygienic TravelJohn Disposable Urinal. It comes with disposable pouches that turn pee into a leak-resistant gel, and you can throw the used pouches in a trash can when you find one.
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I camp in a lot of warm deserts year-round. And with the Yeti Rambler 12oz Colster Can Cooler, I don't have to immediately chug carbonated beverages because it keeps them from quickly getting hot and flat.
The Colster Can Cooler has double-walled insulation, a grippy exterior, and a two-piece body and lid to lock your drink into place. It isn't heavy, but I like that it has a little heft, to prevent spills on the many uneven surfaces where I place drinks when I'm camping, like rocks, uneven grass, and dirt. It's less tippy than a foam koozie, and it insulates much better.
If your beverage uses a slimmer 12-ounce can, Yeti also makes a 12oz Slim version.
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When you're car camping, it's easy to find uses for these $1 Anvil 2 in. Spring Clamps.
I clip them around my roof-rack crossbars to secure wet towels and clothes so that they can dry out. In transit, I've used them to prevent my makeshift camping table from sliding around. When I'm using a picnic table, I clamp the tablecloth to prevent it from blowing away.
This inexpensive and versatile just-in-case item is something I always pack. I often use it to secure and hang items while I'm car camping.
The plastic tips eventually fall off, and the exposed metal can mark up sensitive surfaces, but that hasn't mattered to me when I've been camping.
Although a favorable weather forecast and a tree are usually sufficient, sometimes I deploy the Slumberjack Roadhouse Tarp for extra coverage and to create a livable space outside. Compared with an awning, this tarp is lighter and less expensive, and I don't have to place a permanent mount on my vehicle.
This tarp creates enough shade and rain coverage for three to four people sitting in camp chairs. It pitches in three configurations, and it works best when it's anchored to the rear wheels of a vehicle.
I can set it up on my own, but a buddy makes things easier. After a round of practice, it goes up and down quickly. Mine has endured some pretty high winds (with some flapping), and the fabric has held up great. Be sure to secure your stakes in the ground well; if the ground is soft, putting a big rock on top of each stake helps.
In addition to relaxing and cooking under this tarp during the day, you could use the Slumberjack as a cover over a tent for cooler daytime naps or for making a rainy tent night less claustrophobic.
If you're planning to drive your car during the day, versus leaving it set up as your basecamp for the duration of your trip, you may prefer a separate tent so that you don't have to break down and set up the tarp multiple times. We have recommendations for both car-camping tents and day-use-style canopy tents.
If you camp at the peak of mosquito season, you may want more bug protection, and a separate large tent can be a great place to relax during the day. Otherwise, I prefer using a tarp because I can freely walk under and away from it without zipping doors or opening flaps. It's like having a covered patio at home.
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Space is at a premium when you're car camping. I use a Yakima SkyBox 16 Carbonite (the old equivalent of our current cargo box pick) to keep my truck cleaner and less cluttered (this model has been discontinued). I've tested our current cargo box pick for road trips, the Yakima SkyBox NX XL Roof Box, and I won't hesitate to replace mine with the NX XL if the time ever comes to retire it.
I always keep my roadside emergency kit, tire-repair gear, and outdoor bathroom essentials in my cargo box. For camping, it's a great place for my truck tarp, hiking poles, skis, dirty clothes, shoes, shovel, garbage, toilet, or human waste (when packing it out is required). It's ideal for holding anything that's wet, dirty, or relatively lightweight. The NX XL has a maximum weight capacity of 165 pounds, including its own weight. Since the box itself weighs 52 pounds, that leaves 113 pounds for your gear. Be sure to check your vehicle's roof weight limit, and don't forget to account for the weight of your roof rack.
I removed my cargo box once to fit in a parking garage at the airport. Otherwise, it has lived on my truck topper since 2021. I backed into a stiff tree branch one day, which left a small hole in the back of the cargo box, but it's still fully functional, and I think the tree was okay.
These are just some of the items I pack when I'm car camping, but they're items that I take on every trip. If you're interested, check out my packing list, which covers everything I might bring on a trip.
This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Christine Ryan. In the last two years, I've fine-tuned my overlanding setup, which hinges on a car air mattress. Here's what I use to feel close (but not too close) to nature.
After hundreds of hours of research and 1,500 miles behind the wheel, we've singled out the gear that's absolutely essential for your next journey on the open road.
After sleeping in 51 tents, we think the Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 is the best for two people and Kelty's Wireless 6 is best for most families.
The easy-to-set-up REI Co-op Screen House Shelter is our canopy tent pick, with good sun and insect protection and a bright, roomy feel.
What I Cover
I write about outdoor and travel gear. I test hiking socks, ice cleats, thermoses, and more things that make being outdoors more comfortable and fun.
