When you freeze water in big gallon jugs, make it potable water. Saves having to carry extra drinking water.

Great video. Those hatch tents can get a little pricey, so I bought a free standing bug tent at a garage sale, removed the poles and cut it in half. All I had to do is add some elastic on the cut side and it fits my 4runner snug. The hatch holds up the top, I stake out the corners. Makes a huge difference on hot nights, and rolls up into nothing to store. I try to buy camping gear at garage sales, cheaper and keeps a lot of plastics out of the landfill.

After my first car camp trip, I bought a pop-up shower tent that also came with a foldable camp toilet. For this 69 yr old woman, peeing in the car and getting dressed there as well takes too much contortion!

I always start off with everything in the car organized, but usually by the second day it looks like a tornado went through the back of the car

I make my own ice blocks. I take an empty gallon water jug and fill it almost to the top with tap water. Freeze it solid. Then put in cooler. It lasts a long time and cools cooler. You don't get any melted water in the cooler. When completely thawed you can use it as wash or drinking water!

Tips for lights. Luci solar lsnterns. Deflate them, leave on your car dash to charge any and all days for a reliable light.

I simply freeze my bottles of drinking water, it saves space and money. You are very right: bigger blocks of ice last longer as functioning like a bigger thermostat. Just make sure you remove a small amount of water from each bottle to allow expansion

A game changer for me was a cargo box on the roof. They are expensive new, but can be found second hand for a fraction of the price. Storing items up top gives you more space inside to set up a sleeping area, and you can carry dirty items up top that you don't want to bring inside the car. The aerodynamic style boxes don't make any noise on the road and hasn't effected my mpg enough to notice a difference.

I have a truck w shell topper. I pitch a large inexpensive tent, unload the cooler, stove, duffle bag, folding table and chairs into the tent. I sleep in the truck bed shell topper. It's great when windy and raining.

Great video. One thing I use instead of the expensive, outdoor rubber mats are padded moving blankets from Harbor Freight. A 6x8 (or so) blanket is about $6. They are padded for when you kick off your boots at the end of the day and dry quickly should they get wet. I was very glad to see you carry a paper map of your state. These are vital. I camp so many places where cell service is non-existent (even with my WeBoost) and I cannot pull up a gps map/location. Another tip along this line is to download a mapping app that allows you to download maps to your phone. Use an old phone and keep this mapping on it for when you need it. It won't show you your location, but you will at least have a map of the area. Safe travels!

Nice video...I always carry a head light to use at night you can adjust the straps as needed and it helps when you need to leave your vehicle at night plus always carry a lighter and pocket knife...

A block of ice certainly lasts longer than a bag of cubes. I've found that a well-rinsed milk jug, filled with water (leave room at the top for expansion!) then frozen - will give you cold drinking water once they start to thaw out.

Using milk cartons to make ice rather than buying block ice, allows you to use the water as the ice melts.

Yeah Frozen 1 gallon water bottles are way better than any type of ice cuz when it melts you can drink it

I share many items that you show here. I would add car window mesh for rear windows to have the windows down during the night and a little fan to provide some air circulation.

I'm living in my 2002 Tahoe and have been buying Ice from Walmart, so that Ice Tip alone was worth the video. I just though about it tonight but freezing individual bottles of water, then I seen this, so thank you!!

Tips: wool blanket, window covers, windshield reflector, portable charger at least 20k mah. ,buddy heater for cold winter nights, and getting a car that has completely fold down seats (like a pre 2010 honda element). I lived in my honda civic when I was 20- I had a gym membership for showers and grooming. I always chose industrial areas for low profile- but lived in a relatively safe area. I used many 12v accessories like fans and lights, but battery packs make that way easier now. I also put an extra battery in the trunk that was parallel to my starting battery (with no fuse- I was 20 and dumb. Not smart to sleep with enclosed lead acid batteries as they offgas). Now with solar and battery packs and sprinter style vans- I could see it being much easier than the miserable nights I had.

Yes, yes, yes on the block ice!! Also, I freeze things like Chili and Tri Tip (etc) Extra "ice" but is food later as it thaws using less space.

The quilt is a huge one. So much more versatile than a sleeping bag.

1. Pay a visit to Harbor Freight and pick up a couple of the el cheapo moving blankets. Another helpful hint: Stop by Safeway, Krogers, WalMart, etc and acquire at least one 3 or 5 gallon food grade bucket (FREE) from the cake/donut bakery. A nice little Clorox wipe and rinse with fresh water and you have a potable water supply for camping. Great for the times you take Rover camping with you! Finally, the 5 gallon shower bags sitting on your pickup between the roof and shell really do get pretty warm for that shower time!

I have that car organizer. Love it. We keep in it the essentials, such as, Pet meds. and Vaccination Records, treats, snacks, blanket, windbreaker, a folding umbrella, extra pairs of socks (and gloves, hat and scarf in winter) when shuttling between our two homes with our two German Shepherds.

On a little bit different note, but still technically car camping, consider taking a pick up truck without the canopy and do a little bit of cowboy camping with your sleeping bag in the bed of the pick up truck. Especially underneath the eastern Oregon stars. or, under the stars anywhere you go camping that has a beautiful starry night. I did that last summer just outside of crater lake, and it was amazing! It fits somewhere between sleeping in a tent and sleeping in a car, except that it is open air cowboy camping style. I had the thick sleeping pad, my wool blanket, and a sleeping bag… plus, borrowing from those glampers… I brought one of my big cushy reading pillows, along with a regular pillow. And thanks for putting out your great videos! Love having your channel in my viewing life! 🏕️

Floor mat idea: Dollar tree carpet squares are neat in the van. I used to get out into Mt hood NF roads primitive areas past ripple brook frequently. LNT. I miss that. Keep up the good positive work.

I like having a small table because even when there is a picnic table it’s not near the fire ring and I need something near the fire while I’m cooking to set things on. I have started bringing a small folding potty bucket with kitty litter cuz sometimes in the middle of the night I just gotta pee now and it’s too dark and/or far and/or cold to run to the restroom. I got one that I like that’s basically like the folding storage ottomans on Amazon, only with a hike in the top to put a trash bag in and sit on. Super simple design. It’s prevented a lot of uncomfortable moments having it. I have a folding pop up tent just for that purpose too. Also doubles as a shower or changing tent and takes up little to no room in the car.

entry mats are an excellent idea especially with dogs, on the beach. another awesome thing i can't go anywhere without is a usb fan. it draws very little energy and can plug into a small battery bank. it moves air around and provides a static noise if you're more sensitive to noises at night. cheers from TX coast

Some great tips! Being a first time car camper having some experienced people teach is great! Thank you!

Don't put all your water in one jug which may break or leak, is heavy to move around and bulky to store in the car. Better is to store your water in several flexible containers like two or more 2/12 gallon MSR water bladders which are super rugged (especially the spout which doesn't stick out), won't leak, conform to their storage spot and get smaller as they empty, easy to move around because each is half the weight of a full 5 gallon jug, can be hung from a side mirror, tree branch etc. so don't take up table space. They're frugal because the spout has a quick open/close "pee stream" setting for washing hands, etc. in addition to a screw off opening for filling cooking pots, etc. An unheralded feature is if they freeze putting them in the sun or in a footwell when you're driving thaws 'em quickly because they're made of black thin fabric instead of thick plastic. Only downside is they're 50 bucks each but I've had my first one for ten years now and it's still as new. A dust pan is super handy but also have a stiff whisk broom for getting mud off your boots, wet tent bottoms and other sticky messes. Only 7 bucks at Walmart and store it in a plastic bag so you don't have to clean it until you can wash it later.

Portland native here. Just found ur channel! Nice to see people from my home state making great content!

Cool video. From my backpacking days I love a little square of blue foam pad. Makes a nice fire fan, food or first aid prep station, seat, warm spot to lay arm off mattresses and wine koozie.

I use 5 Gallon Buckets as Food Pantries, I have them fitted with Lids intended for Sitting (available at Grainger).

Put all that in a backpack? Insane! Oh. It's for car camping. I love that water jug. However, one item we have in the 4Runner TRD(a dreadful lime color she loves), is a bear-proof cooler. Very handy to keep items cold in a vehicle sitting in the Sun, and they also prevent odors from attracting'em. Especially since we leave ours outside the vehicle. Definitely keeps the Grist Iron & Boneyard Brews cold for a couple days.

Long time camper here……you gave great tips!

Thank you for taking your valuable time to create this video.

Just found your channel. I enjoyed it & you got right to the point without the “fluff”. Thank you

Thank you for taking the time to share your tips! Great video!!!

The block ice for the cooler is such a great idea! Thanks!

Great video! I'm going on my 1st car camping trip for 4 days and this video helped me feel more prepared! Thank you!! :)

Omgsh!! This video is amazing!! Such a game changer. Best car camping video thus far!! ❤️❤️❤️

Great video! Definitely have given me a few things to think about when jeep camping with my dog

For camping in the car: the top tip for me that increased comfort: mosquito screens window nets for pulling down over the side windows, so you can leave the windows open as much as you want for ventilation. They are also dark fir pruvacy during day. And, to add, the rainshields that give just a little coverage at the top of side car windows, so even when raining you can leave the windows open a little. Humidity/heat in closed car always uncormfortable for me, even though the bed is so comfy.

Excellent! Although no longer able to get away much, am storing up all of these tips. Itchy feet!

Thank you for the great ideas! Itsa fine line car camping and leaving everything in your rig while you hike and not being broke into... just always pray for a safe protection blessing !

Excellent video, a 5-gallon bucket with a camping toilet seat would be handy too... You can get those at Walmart

I thought everything in the video was very nice and useful. Particularly liked the large, narrow water jug. All are great ideas!

I have that same coleman extreme cooler I freeze blocks of ice myself after 7 days I usually bring back 60% of my ice I love this cooler.

Love the block ice out of water jugs. I tailgate at SIU football games and going to a vineyard to taste the wine and set up my table top oven/gill and Colman stove to grill or fry foods.

I love using water frozen in old milk/water jugs! Although there is condensation, your food isn't swimming and getting soggy. Since they keep the water contained inside, you can use the water for washing and/or drinking.

-The one about ice deserves more attention. Idk what it is about store-bought cube ice, but it always seems to melt within a day. Block ice from a store works, but that depends on if the store you're near even carries it (most only carry cube ice) and ultimately you're still paying for it. This is only an option if you have a decent size freezer, but I just keep a few ice trays and just freeze up a cooler's worth of ice the last few weeks before the trip. Come the day of the trip, I have a small bucket of cube ice that lasts way longer than storebought. I did a 3 day crabbing trip down at Winchester bay and by the end of it my ice was only half gone. Bear in mind I'm not using any fancy coolers either, I just used a coleman cooler that's almost as old as I am. -In the warmer season I ABHOR any sleeping bag or blanket that's polyester-lined, it just turns into a sweat bag. Above 50 degrees I only ever use either fleece or cotton lined. Polyester has become the go-to textile because it's cheap to make, and sure it's good for cold weather sleeping bags, but otherwise it just turns bedtime into a sauna for me. -Whatever you do, don't get the folding water jugs in the camping section. They quickly develop splits and cracks along the seams and folds.

Great video thank you. Window socks and a Air deflector‘s. Small usb fan and Inreach mini for emergencies. I’m in a 2015 Subaru Outback 💜🦋💕love car camping off grid.

Freeze individual water bottles for the cooler… Weather tech custom shades will black out the entire interior… Get those window screens for fresh air as they keep the bugs out… Fold down the seats and sleep with your head in the trunk in a passenger vehicle. You can fold a cheap futon to level the back and provide cushion… Get a hybrid vehicle because you can leave the air conditioner on if it’s super hot.

Loved it, as usual! My favorites are the little door mats. So simple, yet so convenient!!

Great stuff! My only car camping has been out of necessity when I want to hit a trailhead early the next day. This makes me want to up my game a little and actually make it fun.

Good tips. Thanks !

🌺 Thank You Thank You Happy Safe Travels Ahead

Thank you!

Thank you for making this. It was very helpful and informative

Floor mats- awesome idea.

Very useful tips thank you for sharing

... Awesome video ,, the sharing of different ideas is so helpful,,as not all tips meet everyones needs .. .. I have a list for winter items too,,will read thru comments and add what I don't see ... as for some mystical reason this video alerted me at 3 am....I guess it was meant to see ....

Thanks for a great video w helpful tips! Don't know what they r called - mesh car window covers, slides over your car door window - keeps out bugs n let's in fresh air.

Thank you for sharing these great pointers.

Great tips! The doormats and dust bin ideas are really great -- I never thought of either, to be honest, but can totally see the usefulness!

Thank You great list! I recently used a solar shower which came in very handy for more than showering, still haven’t decided if it’s a must but after one time I found it very useful.

Thanks for such a helpful video - particularly am going to incorporate suggestions 1, 3, and 7 in upcoming summer drive from New England to Alaska. Your state (Oregon) was my favorite until I got to spend nearly a year on a work assignment in the '49th'.

Awesome!!🌺

I've been wanting to do a car camping road trip. The is awesome information to know. Thanks

I skimed over most of these comments .. I personally thought the video was nice and relaxing 😌.. Your voice volume was fine .. The most necessary learning tool for everyone is ( you learn as you do ) !! Less is more !! You get what you pay for !! Just use commen sense which is free !!!😊

It's always interesting to see everyone's list an what the bring an or need in a car camping situation. One thing a lot of people didn't mention is a power source. Yes your car can provide that, but a jackery are amazing! Even a very small one!

This was really interesting! Hey from Hiddenite North Carolina!💜💚

The term “car camping” is definitely changing. I have always referred to it as driving up to a campsite and pulling all of your stuff out, including a tent to sleep in. Nowadays, it seems that it means literally sleeping in your car. I have a Subaru Outback and am determined to at least try setting up my car to sleep in. I’ll wait until it cools down a bit more and with less chance of bugs. It seems that it would be awkward to get in and out of, change in, hot, and hard to keep the bugs out without purchasing specific gear that also has to be set up, which brings me to just setting up a simple backpacking tent may be easier. I don’t know though, because I haven’t tried it yet. I will. I have tried and failed to come up with the perfect set of gear for car, tent, or backpack camping and have come to realize that it all depends on each individual trip, how long, travel or destination camping, who is going, weather, what I actually plan to eat, etc., etc. It is an ever changing list. Thank you for your channel. It was 5 years ago that I embarked on my first backpack excursion with my adult son and used your recommendations to find a trip doable for me in the Sister’s region. Now, 30+ excursions later, I’ve become a competent backpacker and even often go out alone. I live near Yosemite, but love coming to Oregon every time my schedule permits.

Instead of welcome mats, use kitty litter mats. They trap sand and dirt and then just dump it out. Hot glue on the back can make it non-slip if needed.

I have a 12 volt(just plug into cigarette lighter port) lunch box. Use it mainly for work but its a great feature for car camping. It will not cook food from raw to cooked. But it will heat foods up. Best part is its sized to take disposable aluminum foil bread loaf pans. So things like soups, chili or Sauage is easy to warm up. Also you could toss in wet socks to dry them.

Good video! Love the idea of door mats

Great ideas! Thanks ❤

Another tip for SUV camping in hot weather - if you want to keep the hatch closed and the bugs out - is to make a custom window screen for one of the rear door windows. I had some old nylon window screening that I cut to fit the outside of the window on one of my rear doors. Securely duck-taped all edges in place. At night, I could roll that window down for ventilation without letting in the bugs.

Awesome!!! Thank you!!!👠🚌👠

I carry some vehicle related fluids, hoses and belts in the engine compartment. I also carry a magnetic mounted 12 volt flood light in the engine compartment. The light is for emergency use like chaining up at night. The power cord is fitted inside a hydrogen peroxide container, which i slit down one side to minimize rat chewing. I also hang 2 tomcat rat bait bars in the engine compartment. Checking for knaw marks is a good indicator of problems. Hopefully, fully fed, they will leave your wiring harness alone. I also carry an assortment of 12 volt bulbs and fuses in the compartment. Included in fluids are 2 Fix-a-flat cans. I once had 2 flats driving on relatively new tires on the roads on the big island in Hawaii. Fortunately, I had a spare and a fix-a-flat. Also a can of radiator stopleak. I built a small basket onto the passenger side wheel well to hold most of this stuff. Depending on your own vehicle. Included is a gallon of anti-freeze (concentrate), large can of DOT-3 brake fluid, 1 quart window washing fluid, pint of power steering fluid, 2 quarts of oil, serpentine belt, 10 feet each 10 gauge wire of white, red, black. My tools ride inside my vehicle. Basic 150 to 250 mechanics tool assortment. I added a magnetic probe to retrieve dropped items, electric clips for wire jobs. I don't like the idea of getting stuck somewhere. When I go off grid, I have 2 jacks, self recovery tools, 2 pairs of snow chains, a tire repair kit, 3 spare tires 30 gallons of extra gas, 20 gallons of fresh potable water, and several means of water purification, Sawyer, berkey, ceramic and other filtration systems. What I'm working on next is a second isolated battery and a small lithium battery with integrated jumper cables.

I'm freezing my own block ice from empty coffee creamer tubs.

Great tips and recommendations.

Lots of good ideas here some of which I already do good stuff.

Love this

Great ice idea! Great video

For the car camping its good idea to have docking tent such as Idoogen A4. It will give you nice calm living space and its cozy.

Solid information! ICE: I have to admit, with my style of travel/camping, ice is almost more important to me for keeping drinks cold while I drive as it is keeping anything else in the cooler cold, so I go with a 10# bag of cubes. I don't need to keep things refrigerated in there for days on end, and it's great to be able to drink iced drinks the entire trip, rather than having to drink room-temperature water. WINDOWS: I made my own window panels out of Reflectix that really do the job. I might give that dual panel set up for the front windshield a shot. My regular accordian one works well, but maybe these would work even better. BUG SCREEN: Do these really fit snug enough to keep mosquitoes out? It doesn't take much of an opening for them to exploit it. WATER JUG: I've thought of getting the slim jug, but I don't know where I'd be able to fill it. You certainly can't fill it in a rest stop sink, and I've never noticed whether those stops have spigots. I could fill it at a campground if I was staying there, but if I was staying at a campground I wouldn't be sleeping in my car. Plus, to be honest, it probably wouldn't work with how I travel. Most of my hydrating is done while driving, and I just refill all of those bottles at the end of the day. I think this is one of the things (like tables, two-burner camp stoves, etc.) that separate people using their cars as substitutes for RVs, and those of us who just want to use it as a bedroom during the nights we travel. You don't have to worry about setting up a camp kitchen if you wake up at the far end of a Walmart (although, I usually try to find places with a little less light). ORGANIZER: I used to just bring a couple of bins with me, but they were chewing up space. I changed to a 3-drawer plastic storage unit ($12 at Walmart) and it's been great. It's shorter than the back seat (I only use the 60 part of the 60/40 split back seat for sleeping), you don't have to dig through bins for items, it takes up much less space, and you can dick around with mods. I added Velcro to keep the drawers closed while traveling, and got a tap light that I can also mount to the side of the unit via Velcro when needed. Unfortunately, it's 100 lumens, which is WAY too bright for the back of a car, in my opinion. At least, it's definitely overkill. But it was all that was available. The old-school ones aren't that easy to find anymore. I might check out Dollar Tree. I could get something to store clothing, but I can also just leave them in a backpack in packing cubes as well. Take care!

..... Also time for 3- Season hikers to prep your gear ,, make sure everything is in good order ,, repairs made where needed ,, hang your outdoor clothing on a line and spray with Permethrin for the anti-bugs ,, make sure your stove is in working order and stock up on canisters before the rush ....or other fuel required for your type of stove ...put a new filter in your water filter ,, clean and disinfect all water bottles and water carry bags..CNOC etc. ... Pull out your check list and match your gear ,, add ,, delete or replace items used from last year .... Sunshine and dry trails will be here before you know it .....Happy Hiking !! ...

Hello my Outdoors friend, thank you for sharing this great information. It was quite helpful. All the best to you. Stay safe and healthy out there. 🤗

Hammock! I would attach one end to the car and the other to a whatever. Once, outside of Sedona, it was a very sturdy sign post.

We were able to find a set of old 50's style tv tray tables and they're awesome for camping. They fold pretty flat and they're super light weight. Everyone gets their own side table by their chair for drinks, and snacks and whatever you don't want in your pockets. Super convenient having a table vs trying to hold stuff in your chairs mesh cup holder

Add a small lock box for important documents , electronics , gas money , just incase you can't carry them away from the car . 🤔🤔🤔

good info, thanks

Great video liked & of course subscribed.

Start with a white vehicle. Dark colors make for a portable oven.

I'm a KZfaqr from the Northwest Washington... and I think you are an awesome human! Keep up the great work! I love your content! Thanks for your time and effort in making this great!

Wet wipes…….inexpensive, large packages. They take up little spaces and can be used for EVERYTHING. THEY LAST A LONG TIME.

thanks

Hay hay! Got my first video up Car Camping UK, adventure time!

Very fun

Great list! Thanks! I bring a wrap around sleep mask. It blocks all the light and doesn't slip off. Very handy if you want to take a quick nap.

thank you :)

Thank you