The term car camping seems to imply that you will be sleeping in your car on your camping trip. Depending on the car you have, that could sound quite uncomfortable. Fortunately, car camping is much more than just pulling up to a campsite and using your car as your tent. So, what is car camping? Car camping is a recreational form of camping in which you drive to your campsite. Unlike backpacking, where the weight of your gear comes into play since you’ll have to carry everything, car camping allows you to pack more and not have to worry about carrying it since you can park at your campsite. That being said, there are quite a few questions I’ve seen online about actually camping in cars (not just camping next to your car, but actually sleeping in your car while camping). I went ahead and pulled together some information about camping in your car so that you can be more prepared should you ever want to. Read on to learn more!
Is Car Camping Safe?
First, let’s talk about car camping safety. Camping in your car can be safe, but also comes with some concerns that should be addressed. Here are some things to consider while camping in your car:
- Never leave your car running: yes, you could leave your car running and be okay, but it’s highly discouraged. If carbon monoxide gets trapped in your car for whatever reason, you could never wake up. Cracking the windows won’t be enough to stop the accumulation, and you don’t want to open your windows fully (more on that below). Plus, there is a very slim chance that you run out of gas during the night. It’s not likely, but it could happen if your tank was already low to begin with.
- Crack your windows: air can circulate through the cracks throughout your car even with your windows up, but it’s always nice to give some help with circulating the fresh air in. It will also help to keep your body heat from building up and making the car hot and stuffy inside. If you keep your windows up, you’ll also be inviting condensation in. Plan to either crack your windows or use something like DampRid to keep the condensation from building up. If you do open your windows while you sleep, be sure to only crack them slightly. Leaving them open fully could leave you vulnerable to a break in or could potentially invite critters inside.
- Keep your food sealed up: depending on where you are parking your car for the night, you could run into some unwanted visitors if you leave food lying around. Bears can smell food inside your car and have the means of getting inside if they really wanted to. It’s not likely, but you might as well take the precaution, especially if you’re camping in bear country!
How Do You Sleep In Your Car When Camping?
There are quite a few ways you can sleep in your car while camping, and some can be done even with more compact cars. Basically, you’ll want to bring an air mattress or pad that you can sleep on inside your car. While reclining and sleeping in your seats sounds like a good idea, it likely won’t provide you with enough comfort to get a good night’s sleep. And if your car is big enough to lay down flat after putting the seats down, you’ll also find that it’s not too comfortable to sleep on either. After all that’s not what they were built for! Having a mattress or pad to lay on will help you sleep much better. Don’t have a big car or SUV but still want to sleep in your car? Try putting the back seats down and putting your feet through the opening into the trunk. There will likely be much more room to stretch your legs. Just don’t forget a sleeping pad to soften any unevenness in your makeshift bed!
What Is Needed For Car Camping?
Since you’ll have your car with you, you can pack much more than a typical backpacker would. But, what exactly do you need in order to camp in your car? You can start with this list of recommended items, as well as some optional items to consider if you think they’ll improve your camping experience.
- Phone charger: being able to keep your phone charged in case of emergency is probably the most important item. You’ll never know when you might need it!
- Access to water: keeping water bottles nearby will help to keep you hydrated. Bringing along reusable bottles will allow you to fill up whenever you need to.
- Sleeping gear: since sleeping in your car won’t always provide you with a flat surface, you’ll want to have some extra sleeping gear that will help you get comfortable. Pack an extra blanket or two to level out the area you’re sleeping on. Bring an air mattress if it fits and a sleeping pad if it doesn’t. And don’t forget your pillow!
- Flashlight: your phone flashlight works great in a pinch, but when it’s really dark out you’ll want some additional light. Try not to use your car lights too much while it’s turned off as it could drain the battery.
- (Optional) Add mesh to your windows: assuming you’ve cracked your windows to let some fresh air in, you might have discovered an additional problem: pesky insects trying to cuddle with you at night. If this is the case, bringing along a little mesh can help solve this problem. Simply cut out some pieces that will cover the gaps in your car and tape them to the window and your roof for instant insect protection
- (Optional) Bring a tent: camping out in your car isn’t always ideal. Chances are you’ll be much more comfortable if you can set up a tent and sleep inside of it rather than your car. If safety is an issue, by all means stay in your car (or relocate to a safer place). Also, if you plan on camping out in a parking lot, you’ll likely be better off in your car rather than on the pavement. However, if you’re at a campsite, you’ll be able to set up your air mattress and comfortably sleep without worrying about leg room or having to push all your gear to the side.
You can also check out my car camping gear guide (where you camp outside of your car) for more recommended items!
What Is The Best Vehicle For Car Camping?
Since there are thousands of cars that have been created, it’s probably not ideal for me to go through and rate every single one of them in terms of the best vehicle for car camping. That being said, there are some aspects of vehicles that make for great camping vessels, including:
- Ample flat space: being able to put the seats down to expose a flat surface is perfect for camping in your car. It will allow you to throw an air mattress in the back and sleep like a baby. You may be thinking trucks are the best for this since you can camp in the bed, but that will leave you sleeping out in the open. To fix this, use either a truck topper or a tent to keep bugs and other annoyances out of your personal space.
- An accessible trunk: if you don’t have enough flat space in the cabin, being able to put the seats down to use your trunk for foot space is the next best thing. You’ll have to add a pillow or two (or similar) to compensate for the drop into the trunk, but you’ll still be able to put a sleeping pad down and sleep pretty good.
- Foldable seats: being able to fold seats down will help give you a flat surface to lay an air mattress. It will also allow you to stretch out and use more area inside of your car for sleeping.
- Extra storage space: your body is only a portion of what will take up room while you are sleeping in your car. If you don’t plan on pitching a tent outside or aren’t at a safe place to unload your car (such as a campsite), then you’ll need to think about where you’ll be storing your items. Having additional storage space, such as a roof-top cargo carrier, will give you extra room to sleep.
Related Questions
Do you have to crack a window when sleeping in your car? While you don’t have to crack a window while sleeping in your car, it is highly recommended. This will promote better air circulation in your car and prevent condensation from building up. Just be sure to only crack your windows slightly though to prevent people from trying to get in your car.