Camping seems to have curled back around in popularity over recent years. Maybe Covid had a big part to play: people weren’t going abroad due to fears of safety, but hitting the outdoors on your doorstep with family? Not such a problem. You can go camping without a car. But it makes carrying everything pretty difficult. Nor can you just take any car. Especially if you’re planning on going into the wild instead of an established camping park or club, which may be shut anyway. If you are taking your car, you may be wondering how to kit it out. What to put on it or in it. You may think that you’ve already got it all sorted out, but check out the tips below just in case. They may at least shift your perspective and help you think of something you’ve missed.
Space Considerations
It all depends on how long you’re going and how many people are going with you. The more people, the more luggage and the more space you need. The key issue is in overloading. Don’t overload your car or trailer or you may end up looking for trailer repair. If you do have a heavy load remember to put some more air in your tires. If you’ve got a roof rack you’re ahead of the game as you’ll be able to store a lot of luggage, and maybe even the tent, there. Just tie it all off properly…you don’t want anything falling off as you’re barreling down the freeway. The urge to resist taking two cars is always there, especially if you’ve only got one suitable to the environment but you’d be better off cutting your trip short or leaving some stuff behind rather than put you and other passengers in danger due to the load of your car.
Icey Climates?
If you’re off into the wilds in winter you may end up facing snow and ice. If you know exactly where you’re going, and are comfortable with the routes, chances are you’ll be fine. However, if you’re not entirely sure and have decided to go wild camping you may need to take some precautions. Tire chains are always a great bet and can help give you that additional grip. If you don’t have a 4×4 they can come in even more handily. A shovel is also a good idea. You can clear some snow away to gain some all important traction. Taking some old patches of carpet will help here too. Just put them down when you need them and you’ll be off.
Take The Right Kit
When you’re going camping it’s easy to forget certain things. You might want to bring a few bits for the car. Maybe some spare oil, or some deicer. If your car is a little old with a suspect battery you may consider a jump start kit. You can grab them at Amazon or similar outlets, just make sure they’re the real deal and not restricted or gated. It’s essentially a judgement call. An auto tire inflator is a great choice, as is a puncture repair kit. The spare tire is a must, however, while a lot of people will take their default spare, you may want to purchase another tire similar to the one you have now. The default spare won’t do at all in off road situations.
Sleeping In The Car?
Depending on space, you might be camping in the car. It means you have to take less equipment, but you’ll likely also be taking less people. Some of the larger station wagons can do this quite nicely. You just pop the seats down and lay. It’s usually a lot warmer with less to worry about. However, there are some considerations. The sleeping space is usually less than you think, even if you’ve got a bigger car. Picture your bed, whether a double or a king, and imagine fitting it in your car. Also, if you’re sleeping in the car it means you may end up plugging into the car. This drains the battery, especially if the car is staying still for a long period of time. Instead think about taking a power bank. If you get a decent one it’ll power all of your devices for a long time. Just make sure you charge it to capacity before setting off. Some are far better than others and although the price can be prohibitive, they certainly make up for it in regards to performance. Besides, camping is about seeing the great outdoors, not so much about being glued to your phone. Maybe you won’t use it as much as you think.
