Car camping is probably the easiest way to get out and go camping. Car camping simply means you load up your car with all your camping gear and drive directly to your campsite. This allows you to bring camping gear that would otherwise not be possible if you had to pack it in.
This list of car camping essentials is not all the gear we bring with us but the items we only bring with us because we are car camping and can drive right up to the campsite.
1. A larger tent
When car camping, it is much easier to bring a larger tent than is absolutely necessary. We typically will bring a tent that is sized for at least 2x the number of people we will have with us. For example, we have 6 people in our family, so we wouldn’t bring a tent any smaller than a 12-person tent like this CORE 12-person tent. Often we actually bring a tent even larger than that. It’s nice to have extra space in your tent, so a larger tent is on the list of car camping essentials. Check out our list of large family tents to find one that will suit your needs.
2. A larger stove
Cooking good food while camping is one of my favorite parts. Car camping makes it easier to accomplish that. With the extra room in your car, you can bring a larger stove, which is great for cooking great food. We use the Camp Chef 2-burner stove, but there are other great options, like this Coleman tabletop stove.
3. Cots
When we are car camping, we always bring cots. We have found that sleeping on a cot is always more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. Additionally, if you want to save on space, you can pick up one of the bunk bed cots, which saves room and takes up less floor space than 2 separate cots. If you have extra room in your tent, then Teton Sports XXL cots are really nice, but if you want a standard cot, we recommend the Coleman Trailhead II cot.
4. Camping chairs
Who doesn’t love sitting around the fire and watching the wood burn? Having some comfortable camping chairs will make it even better. We bring enough chairs so that everyone can have their own set. We even bring smaller camping chairs for our younger children, so they have somewhere to sit around the fire. If you want a seriously comfortable chair, check out the Zero Gravity chair. Trust me; you will love it.
5. Pop-up canopy
A pop-up canopy is something great to have, but it is definitely only possible if you are car camping and driving up to your campsite. Pop-up canopies are typically pretty large and heavy. If you have room in your car, having a shade canopy is really nice to have and is great if it’s a little hot as well as if it starts to rain. There are many options to choose from, but we recommend this 10×10 canopy as it is built well and can handle heavy usage.
6. Portable toilet
A portable toilet is great if you are not camping in a campground with onsite toilets. My wife said this is the number one thing that helped her enjoy camping more than she did growing up. Having somewhere to sit and go to the bathroom often makes the entire camping experience much better. There are a few different options you can choose from. You can use this simple bucket lid toilet or something more robust like this Camco portable travel toilet. We have opted for something in between and use this medical bedside commode.
7. Camping table
A camping or folding table is definitely on the car camping essentials list because it makes meal prep and dining much easier. While preparing meals having extra working space makes everything easier. Additionally, we use our folding table while we eat. This is especially nice with kids because they are prone to letting food roll off their plates if they hold it in their laps.
8. Larger cooler
Having a large cooler is great for car camping because you are able to bring the food you really want without having to worry about it going bad before you are able to cook it. There are many options to choose from, and some will out preform others, but if you are only camping for a few days, most coolers will work fine. If you want a more affordable option, try this Igloo 54-quart cooler. If you want something that will keep your food cold for an extended period of time, check out the RTIC 45-quart cooler.
9. Shower tent
Having a shower tent is definitely a luxury item but is really nice if you are camping for multiple days with no onsite showers. Having a shower tent makes it super easy to quickly take a shower no matter where you are camping. We find this to be really nice with kids because they are somehow able to cover themselves in dirt within the first 3 minutes of arriving at the campground. Having a shower tent allows us to quickly get them cleaned every couple of days. There are many pop-up shower tent options, but we recommend a more sturdy tent like this Texsports camping shower.
10. Propane lantern
Lanterns are really great to have at night. They are especially nice when trying to prep meals after dark. We typically bring a couple of these propane lanterns and hang them on the corners of our canopy, which is over the cooking area. This will provide a lot of light and make meal prep and clean up at night much easier. We like propane lanterns because they typically last much longer than battery-powered lanterns.
11. Water jug
Bringing a water jug is really only possible when car camping because of its weight and size. Having a water jug or two while camping is a great way to ensure you have enough water. Additionally, we use one as a handwashing station, which is a great way to easily wash your hands before eating. These collapsible water jugs are a great way to save on space and are what we typically use for the handwashing station. For drinking water, we use one of these standard 10-gallon water jugs.
12. Camp kitchen
Having a camp kitchen will make a big difference when it comes to meal prep and kitchen organization. Bringing a camp kitchen is really only possible when car camping. There is no realistic way to bring a camp kitchen with you if you have to carry your gear into your campsite, but if you are car camping, then a camp kitchen like this one is really nice to have.
13. Portable power station
Having some extra power with use is on our list of car camping essentials. It is really nice to be able to recharge our phones as well as use it for some smaller electronics. There are quite a few options, but we like the Anker 757 Powerhouse. This power station has plenty of power for recharging our phones multiple times during a camping trip and still has plenty of power to spare. Check out our full Anker 757 Powerhouse review to learn more about why we love it so much.
14. Outdoor games
While we still bring games with us, if we are not car camping when we are car camping, we typically bring bigger games. The games we bring when we can drive directly up to the campground are often larger backyard games. You can find a lot of backyard games on Amazon to choose from. A few of our favorites are Giant Jenga and Ladder Toss.
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