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What camping gear should I buy? This is a question that has been bothering adventurers for decades.
Choosing the best gear for car camping doesn’t have to be complicated. With the basics covered, a comfortable camping trip is guaranteed.
In this article, we’ll go over the best gear for car camping that will make life at camp much easier.
Table of Contents
- How to Choose the Best Gear for Car Camping
- Tailgater Tire Table
- Awning
- Outdoor Rug
- Cooking Stove
- Portable Power Station
- Other Car Camping Gear We Recommend
How to Choose the Best Gear for Car Camping
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To decide what camping gear to buy, you need to start with the basics. A camping trip with just a tent and a simple stove will teach you exactly what you need and don’t need.
If you love to have a bit more luxury, you will wish you had certain items. Whatever those items are, write them down.
On the other hand, you may find that a simple setup suits you great.
Whatever the case, take notes – this will help you buy everything you need and nothing you don’t.
The Best Gear for Car Camping – Tailgater Tire Table
Camping tables are a love-hate relationship. They are convenient, but take up space inside the truck, require setting up, and on uneven terrain, you can never get them to sit flat.
Personally, I prefer to use tables that mount on the tire of my truck. They are much easier to set up, take less space, and stand still regardless of the terrain.
The Tailgater Tire Table can hold up to 50lbs and is made from powder-coated steel, which ensures it will withstand the elements.
Installation is easy and requires no tools or hitch receivers. You simply mount the table to the tire. Keep in mind that you will need to have approximately two inches of clearance between the wheel arch and tire for the table mounts to slide in.
For a whole family, this table won’t be enough. However, it is a great addition to a large table as its steel construction provides a great base for cooking, playing games, or just chilling.
The only drawback with this one is that when your tires are muddy, the table mounts also get muddy.
Funny enough, when I use this on my truck (which is a Land Rover), I get an oily smell coming from the undercarriage and engine bay.
I would expect this is only an issue with Land Rovers, though. I imagine you are clever enough to drive something else. Right?!
The Best Gear for Car Camping – Awning
Image Credit: Amazon
Next on the best gear for car camping list is a good awning. With summer approaching, the only way to be comfortable around camp is to find some shade to sit and relax underneath.
The teardrop awning featured above is large enough to cover a setup with tables and chairs while also providing some shade for kids to play around in.
It is made from ripstop 210T polyester fabric and the whole setup will mount to any roof rack.
Due to its design, it can also be turned around to cover your truck when you are planning on leaving it out in the sun for prolonged periods of time.
Keep in mind that an awning can also protect you from rain; therefore, even if summer still seems far away where you live, this is worth getting.
The Best Gear for Car Camping – Outdoor Rug
Image Credit: Amazon
An outdoor rug is a great option for people who love to have a clean space to sit around right next to their truck or RV.
It helps keep sand out of your sleeping area, provides a clean space to walk around on, and can protect you from the hot sand when beach camping.
This specific rug comes in various sizes and is made from polypropylene with heat-treated edging to prevent fraying.
It is easy to clean, fade-resistant, comes with loops and stakes to secure to the ground, and is breathable.
With a rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon, you can be sure that this rug will serve your outdoor needs.
The Best Gear for Car Camping – Cooking Stove
Image Credit: Amazon
A good camping stove must be included in a list of the best gear for car camping.
In this segment, Coleman is the king. Their great quality, good pricing, and decades of experience mean that their products are used and loved by adventurers all around the world.
The Coleman gas camping stove has a cooking power of up to 22,000 total BTUs, offers five adjustable burners, wind-blocking panels, a pressure regulator for consistent performance, and a chrome-plated grate and rust-resistant aluminum cooktop for ease of cleaning and rust resistance.
If you want a cooking stove that will serve you well and last for many years to come then this is the product of choice.
The Best Gear for Car Camping – Portable Power Station
Image Credit: Amazon
Let’s be honest, with all the electrical gadgets we have nowadays, going camping without any source of electricity for charging is something few people can do.
Therefore, our last item on the best gear for car camping list is a portable power station.
The Jackery Explorer 240 will provide the power you need to keep devices such as phones, tablets, and laptops going.
Being a device that has been featured as the best portable power station for use outdoors you can be assured that it will work like it was meant to for many years to come.
It offers a pure sine wave AC outlet, 2 USB-A ports, and one 12V DC car port.
The power station can be recharged through a solar panel, a wall outlet, or a car outlet.
The solid handle and lightweight design also make it easy to carry around.
Jackery offers many power options in the explorer range. Therefore, if you wish, you can opt for something larger that will offer more battery life. This provides the benefit of being able to run devices such as heated blankets, portable AC units, and even fridges.
These devices are a no-brainer for multi-day camping trips or even single-day road trips.
The Best Gear for Car Camping – Final Thoughts
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The items mentioned above should make life at camp much easier and more enjoyable. Again, the choice of the best gear for car camping mostly depends on you, but this article should give you a good idea of what people often need.
If you have any further questions regarding camping gear or anything off-road and overland-related, post them in the forum section of our site.