13 Rules for Car Camping - Burton Girls Takeover
Posted
by
WinterWomen
on Thursday, May 21, 2015
Complete and utter way-out-there solitude isn’t for everyone. A simple motivation to leave your phone in the car for a few days might be plenty—to swap it out for the crackle of campfire, soft echo of neighbors, and the satisfying sense of being outside with no doors to walk through. A loose plan that involves hiking something mellow and grilling later can be better than picking up and setting off down the Appalachian Trail. Not saying that the latter’s not worth doing, but car camping is nice for when we're into bringing along a cooler and our dog.
The best thing about this type of camping is that you can pack as much as you need to be comfortable, as long as it fits in your car. Honestly if it fits in our car, we’ll bring it. If you’re not slightly embarrassed by how much stuff you brought as you roll up to check-in, just know: we might have packed more. What can we say? We like to party.
Even though car camping requires less prep than backpacking, it doesn’t hurt to plan some before you hit the road. First of all, where are you going? The National Park Service is a great place to start if you don’t have a destination in mind, with national parks and corresponding camping options organized by location. You can also Google “state parks” near you, because each state has a website with even more—and usually less expensive—options.
Then start with the obvious: you need shelter, a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, cooking gear, food supplies, water, and at least one lantern. If you know you’ll get a better night sleep with an air mattress and some down pillows, there’s nothing stopping you, bring ‘em. Here are a few other thoughts on how to car camp.
- Check before heading out: will your site have a potable water source? If not, you’ll want to bring enough to drink, cook, and potentially bathe.
- If you have two coolers, pack one with food and one with drinks. You’ll probably end up going in and out of the drink cooler more frequently, and separating the two will help keep your food cold and fresh through the whole trip.
- You’ll want some type of plate to eat off of and some sort of utensil to eat with. What that looks like is personal preference—buying camping-specific gear is a matter of how often you think you’ll be doing this.
- Always have a first-aid kit and open it up before leaving to make sure nothing’s missing—or that there’s anything in it at all.
- It doesn’t hurt to bring a few fire starters and a deck of cards.
- Sunscreen and bug spray FTW.
- Trash bags and paper towels will help you keep your campsite tidy.
- Bring one camp chair per person for fireside sitting.
- If you’re going to be cooking over the campfire, you might need some tin foil to wrap your food in. If someone has a portable grill or camp stove, bring that stuff! Ain’t no shame in the frills when it comes to car camping.
- Setting up your tent before you take off will help you confirm there’s no holes or missing parts.
- Make sure you pack appropriately for what you’ll be doing—this might mean hiking shoes, a bathing suit, a Burton hoodie, or maybe even a bicycle. Research the area you’re headed for so you can maximize the experience.
- You can bring your phone charger to charge your phone in your car if you need to, but we don’t recommend it.
- If you’re going with friends, divide and conquer.
Why should you go car camping in the first place? It’s like everything just comes to a screeching halt. You step away from whatever screens you interact with on a daily basis, and it only takes a moment before you realize how simple it is to change your frame of mind. You’re a little bit dirty and sun-kissed, and well rested from the earlier bedtime that comes with living by natural light. On the second morning, you actually feel lighter and looser—probably from caring less about your phone for a couple of days. Every once in a while, your brain just needs a break.
And of course, there's nothing better than being outside.
Have you gone car camping before? If so, we'd love to hear more about your experience in the comments below!
 We are excited to announce that the Burton Girls blog will be taking over the WinterWomen blog occasionally over the next couple months. Burton Girls is an online community built by girls for girls, dedicated to sharing the best of snowboarding and our lifestyle. From riding, fitness and fashion to beauty, music and après, BurtonGirls.com brings it all together for you and the Burton Girl....Welcome.
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