10 Best Summer Car Camping Tips
When temperature start to rise, people begin to camp and participate in more outdoor activities. Car camping is one of the most accessible ways people can get out and be in the outdoors. For many, their cars can serve to be more than a vehicle. I started camping out in my car to dip my toes into overnight outdoor activities. I haven’t looked back since. Many people suggest that one should use what they already have. If you aren’t sure camping is an activity you want to invest in yet, use your car in leu of purchasing a tent or other type of shelter. You already have it and probably have been paying into it, why not squeeze more out of it? Read more for the 10 best summer car camping tips.
1- Window Deflectors
This was a lesson I learned the hard way. In 100 F temperatures. In the Colorado high dessert climate. Yes it was not very comfortable and it was also the last time this was the case. Having and using deflectors for all windows cuts down on the temperature of your car’s interior dramatically. This is the top tip for a valid reason. Using reflective panels cut to fit your car’s window shapes work the best and aren’t expensive if done at home. A custom-cut windshield piece that fits the entire windshield is much more efficient than common generic products widely available. This is a serious game changer and if you don’t buy into it, try camping without them. You will probably learn and only do it once.
2- Mesh Window Screens
Air-flow for preventing stagnation and also for regulating temperatures can be important. Moreover, keeping bugs out while achieving these goals is ideal. Mesh screens are easy to make or buy online made of no-see-em mesh or similar materials work very well. Used in conjunction with the deflectors is a winning strategy that effectively converts your grocery getter into a seriously viable shelter. You can eat meals, change and sleep in peace without any unwanted guests crashing the party. This is another lesson you will likely learn one time before preventing it in the future.
3- Over The Car Covering
Tarps are great and can serve many different purposes. One of the best is using it to cover the car from the weather or the sun’s powerful radiation. You can keep your car vented during rainfall or snow with a tarp’s protection overhead. Parking between trees or structures you can use for tarp support allow you to rig one up above your vehicle. Another set of gear you will need in addition to the tarp are ropes of various lengths for the aforementioned reason. If you have them, group stakes (even heavy rocks) can offer more support to keep the tarp in place. Either way you slice it, a tarp is a very wise choice and often takes up very little space inside your vehicle when stored. As a bonus, a tarp will come in handy for many other situations like if your vehicle breaks down.
4- Sunroof Fan
Ventilation of old air by use of a fan in the roof will keep the warmer air from overheating your interior. A simple window fan will usually fit in the space a sunroof or moonroof opens up. If you place a screen below the fan you will be very comfortable. Fan models powered by batteries can keep you from idling your engine and wasting fuel. A dual fan design is extremely nice, in my experience this is more than enough power to effective make a car more comfortable when inside.
5- Storage Boxes
Organization of your interior is paramount if you want to have a comfortable experience. I use a large bin to keep things inside and also to use as a surface to place items on top of. When I don’t need my next change of clothes, I keep them clean and out of the way inside a storage bin. I do the same with cooking utensils, food, and backpacking equipment. When storing extra clothes I will take it a step further and use vacuum bags to reduce the space they occupy. I can keep more equipment and supplies when they are contained to a limited footprint.
6- Rooftop Storage
For items and equipment that only needs to be used when outside of the vehicle, a rooftop storage solution is very useful. Since I don’t need my mountain bike helmet I can keep it in the rooftop bag. The same applies for my hiking boots (which can really smell and are not what I want in my car with my over-night). Ropes, stakes, chairs and various other larger items can be stowed effectively on the roof. You don’t need an expensive Yakima rack (thought they are well-designed and awesome) a simple rooftop bag may be all you need.
7- Exterior Storage Container
Another option to keep things like dirty clothes, heavy equipment or bulky items is a trailer hitch mounted shelf that holds a bin. Similarly to the rooftop solution, this takes it a step further and can house heavier items you don’t want on the roof. If it can lock, it is that much more valuable to keep out nosey two-legged varmint from helping themselves to your gear.
8- Options To Secure A Mountain Bike
Keeping your mountain bike safe when car camping can be a concern. A bike by nature is easy to move and ride away on if someone wants it bad enough. For this reason a lockable storage solution may be important. There are rack designs which mount onto the roof or trailer hitch you can lock the bike to when sleeping or keeping the bike out of the way. Mountain bikes do not make the most comfortable sleeping buddies inside of a vehicle. This can also allow you to keep the interior clean from grease, grim, mud, or dust as well.
9- Cooler With Cover To Insulate
Many coolers can keep ice for multiple days in a row, preserving food and maintaining low temps of frosty refreshments. Keeping your cooler out of the sun and insulated by blankets or towels is a highly effective measure to extending the life of your ice inside. A small, yet effective measure which stretches your resources is simply a smart move. 15 lbs of ice that lasts 5 days is a much better than 15 lbs of ice which lasts only 3 days. More use for the same amount of money and resources, that is a no-brainer.
10- Potable Water Container
Proper water storage is important. Being out in environments with limited water resources means you will need to pack in what you will need. Besides your environment, you should make it a goal to have more than you will likely need. You can store water containers on the floor, under seats or on the front passenger seat where it will be out of the way but still accessible. Bottom line is one large container is much better than a case of water bottles by reducing it’s footprint and keeping it all in a single place.
Conclusion-
You can learn trial by fire or you can take advantage of others’ experience. It is my hope you can benefit by using the outlined 10 best summer car camping tips to make the best trip you have had yet. When you are more comfortable and organized you can focus on enjoying other parts of being outdoors. Where can this take you next time?
