Planning your first car camping trip of the year can be difficult, since you’re most likely not sure of new implementations, ranging from rules to prices. This article is written to guide you & yours as you begin 2021 with an adventure. We’ll look at the associated risks of car camping, places to go, items to come with, ways to get to your location & how to have an enjoyable trip.
Here we go.
Everything to Know About Planning Your First Car Camping Trip of the Year
Risks Associated With A Car Camping Trip
Camping is an affordable & enjoyable activity for outdoor enthusiasts, with all key factors constant. There are so many places to go on a car camping trip, and while this sounds great, it is also the main source of risks. In a car trip, the availability of a free land where you can explore is exciting too.
But, like I said, that’s where the problem may be. While it is unlikely for a wild animal to attack you, it remains a possibility. It is therefore very necessary to keep wherever you camp clean. Make sure all food containers are always kept safely. This will ensure that animals do not pick the aroma of your foods, so they don’t come visiting.
This aside, camping in a car may cause you to lose your conscious sense of cleanliness, so you may find yourself using the bathroom, fetching raw food & eating with these hands without washing them. I suggest that you always carry a hand sanitizer.
Lastly, a car camping trip is often associated with traveling without too much load. So, should you try to act this way by packing insufficient gear or supplies, you’ll have quite a harder time than necessary in the wild.
Where Should You Drive To On Your Car Camping Trip
Having a fun-filled adventure in the outdoors takes several steps, the first of which is selecting where to go on your trip. The logic behind this is that knowing where you’re driving to will offer clarity on the gear & supplies that you should pack for optimum comfort, safety & fun.
If a national park would be your preferred setting, you have to make consultations with the National Park Service, where you may get some recommendations on things to bring. If you’d rather state or federal campgrounds, you can make bookings through Reserve America.
However, if you’d like to spend some time away from the mass in order to appreciate nature silently, you should make do with dispersed camping in your location. Dispersed camping can be practiced even on state & federal grounds. All you need do is find a remote site in the desert, woods, or mountains & set things up. Keep in mind that dispersed camping requires you to fulfill some roles that will leave the campsite just as ideal (if not better than) as you found it for the next camper.
Tips On Where To Go
- You can get to your campground easily by using google maps or other navigation apps — this is as easy as finding a coffee spot.
- Note that you will have to tolerate the presence of other people if you’re keen on well-developed campgrounds.
- Keep your dog on a leash throughout your stay in a campground. It’s for its good & yours.
- You can keep your dog off its leash if you’re camping in national forests.
Items To Come With On Your Car Camping Trip
Except if you’re out to test your survival skills, you will need a lot of facilities to survive in the outdoors. Typically, your bug out location plays a huge influence in the gear you’re coming with. You can’t pack fishing tools if you’re traveling to a desert, just as light clothing would be dumb if you’re going to the coldest states in winter. You have to consider the availability of essential resources like water, plants, fire & what else.
Let’s see a breakdown of the most important gear to pack as you hit the outdoors.
Cooking
I always recommend a gas stove to the camper, even if you can build a fire. With a modern cooking tool, you can also prepare your meals with ease. If you get there and happen not to need these tools, then you’d still have them to take back home.
Speaking of utensils, disposable ones may work, but that will require you to come with a lot of trash bags. I suggest considering reusable, easily cleaned stainless-steel utensils so as to minimize thrash. Meanwhile, a saucepot, a cast-iron skillet, tongs & wooden spoons are okay for meal preparation.
A cooler may not be necessary if you’ve frozen all concerned supplies & have packed them tightly. I think it’s ideal to pack foodstuff & drinks separately, so you don’t expose the frozen foods to air every time you want to take a drink.
Clothing
It is necessary to expect cold temperatures, except you’re traveling to locations you’re very familiar with & sure of their hotness. You have to dress in layers & come with more clothes than you believe you need. You should at least have warm jackets, wool socks, wool sweaters, knit hats, a rain shell & long underwear.
Cotton clothing is not ideal for camping — especially if you’re going to a wet place. Always seal your clothes in watertight duffel bags to avoid wetness.
Water
You need to make provisions for water too. The unavailability of water can quickly change your fun time to a nightmare. If you’re not sure of water sources, come with your storage containers. Also, you have to prioritize water cleansing agents. In fact, you can choose not to pack water storage containers if you have purifiers & are sure of finding water sources where you’re headed to.
Final Lines on Planning Your First Car Camping Trip of the Year
Planning your first car camping trip of the year does not have to be a demanding activity. You can look forward to doing so with the help of the article above. Settle on a location, find out the risks associated with that location, pack gear & supplies that will foster survival where you’re headed, and voilà! That’s as much as it takes.