On my month long 4runner trip, I learned a lot about what you need, and what you don’t for a car camping trip.
Here are 15 items that you definitely need:
- Comfortable shorts and pants: I live in yoga pants and shorts, so I took plenty of both. Being that I was heading north beginning mid-September I knew it was going to get chilly. Little did I realize that I would be wearing shorts the majority of the time. Yes it was chilly in the early morning, but by mid-morning it was beautiful. My favorite brand of leggings and shorts can be found here.
- Short Sleeved Shirts: this is the first step in layering.
- Light sweaters: second step in layering. I love lightweight sweaters vs sweatshirts as sweaters are easier to not only tie around your waist but also easier to fit in your backpack.
- Rain Jacket: I bought the best rain jacket in Yellowstone, as it was very rainy. It’s by Columbia, and I wore it all throughout my trip. It was not only good for rainy weather, but also when it was windy.
- Hiking Boots: You definitely want a good pair of hiking boots. I have been wearing Merrell Hiking Boots for years, and have found them to be the most comfortable. You want the boots with the Vibram sole which will help keep your feet protected and supported while on the trail.
- Sleeping Cover: I am not much of a sleeping bag fan, so on this trip I just took a king size down comforter and a stuff bag to use while sleeping. The Down comforter, along with a 4 inch foldable sleeping pad worked perfectly, to keep me warm and comfortable.
- Camping Gear: I took a small stove, along with cooking items but never used them. I lived off protein shakes and bars, salads, and fresh fruit. I am not a hot coffee drinker, so it was really easy getting on the road in the morning.
- Ice Chest/Cooler: I just took a basic cooler to keep my apples and salads cold. A lot of the time it was empty until I passed a grocery store and could stop to do some shopping.
- Towels: I took a couple of towels for showering, along with some face towels when I washed my face.
- Shower Shoes: these are the best shower shoes, and I wore them around camp in the mornings headed to the bathroom. They are super comfortable too and provided good traction in the shower.
- I used organizers as my suitcases and they worked perfectly. The velcroed tops allowed me access from either inside or outside my vehicle, they have dividers to separate shirts, pants, shorts, etc and they stacked to save room.
- Battery Power: I used the Jackery 300 as my power source when I wasn’t driving. I charged my watch, phone, ipad and computer at night and the jackery handled all 3 easily. The only thing it couldn’t handle was my travel blow dryer, which was fine as I just used the campgrounds power when available. I opted to not buy the solar panel as I could charge my Jackery during the day when I was driving. Also because I was only charging electronics, the Jackery lasted a long while before I had to charge it again.
- Organizers: I used a visor organizer for my America the Beautiful pass, which made it really easy for park entry. I also used a passenger seat organizer for maps, books, snacks and water bottles which kept my front seat clutter free.
- Laundry Bag: to hold all my dirty clothes and towels. I ordered this laundry bag one off Amazon and it worked great.
- Camp Lights: I ordered this pack of 4 rechargeable lights and they were great. I was able to hang them from my rack so they were easy to grab when a trip to the bathroom was needed in the dark mornings.
- Odds and Ends: chairs, tent, tarp and hammer for tent stakes if you plan on sleeping outside. Also don’t forget to get a portable compressor in case your tires get low on the road.
I hope this list gave you a starting point of what you will need to take your first solo trip.
If I could offer any advice it would be to underpack in the amount of clothes you take, as there are always laundromats along the way.
