A Beginner’s Guide to Car Camping

Everything You Need To Know For Your First Time

A beginner’s guide to car camping – everything you need to know for your first time. Camping is a great way to get together with family and friends in the great outdoors. It is one of the most popular outdoor activities in North America.

According to the 2022 annual North American camping report, more than 93.8 million North American households considered themselves campers. Over the past two years, COVID -19 had a major impact on travel and tourism which led to a dramatic increase in camping.

If you’re new to camping and being in the outdoors makes you feel a little uncomfortable, don’t worry – this site is here to help! In this blog post, I’ll provide a beginner’s guide to car camping.

I’ll walk you through the process of reserving your campsite, preparing for your trip, packing your car, setting up camp, and finally camp safety. With the help from this article, you’ll be ready to hit the open road and experience all that camping has to offer!

What exactly is car camping?

Car camping or front country camping, allows you to drive right up to your campsite which is located in a group of other campsites in the park. From there, you pitch your tent and set up camp. Traditional car camping sites will come equipped with a firepit, fire ring and picnic table. 

At most provincial, state or national car camping parks there are bathroom facilities with flush toilets and hot showers or comfort stations as they are still called in many parks. These campgrounds have potable running water stations and disposal facilities for trash and recyclables.

Car camping campgrounds offer both non-electrical and electrical sites with water hookups for recreation vehicles (RV’s) and campers. Check with the park to see the full list of amenities offered.  

Why go car camping?

Car camping is a fantastic way to introduce yourself to the wonderful world of the great outdoors without having to completely rough it out. The convenience of car camping is that your vehicle is onsite which allows you to have access to gear packed in the car. Plus, you can easily swing by the general store and get some ice cream on those really hot days!

Car camping also allows you to get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature without having to spend a lot of money. It’s a great way to bond with friends or family, as you’ll be spending a lot of time together in close quarters. And car camping is a great option if you don’t have access to a lot of camping gear – all you need is a car and a few basic supplies, and you’re good to go! 

So what are you waiting for? Grab your car keys and let’s go camping! 

Good introduction to the great outdoors

When you’re backcountry camping – which is camping in remote sections of a park that can only be reached by hiking in or paddling- you will have to trek great distances back to civilization if something goes wrong, such as an injury or forgotten gear.

Car camping is different as it allows you to handle any issues a lot more easily. If food or gear is forgotten or ruined, then you can always head to the park store or into the closest town for supplies. Car camping also allows you to pack that extra sweater or blanket just in case you need it. 

Sit back and relax

Car camping allows for a great opportunity to relax as there is a lot less rigorous work involved than backcountry camping. Though paddling and portaging great distances is a relaxing vacation to some, most prefer less strenuous activities when camping.

You can sit back and enjoy the scenery, go for hikes during the day, and sit around the campfire at night. Car camping isn’t as physically demanding as hiking or paddling into the backcountry which makes it ideal for groups of any age and fitness level. 

Planning

If you’re new to car camping, the first thing you need to do is find a campground. If you’re not sure where to start, check out Hipcamp.com to find private campgrounds within North America. For information about camping at a U.S National Park click recreation.gov. Also, check out ReserveAmerica.com which allows you to search for campgrounds by state.

To find Canadian national parks to camp in, check out the Parks Canada website. Or if you live in the province of Ontario, Canada like I do then check out the Ontario Parks website to make your reservations. Once you’ve found a few potential campgrounds, it’s time to start planning your trip!

When planning your car camping trip, there are a few things you’ll need to take into consideration: 

• The number of people in your party
• The dates of your trip
• The length of your stay
• What type of campsite you’re looking for (tent site, RV site, electric or non-electric)
• Campground amenities (showers, canoe rentals, general store on site etc.)

Reserving your campsite

The first step in planning your car camping trip is to reserve your campsite. This can be done through the website of the campground you’ve chosen. Be sure to have your dates of travel and the number of people in your party ready, as you’ll need this information when reserving your site. 

Play around with the websites and get to know the reservation system of the parks you’re looking interested. It’s always a good idea to have a shortlist of a few potential campsites that you like since reserving for particular times like summer long weekends can be quite competitive.

Camping equipment

Gather all the camping gear you’ll need such as a tent, sleeping bags, mattress pad or cot and camping chairs. It’s a good idea to borrow or rent camping equipment for your very first time. It’s less costly and it will allow to get a better idea of what you want to purchase for yourself.

But if you do want to buy a tent please read How to choose your first camping tent. I would suggest setting up your tent at home and testing out the gear you’ll be using at least a week before your trip to ensure that everything works fine.

Lastly, check out the Big Camping Checklist to ensure you have everything you’ll need for your trip.

Preparing for your trip

Now that you’ve reserved your campsite and tested your camping equipment, it’s time to start preparing for your trip! I suggest reading the 55 Best Camping Tips for All Campers to get a good idea of camping hacks and tips that can help. 

The first thing you need to do is make a list of all the food and drinks you’ll need for your trip and plan each meal accordingly. Be sure to include any snacks or special treats you might want!

It’s pretty common for campers to overpack the cooler because it’s human nature to believe that starvation is a possibility out there. It’s not! I can 100% guarantee you that there has never been a person that starved while car camping.

If you must do some overpacking with food then my suggestion would be to have non-perishable food as your extra servings. I have seen too many steaks and hamburgers spoil while on camping trips because they weren’t cooked in time.

Plus, with non-perishables, you can always bring it back home if you don’t eat it, and they don’t need to be kept refrigerated in the cooler. We grew up camping with canned corned beef, so I always kept a spare can in my bag during my twenties.

Side bar

When I was younger I did a lot of group car camping trips with my friends and my best amigo, Jorge was always there. During this one trip, Jorge and I didn’t want to waste any food as we had done on previous camping trips. So we packed the exact amount of food we thought we would need to eat for this trip.

Of course some other people in the group didn’t pack enough for themselves, so we decided to share our food supplies with them. On the third day we ate my canned corned beef and some rice for lunch and in the evening Jorge and I went into town and found a Burger King.

This was the second time we had to do that on a camping trip. The first time we found a Chinese buffet. The moral of the story is that Burger King or Abacus Chinese Buffet is just a hop, skip and a jump into town.

Next preparation steps

Once you have your food sorted, it’s time to check the extended weather forecast for the area you will be traveling to. The weather network has worked well for me. Knowing what type of weather to expect will help you determine what clothing and supplies you’ll need to pack. 

Packing your car

Now that you’ve gathered all your supplies, it’s time to pack your car!! Start by packing the heaviest items first, such as your tent, cooler, stove, bags and air mattress. Next add in any smaller items that you’ll need, such as clothing, food and camping gear. Be sure to utilize all the crevices of your vehicle to pack your smaller items like a lantern or sleeping bags. Also, be sure to leave some space in your car for any souvenirs you might bring home with you!

Setting up camp

Now that you’ve arrived at your campsite, it’s time to set up camp! Car camping campgrounds will typically come equipped with a picnic table and fire ring for each site.

Once you arrive at your campsite start by seeking out the high ground. Determining the high ground is helpful for when it rains as the water will flow downwards and always gathers at the lowest part of the earth.

Then, find a level spot on the high ground floor to pitch your tent. If you have an air mattress, air pad or cot then set them up next and unroll your sleeping bags and add your personal belongings

Tie up any tarps to protect your tent and camp from any potential rain.  Next, set up your camping chairs and fire pit.

Don’t forget to buy your firewood at the local general store or campground store and keep the fire within the fire pit or fire ring of your campsite.

Finally, add any personal touches to make your campsite feel like home! We like to hang string lights around our campsite.

Food and trash storage

When you cook on your site always be sure to wash your dishes and clean up as soon as you’re finished. Animals in the forest are curious creatures with a heightened sense of smell.

Store all your food back in the vehicle to prevent the curious creatures from visiting your site and potentially eating all your food.

At the end of each evening, place your cooler back in the car and dispose of your garbage in the campground bins or store it in your car as well. Taking these extra steps will prevent you from having any unwanted visitors. 

When it is time to checkout please do a walk-through of your site. Dispose of all trash, even the garbage that isn’t yours.

Don’t forget to include that left-over string that may be on the tree or the cigarette butts on the ground. Take everything back with you.

This is one of the seven ‘Leave no Trace’ principles. It’s always nice to know you’re leaving a place better than you found it.

You’re ready to go camping!

Now that you’ve read this beginner’s guide to car camping, you’re ready to hit the open road and start your camping adventure! So what are you waiting for? Grab your car keys and head to the great outdoors.

Have a wonderful adventure!