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| Photo by Lan Bui |
Which can end up being a lot.
For my trip to Point Mugu, we will be car camping (parking nearby and carrying the gear a minimal distance), so the weight and amount of gear is of little matter. At Point Mugu, we will also have picnic tables and a fire pit grill.
I have the following lists of important gear, optional gear, and items you need to regularly restock. Sorry, I currently have no specific gear listed, but I will update this later with links to all the gear that I currently own, and how you should or should not make the same purchase/mistake that I did.
Main gear for all car camping- what you need:
Shelter and Sleeping
- Tent w/ Rain Fly- unless you plan on sleeping/passing out on the ground by the fire.. no judgement
- Ground Tarp or Footprint for Tent
- Good Tent Stakes- the included stakes aren't worth the headache more often than not
- Rubber Mallet
- Sleeping bag- get an appropriate one for the weather you'll be camping in
- Sleeping pad (or air mattress, see below)- because sleeping on the bare ground sucks
- Pillow- basically necessary
- Rain Jackets or Ponchos
Cooking
- Fire Starters- matches, lighters, flint kits, or all of the above
- Way to cook your food:
- Camping stove
- Cast iron cookware for cooking on fire
- Portable Fire Pit Grill
- Cookware- Pots, Pans, Bowls, Knives
- Oven Mitt- cookware tends to get a little warm
- Water Kettle- Campsite water quality is often iffy pre-boiling
- Coolers- to keep your perishables cold
- Plastic Storage Totes- to organize dry foods and keep them dry
- Water container(s)- be it a 7 gallon tank or lots of plastic gallon jugs
General Campsite Setup
- Seating- foldable chairs, sturdy coolers, stumps at the campsite, etc
- Lanterns
- Paracord- for hanging clothes, lanterns, tarp shelters, etc.
- Extra tarps- Creating temporary shelters (in depth post eventually later)
Day Trips/Hiking
- BPA free water bottles/Nalgenes- 7 gallon tanks are no fun to take on a hike
- Backpacks- for the day trips and hiking
- Compass
Miscellaneous
- Plastic Storage Totes- to organize everything and keep it relatively waterproof
- Duct Tape- it'll fix anything, including a tear in your tent
- Utility Knife- cut rope to size, open beers, defend your campsite, etc.
Optional gear- it's nice but not really critical to a trip:
Shelter and Sleeping
- Air mattress (for the glampers out there)
- Way to inflate air mattress (if applicable): rechargeable pump, hand pump, lungs of steel, etc.
- Portable/Travel Alarm Clock- if you don't exactly rise with the sun
Cooking
- Reusable plates and silverware- go green!
- Wind Screen for your heat source
- Coffee Press- if instant coffee in boiling water isn't good enough for you
General Campsite Setup
- Battery operated speakers- I have the GoalZero Rockout speakers
- Foldable Table- if your site has no picnic table or you just need more surface room
- Hatchet/Axe- if you feel the need (and are allowed) to get your own firewood
- Flip flops- if your campgrounds has showers you'll probably want something to cover your feet
Items to restock every time you go camping:
- FOOD- who doesn't like to eat
- Sunscreen
- Trash bags
- Paper Towels- lots
- Disposable plates and plasticware- Protip: paper plates burn far cleaner than plastic
- Dish washing soap
- Plenty of Booze- not so optional
- Firewood- although bulky for transport, is often overpriced at the campgrounds
- Stove Fuel Source (if applicable)- propane tanks, charcoal, alcohol fuel, etc.
- Aluminum Foil- good for cooking, storing food, cool hats, etc
Hope that gets everyone started on getting their gear together and thinking about what all they'll need for a car camping trip. Let me know in the comments if I missed anything vital!
