Car camping is a fun and easy way to get into this outdoor activity, especially with the right car camping gear. These days, there is so much great gear that it doesn’t have to mean “roughing it,” at least not too much anyway. 

Whether you are just getting into car camping or you’re a seasoned pro, there are plenty of car camping checklists available on the internet. These typically cover everything, from tents to sleeping bags, to food.

I’m not going to recreate that wheel. I just want to share five of my favorite car camping gear and accessories. These are things I never leave home without that make my trips just a little easier and more enjoyable. 

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Reliance Aqua-Tainer

Water is going to be one of the most important things you need for your car camping trip. This seven-gallon water jug is hands down the best car camping water container. Filled full, it weighs about 56 pounds, but its compact size and cube shape make it easy for a reasonably strong person to tote. It’s stackable and sits perfectly on your tailgate.

They’re made of heavy-duty plastic tough enough to resist punctures (unless someone goes at it with a knife or saw or something). It also has a convenient water spigot you can flip and screw into the opening when not in use. This will keep it from breaking off or getting dirty. It also has an easy on/off valve. 

In my experience, one of these is enough to last two people three days and two nights for drinking water, meals, and the occasional hand rinse. Usually, there is even some leftover, but it all depends on how sparingly you use it. 

TETON Sports Outfitter XXL Camp Pad

Whether you are sleeping on the ground in a tent, in the back of your vehicle, or on a cot, you’ll definitely want a sleeping pad for car camping. Fortunately, car camping is different from backpacking in that you don’t have to worry about weight. So ditch the lightweight inflatable sleeping pad and go with this camping pad instead.

It has about two inches of open-cell foam that make a huge difference in comfort. This car camping sleeping pad provides plenty of insulation as well, and the extra-large size will fit almost anyone.

While it is not as small as an inflatable backpacking sleeping pad, you can still roll it up and secure it with the two attached straps and compression buckles. The canvas cover is removable for easy washing.

I am on a wildfire incident management team, where we sleep in tents during our assignments, which last from 14-21 days. I started bringing this with me last year, and it made all the difference in the rest I got. 

Silky Professional BIGBOY 2000 Folding Saw

If you are hauling your own firewood, you may not need to carry a saw. Still, in my experience, this folding saw has come in handy every single car camping trip I’ve made. This one has also come on many horseback trips, and I’ve even made the weight sacrifice and carried it with me backpacking.

These saws can easily make quick work of branches and small trees. The teeth seem to stay sharp forever. I have had this saw for almost four years now, using it every summer on all my camping trips and around the house on various fence building projects. It has yet to be dull. In fact, it employs Japanese cutting technology, which uses impulse-hardening technology. It can last up to three times longer than non-hardened teeth. 

This saw works so well I’ve often caught my brother or dad borrowing it for projects. I use it in place of regular hand saws all the time. Once you’ve experienced the Silky BigBoy, you’ll likely never use another folding saw again.

ALPS Mountaineering Escape Camp Chair

Camping chairs come in all shapes, sizes, and designs. How comfortable your camp chair is can really amplify the quality of your trip. Somehow I ended up with this chair in my divorce, never realizing we had it. It has turned out to be the best camping chair, and I always make sure I’ve got it on my car camping trips.

It folds up and fits into a single bag, just like a regular camp chair. The footstool portion folds inward into the rest of it, so it’s just as convenient to pack as a standard chair. When you’re sitting around the campfire or watching the sunrise or sunset, you cannot beat having your feet kicked up. 

It also has drink holders in the armrests, perfect for setting your beverage in. This is the best car camping chair I never knew I needed until I ended up with it. Now I never leave home without it. 

YETI Rambler 10 oz Wine Tumbler

And now we get to my favorite. First, I must admit I have a bit of a Yeti drink container addiction. It took me a long time to jump on the bandwagon. I felt they were too expensive and not worth the money. But somewhere along the lines, I began using them, and I changed my tune.

I do own about every type of Yeti beverage container they make. However, I love this tumbler as my go-to beverage container for car camping. 

These are tough as nails. While I’m sure it is possible to scratch or dent them, I have yet to with any of the ones I own. And I’m not really easy on them. The wine tumblers now come with a lid, whereas they didn’t use to. I not only use these for wine, but I will also use them for my hard liquor. They do make a different tumbler for that purpose, but I like the shape and look of these better.

Yeti also constantly comes out with limited edition colors, which is great marketing because it makes you want all the colors. You buy more, even if you don’t actually need more. But I’m aware of it and will admit to shamelessly falling prey to the scheme because they’re just that good. 

Final Thoughts

As you can see, these items may not be necessary, but they’re likely to make your car camping trip more enjoyable. None of them are even very expensive. All items are $100 or less, and you’ll get years out of use out of all of them. 

I think you’ll find if you try these out, you’ll end up purchasing them as gifts for all the other car campers in your life. That is how much I have liked them.

So, get out there and enjoy the summer and happy camping. Also, check out my posts on hiking and backpacking if that is something you’re interested in!

Tell me what your go-to car camping gear is.