K is for Kitchen Stuff

Although it’s important to travel light due to limited space, you’ll need to pack a certain amount of kitchen stuff for car camping, depending on how long you’ll be gone and what meals you plan to make. At a minimum, be sure to remember:

• Frying pan and spatula (unless you’ll do all cooking in your Jetboil)
• Drinking cup, eating utensils and plate and/or bowl for each person
• Dish soap
• Towels (cloth and/or paper)

We also made good use of a couple lidded, plastic containers (which we also used as bowls) but probably could have gotten by without them.

So… What must-have kitchen stuff do you take camping?

E is for Essential Equipment

In addition to a tire repair kit and air pump(s) (see T is for Tires and B is for Bedding), essential equipment for car camping includes:

• First aid kit – you can buy one or make your own
• Car jump starter – super important and the one thing we almost needed that we didn’t have
• Flashlight (and/or headlamp and/or battery lantern), with extra batteries
• Weather-resistant, foolproof fire starter, such as a butane lighter
• Duct tape
• Bungee cord(s)

I know this is by no means an exhaustive list. What have I forgotten?

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R is for Rope

Envisioning me stuck in the middle of a creek crossing on the Nebesna Road in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park during our Alaskan adventure, Joel bought 100 feet of 13,000-pound-test Dyneema 5/16-inch “blue steel” rope (similar to AMSTEEL BLUE ) and a bunch of rigging so he could pull our Subaru out by himself if need be. I’m happy to say that the rope and rigging came home unused but it was nice to be prepared.

While Dyneema may be overkill for your needs, rope can come in handy for lots of things when car camping, such as:

• Clothesline
• Tie downs
• Hanging food
• Towing (use multiple strands for strength)
• Repairs (backpack strap, etc.)
• Belt or suspenders

So, what other ways do you use rope when camping?

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X is for Xtra Cash

Ok – so I cheated on the heading. Yes, I know how to spell extra. But do you know how hard it is to come up with a car camping related item that starts with X? And the letters C (cash) and M (money) were already taken, so…

Be sure to have some extra cash stashed separately from your credit/debit card(s) and in a place other than your purse or wallet. Why? Well, if your purse or wallet is stolen or lost, or if you can’t use a plastic means of payment (power outage, misplaced or damaged card, faulty card reader, etc.), you’ll be glad you have cash handy to get you through.

Suggestions for places you might stash cash include:

• Money Belt – I have one that fits flat against my body under my clothes
• Nooks and crannies in your car – look for spots that are relatively easy to access but not too obvious
• Ice chest – in a zip-top bag taped securely inside the lid
• Suitcase, duffel bag or backpack – securely tucked away
• Pillow – attached at one end, inside the pillowcase

And how much cash should you have on hand? Whatever is reasonable based on your potential immediate needs and distance from home or relatives/friends who are able and willing to help. Just remember where you put it…

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I is for Ice Chest

Ice chests come in many sizes and types, from a simple insulated bag to a fancy 12-volt version that plugs into your car – the options seem nearly limitless! When choosing an ice chest, consider what will work best for you:

• Hard side vs. soft side
• Zipper closure vs. lock/latch
• Size – Does it fit in the front seat? (often your only option when car camping)
• Weight when full – Can you lift it?

We started out with a zippered insulated tote bag style cooler, which we love for bringing home groceries, but quickly determined a medium size freestanding hard-sided plastic ice chest was a better fit for our trip. We also discovered that zip-top bags DO NOT keep food dry in melting ice so bought leak proof containers to house items we didn’t want submerged in water (like butter and avocados).

U is for Umbrella

There’s no doubt about it – I’m an umbrella fan. For the most part, I don’t like hoods or hats and prefer to hold an umbrella instead. And I even bought Joel an umbrella hat to protect his camera when he's out taking pictures in the rain.

An umbrella can come in real handy when car camping, too. Not only will it protect you from rain, you can also use it as a personal sunshade (think old-fashioned parasol). And when not in use, you can just keep it tucked away in your car. Umbrellas are:

• Affordable
• Versatile
• Readily available in many styles, colors and sizes

If you don’t already have an umbrella living in your car, be sure to pick one up before your next car-camping adventure.


Isn't this camo umbrella hat cute? Now if I could only get Joel to wear it...


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H is for Hygiene

Proper hygiene is important to good health but how do you stay clean while car camping?

Well, I have a few suggestions:

• Swimming – if regular swimming is included in your plans, you’ll be clean by default!
• Baby wipes – or moist towelettes or whatever you call them, prepackaged wipes are a car camper’s best friend
• Hand sanitizer – especially good after porta potty or pit toilet use (we used Purell)
• Portable camp shower – the Cadillac of car camping cleanliness but not doable for everyone or every trip

You can also clean up in a public restroom or pay for a shower at many campgrounds and truck stops – I just didn’t include those options as suggestions because it’s not what we do. I prefer baby wipes for routine cleanliness and try to plan a motel/hotel stay every 3-4 days. Joel’s trying to stretch out the time between paid lodging so is thinking of ways to heat water while we’re driving that we can use for showering when we stop each night. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with!

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L is for Laundry

Coin-operated washers and dryers are available in most towns and RV parks, so you can probably wash as often as you need to – if you want to spend the time to do so, which I don’t. My preference is to periodically include a hotel with coin-operated guest laundry in my plans (see Q is for Quality Inn).

A real bed…
A real bathroom…
Catching up the laundry…
Doesn’t that sound nice?

Between laundromat visits:

• Keep your dirty clothes in a separate (closed) plastic bag
• Stow your laundry wherever it’s least in the way
• Be sure your dirty clothing is fully dry before bagging
• Save your quarters for the washer and dryer

You can bring soap/dryer sheets from home to save money. And if you’re on a super-tight budget, you can keep your clothes reasonably clean on the cheap. Years ago when camping remotely for weeks at a time with two small children, I washed our clothes by hand and then draped them over bushes around camp to dry. It takes a little time but is effective and free. Weather permitting, you can also swim in your clothes and then dry off – just be sure not to get them dirty again while still wet!