Car camping doesn’t have to consist of sleepless nights, waiting for the campground noises to settle down to try and get a little sleep. There are a few things that we’ve loved adding to our car camping setup that have made all the difference!

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Battery-Operated Fan

We have LOVED using this fan in our tent for summer camping since it gives us a nice breeze and blocks out many of the campground noises so we can fall asleep quickly. The remote makes it perfect for quickly turning on a light if you need it, or to turn the fan off at night if you get chilly.

A few other nice things about it:

• It has 4 different fan speeds
• It’s remote operated so you can switch modes and turn the light on/off from further away
• It has two USB ports to charge phones
• It can last up to 58 hours on a single charge
• Has an LED light with 3 different brightness settings
• It has a pivoting head and a hook on the bottom so you can hang it above where you sleep, or in an easy up over a picnic table for a light

Air Mattress

We bailed on tiny sleeping pads and started using an air mattress – a total game changer. Whether you decide on a single, double, or queen, any of them are sure to provide a better night’s sleep. Just be weary if the temperature drops a lot during the night – it may need to be pumped up again right before bed.

PRO TIP: On colder fall nights, put a comforter under a stretchy bottom sheet to add insulation and keep you warmer!

Comfy Sleeping Bags – That Zip Together!

We’ve used these affordable sleeping bags for the past two years on all of our car camping weekends and have loved them. They’re cozy and warm, and big enough to be comfortable in. They also zip together! So you and your partner can make one big sleeping bag. They have a nice little pocket so you won’t lose your headlamp and feature no-snag zippers.

Roomy Tent for Rainy Weekends

We upgraded to this tent last year since it was on sale for Black Friday at less than $200! Compared to a backpacking tent, the cost was minimal! It’s roomy enough for us to use it with friends if they don’t have a tent and lets us grow into it with future potential kids and dogs. For rainy weekends, we’re able to put up our small folding table inside with a couple of chairs to play card games or hang out. It even comes with a dividing sheet to split the tent into two rooms if you’re using it with others! We’ve experienced a couple of rainy weekends in this tent and it makes the unfortunate weather much more bearable.

Thermacell – Keep Bugs Away

Perfect for sitting around the campfire when you don’t want to be covered in bug spray. Thermacell has been a long-time favorite item of ours since it repels insects around our tent and hangout area, covering a 15-foot radius.

Foldable Table

This folding table we’ve loved using inside our tent for rainy days (to play games on), and as an extra spot for us to cook and have snacks on. If you’re planning on heading to any remote/backcountry sites that won’t have a picnic table, this is a must-have!

Reflective Paracord

If you ever hang tarps or need extra rope to stake things down or dry items from a line, we can’t recommend this paracord enough. It’s highly visible and reflective so anyone walking to the bathroom at night will easily see it with their headlamp. We use it for tarps on really poor-weather weekends and it’s saved us from walking into our lines many times.

7 Gallon Water Jug

If you’re camping as a family or for more than a night or two, it’s surprising how quickly you can run out of fresh water. We like to eliminate our plastic waste by using this 7-gallon jug to bring extra drinking water from home instead of buying plastic bottles or gallon jugs. It’s especially great for the weekends we spend all day hiking and exploring, because we can fill up before leaving our site and again once we’re back.

Portable Car Fridge/Freezer

This is the most expensive purchase on our list, but we’ve used it so much that it was well worth the cost. We’ve used this portable fridge on every road and camping trip we’ve done in the past three years. It has eliminated the dreaded soggy bread issue and has allowed us to pack healthier meals and snacks for our trip, so we don’t have to rely on PB&Js or potato chips to keep us fueled. Some things we’ve loved bringing along are fresh fruit, salads, sloppy joes, pickles, yogurt, pasta dishes, cold beverages, and more.

Jackery Power Station

A portable battery is worth the investment. For longer camping trips, we’ve loved not having to worry about draining our phones, cameras, or other devices. We also use it to power our car fridge so we can enjoy home-cooked meals.

Two-Burner Propane Stove

There’s nothing quite like a tried-and-true, trusty Coleman. We’ve used this two-burner stove for years and it’s so easy to use. We don’t love campfire meals since we often end up unintentionally burning our food or undercooking it, so we turned to this propane stove. We love to cook meals ahead of time, pack them in our car fridge/freezer, and heat them back up again on our stove. It’s also perfect for toasting bagels or frying up some eggs in the morning before hitting the road for an adventure.

Mini Lanterns

Compact, collapsible lanterns are great for inside the tent or to light up your table for cooking and games. We leave ours in a designated camping bin and they have lasted forever! They provide enough light for us to easily see and maneuver around in our tent for early wakeups, or when we arrive at our campsite late at night.

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These are just some of our favorite items we like to bring along on car camping trips to make it more enjoyable. You can find more of our favorite items in our Amazon Storefront, or on our Rockporch page.

Questions? Feel free to reach out to us! Happy camping!

Wild & Outdoors

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