6 minute read
Car Camping
When it comes to camping for a night or two, nothing is more basic than sleeping in your car. Whether it’s a financial decision, as equipment and campsites can be expensive, a minimalist decision, or you simply want to escape your current circumstances for mental health reasons, curling up in the back of your vehicle for a night or two can offer many advantages.
Recently I’ve been thinking about it more, especially since I stumbled across a couple of friendly Facebook pages, Car Camping UK and Car Campers UK.
When I was in my late teens back in the mid 1980s I would throw a sleeping bag and a few toiletries in the back of my MkII Escort, Citröen Dyane and later my Series 3 109 hard top, and bugger off for the weekend. Things seemed simpler back then, I used a coat for my pillow, and a tenner would last all weekend and buy me the odd pint, a pub lunch and leave a bit to spend at the local corner shop - I did my best for the local economy.
As I said, this was the mid 1980s, the British isles was less like China and North Korea, meaning there was less restrictions on our movement and what we are ‘allowed’ to do, and where we could go. We could sleep in lay-bys, car parks and despite being in that era, it was less George Orwell’s 1984 than it is now.
Maybe I’m wearing my rose-tinted shades again, but people were a lot less selfish and entitled back then, and there was less rubbish strewn in places of beauty, people had respect.
Anyhow, I digress.
So what are the basics for car camping?
A car, obviously, and it doesn’t have to be huge, there’s a couple in one of the Facebook pages who sleep in the back of a Peugeot 107, and, even though I’m 6ft 2” I can stretch out and have a decent night’s sleep in the new Jimny - well, just!
On the subject of sleeping…
Even with all the seats folded flat, sleeping in your vehicle can still be a tad uncomfortable, so you can’t beat an air mattress. Whether it’s a high-tech sleeping pad like the ones from Therm-a-rest and Robens, or a cheap airbed that you’d use on the beach, a mattress can be the difference between waking up refreshed or waking up grumpy and sore.
A sleeping bag is the ideal choice to keep you warm, but a quilt from home will also work along with your favourite pillow, especially if you are trying the keep the cost down.
Something I’ve never used, but are good to have, are window blinds. Not only do they keep the heat in, but they stop preying eyes from peeking in and therefore offer some security.
It’s also worth considering condensation as no one likes waking up in a damp vehicle. But what causes it? Simply put condensation forms when warm air containing moisture comes into contact with a cold surface, and when you breathe that exhaled air contains a large amount of water vapour which is released into the cabin.
How can we stop fogged up windows?
One of the cheapest and easiest ways is to open a window or two. However, that can be an invitation for spiders, bugs and if it rains, water.
The solution - you could invest in one of those Window Socks that fit over the rear doors and windows. They have an added bonus of protecting you from the strong sun glare and heat.
It’s also worth having your car’s interior fully valeted as depending on how you use it it could be teeming with all manner of bugs and spores!
Breakfast, dinner, tea, supper & a decent brew...
The great thing about keeping things to a minimum, and on a budget, is that you can simply use things from your own kitchen such as plates, pans and cutlery. The only thing you may need to buy is a portable stove - you can get a single butane unit for around £20.
There are smaller and cheaper alternatives, like the type of stove that you screw directly on to a small gas bottle. They can be a little unstable in my experience, especially if you have a kettle or a pan on top, though if you have large rocks handy to prop against the canister, or you can dig a small pit to sink the canister down a little, stability is greatly improved
There have been times when I’ve made do with canned goods for meals, and that was fine for a while, then decades ago I bought a cheap cool bag for things like bacon, sausages, milk and other essentials, but it soon broke. These days I use the much more robust 22 litre Petromax Cool Bag which can keep food cold for up to six days. A slight overkill but it is exceptional quality.
On the subject of cheap, a small purpose-made water container with a tap can be bought for less than a tenner, and obviously useful for brewing up, washing up and personal hygiene.
The more you start thinking about what to take with you the list can expand exponentially, but one thing I reckon to be a worthy investment is a battery starter, such as the Ring RPPL400 Jump Starter and Power Bank that I wrote about last month. It’s quite easy to run your car battery down if you have the heater, internal lights and radio on, and the last thing you need in the morning is a flat battery. Been there, done that!
Other things that can make a car camp experience more enjoyable is a camping chair and table, a bluetooth speaker, a power bank and some cheap rechargeable lights for inside or hanging on your tailgate.
What’s also useful is have a decent box, or bag in which to pack everything neatly. Personally I like to use either a Peli case or Thule duffle bag to keep things separate and safe, but I’ve also seen people using plastic storage drawers bought from office supply companies or IKEA. It sounds strange, but they work!
What I’ve learnt over the years is either car-camping or camping in general is all trial and error, and what’s perfect for you may not be for me, but that’s the joy of it all, we all live and learn.
I have no doubt that I’ve missed something, like packing clothes appropriate for the weather conditions and making sure you have a towel and some toilet roll! But more importantly, if you are trying car camping for the first time, stay safe and try and let people know where you’re going, and remember to have a good time.
