What is car camping and how do I start?

A primer for the outdoors

Written by Neil Pagulayan

Tired of being locked indoors? Maybe it’s time to go car camping.

The popularity of the mid-sized SUV and pickup amid the COVID pandemic has helped boost the popularity of an age-old recreational activity, camping. Camping is has inextricably tied itself to wheeled vehicles since the days of the wild-west where covered wagons were circled with a roaring fire in the center to cook food while keeping the cowboys warm.

Since travel to many holiday destinations is prohibited, the outdoors have beckoned. After all, off-roading and camping have peaked as one activity you can do with friends while keeping socially distanced from each other.

The fundamentals haven’t changed. You’ll need shelter, heat, and food. These days there’s an abundance in the variety of camping equipment available to the consumer. 

If you want to give the outdoors a try, read on. For now, stay away from these two words – Overlanding and Glamping – because they can entail more expensive equipment and vehicle modifications.

These days, your stock 4x2 mid-sized SUV or pickup can get you off the beaten path to some nice sites that allow camping in the dry season. In the wet season and for some areas further off the grid, you might need a 4x4 and some modifications to your vehicle, but that’s a story for another day. 

We list some basic items you’ll need if you plan to spend a day or even overnight with friends or family in the outdoors. We’ll assume you already have an SUV or pickup, and friends who are willing to rough it.

To make sure we covered the basics, we went to Overland Kings in Paranaque and consulted with their Chief Adventure Officer, Joel Pedro, on the sort of things you’d need on your first time out.

Shelter

Not all campsites will have enough shade or trees for you and your group. You’ll want your own shade. The first thing you’ll need is an awning. This installs on either left, right side, or rear of your vehicle, it attaches to compatible cross bars on your roof rails already fitted on most SUV’s and pickups. Awnings are an instant shelter and are easily deployed by one person in minutes. They come in handy whenever you need instant shade.

At your campsite, you’ll need somewhere to sit comfortably and a surface to prepare and eat your food. What modern day outdoorsman would want to be caught without a sturdy, lightweight folding chair and table?

If you decide to stay overnight, you’ll need somewhere to sleep. You can opt to sleep in the back of your vehicle or lay out in the bed of a pickup.

For the sleeping surface itself, you’ll need a folding bed or cot. If the weather is cool, a sleeping bag is optional, but a tent is ideal as it offers you protection from the elements and additional protection from insects.  It’s also recommended you sleep under your awning and elevated from the ground, especially if it’s rough terrain or in cold weather. A folding cot with your /sleeping bag or tent on top just makes sense.

Heat and food

We’re fortunate to live in a tropical country, and that allows us the ability to be outdoors most of the year and not have to worry about “heating” to keep us warm.  We do however need a way to keep food fresh, drinks cold and to cook food.   Keeping food fresh and drinks cool are a no brainer and a cooler packed with ice. How you prepare your food and boil water depends on whether you’re allowed to build a fire at the campsite. If you can, you can grill over an open fire or charcoal, otherwise you’d have to use a gas fired stove.

These are the just some of the things you’ll need to get started enjoying the outdoors.  You can get creative with the equipment based on your budget and substitute your brand of choice.

Some of the gear we’ve shown cost more than similar items for home use, but remember these are lightweight, portable, and robust, designed specifically for outdoor use. If you need more amenities, just remember, additional comfort and convenience will drive up your cost, but will definitely make life more comfortable outdoors.

For more advice and more choices of equipment, visit Overland Kings, distributor of Adventure Kings products from Australia. They carry everything you need from the basics to the most elaborate, they also carry Black Rhino wheels and can custom set up your stock 4x4 based on your budget and needs.