Unlock the Ultimate Car Camping Arsenal: Gear That Transforms Your Adventure from Basic to Beast Mode

If you spend any time car camping, you know how quickly your vehicle’s “perfectly organized” interior can descend into chaos. Rux’s lightweight Collapsible Gear Box helps wrangle everything in your loadout (including kitchen gear, clothes, food, tech, and more) to keep you sane and well-organized on the road. Plus, it’s available in a handful of colorways, making it easy to sort like items by color. It ain’t cheap, but it’s so well-made that it’s likely the last camp storage you’ll ever need to buy. Seriously, I’ve stashed mine on my 4Runner’s roof rack for thousands of miles without issue.

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Take your campfire with you anywhere. The Ranger is Solo Stove’s most portable fire pit with a 15-inch diameter that perfectly balances usability and packability. I take mine on every car camping trip, so I’m never without a proper campfire. It’s purpose-built to burn just about any bio-material (sticks, twigs, leaves, and more), making it ideal for cooking, heating, or just warm campside ambiance.

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Every outdoorsman needs a go-to multi-tool. I’ve found that’s not always the one with the most tools, but rather the one with the most tools you’ll actually use. The Leatherman Micra is a solid choice for its size, packability, and versatility—all of which is why it was our pick for this year’s best multi-tool. It’s everything you need, including a knife, scissors, tweezers, screwdrivers, and more—all packed into a keychain-friendly form factor that you can practically forget about until you really need it.

Figuring out how and where to store your food (including leftovers) in the wild is critical, but often overlooked, especially by novice car campers. Yeti brings the same over-engineered design ethos of its ultra-premium coolers to its next-gen food storage solutions. The Rambler collection features a range of food and liquid storage jars and jugs that are 100% leakproof and dishwasher safe with double-wall vacuum insulation. They really maintain optimal temperature for hot or cold items. Yes they’re pricey, but “buy once, cry once,” right?

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I have a hard time sleeping, so I take my car camping bed setup very, very seriously. I’ve found most air mattresses are about as comfortable and durable as a cheap pool float. But Luno created something altogether different. Its flagship Air Pro Vehicle Mattress is comfy and built to last, turning any car into a cozy, on-the-go bedroom. Plus, it’s perfectly designed to fit almost any car or SUV on the market.

Smartphones, tablets, drones, action cameras—it’s impossible to escape into the outdoors these days without a ton of tech. The right solar generator or portable power station (like this compact, new-for-2025 option from Bluetti) packs enough juice (in this instance, a 2073.6Wh) to keep a family of four charged up for a long weekend. After six months of testing it in the field, it’s become my go-to power pack, offering the perfect balance of ports, portability, and capacity.

Lighting is key for everything from nighttime cooking to relaxing around the campfire to midnight bathroom breaks. BioLite’s AlpenGlow lanterns are bright, compact, and USB-rechargeable. With infinitely customizable lighting patterns, they’re also versatile enough for task lighting or just setting the mood when it’s time to chill at basecamp. I run the 250 and 500 models on every trip, and love that they double as portable backup batteries in a pinch.

Rumpl hits another home run with its line of Puffy blankets. The two-person Fleece Puffy, in particular, is spacious enough to keep a couple toasty warm. The 30D ripstop shell is plenty durable for car camping, and the integrated CapeClip allows for hands-free wear around the campfire (the one reason my girlfriend has claimed it as her own). This version sees one side get an ultrasoft fleece liner for even more warmth. We also love that everything—the shell, liner, and insulation—is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. “W” for the environment!

Access to clean water is essential for car campers. Collapsible water jugs are convenient in theory, but in my experience, most are prone to leaking. This hard-sided alternative from Reliance takes up more room, but the durable design holds up better for travel and frequent camping trips. Plus, the seven-gallon capacity is just right for a couple’s weekend getaway.

Premium coolers, like those from Yeti, are all the rage these days. But, they’re pricey, and for just a few hundred dollars more, you can score a legit, battery-powered portable fridge/freezer like EcoFlow’s Glacier Classic (available in 35L, 45L, and 55L capacities). It’s been a game-changer for my car camping and overlanding trips, especially the dual-zone models that allow for separate chilled and frozen compartments. Plus, you’ll never again have to spend time or money on ice re-ups.

I can’t live without the luxury of a well-cooked meal, even while camping. But almost no car camping gadget takes up more space than a fully loaded camp kitchen. Jetboil’s Genesis Basecamp System is the ultra-portable cooking solution that’s small enough to take into the backcountry but powerful enough to be the hub of your frontcountry camp setup. The propane-powered design features an auto-ignition start and a 10,000-BTU output, and packs down into the included carry bag measuring just over 10 inches x 7 inches.

Just because you’re sleeping in the woods doesn’t mean it has to feel like it. Exped’s MegaSleep Duo is the closest thing I’ve found to my cozy queen-sized bed setup at home. The clever design transforms between a 25°F two-person sleeping bag, a 40°F two-person sleeping bag, two individual bags (25°F or 40°F), or two camp blankets—making it the ideal 3.5-season sleep solution for couples or solo campers who appreciate a bit more room.

Warmer camping in your car can be challenging, especially when you need to keep the windows up to fend off bugs and other critters. These stretchy, lightweight shades cover the top half of your car doors, allowing you to roll down the windows for a light, breezy interior, day or night. I’ve summer camped in the Texas desert with them, and they’re the real deal. Bonus: They’re affordable and pack down extremely small into the included carry bag.

Nothing makes you feel human again after a few days or a week in the woods like a proper shower. These XL wipes from Goodwipes are the next best thing when you have limited access to running water. I’ve found them perfect for routine bathroom duties, and the generously sized design means I can combine two or three for a quick, full-body “shower” on the go.

Nemo’s original Stargaze was already the best folding camp recliner on the market. The pair I own has been a staple of my car-camping loadout for years. Somehow, the company found a way to make it even better with the new Stargaze EVO-X. It packs down small, sets up in seconds, and the legit swinging/reclining design is far more comfortable than I’d ever expect a portable camp chair to be.

Most camp pillows kind of … suck. (Honestly, I’ve tried them all.) Rumpl reinvents the wheel with the deceptively simple Camp Pillow. It’s the closest thing to your pillow at home, but with a more crushable, camp-friendly design. The key is in the removable pillow fill, which allows you to dial in the perfect loft (height) and firmness so that you can sleep like a baby.

Nothing beats an LED headlamp for precise task lighting while car camping. Coast’s FL97R packs a crazy bright 1200-lumen output and recharges easily from any standard USB outlet or power bank. But, we especially love the hands-free-first design, which allows you to control the beam’s size, intensity, color, and shape using just your voice.

Everything is better with music, and that’s doubly true for car camping. The latest generation of Turtlebox’s Original is the perfect accompaniment. It’s portable and crazy loud enough (120 decibils!) to support even the largest car camping basecamps. But, it’s also damn-near-bulletproof with a rugged, waterproof construction that’s built to survive whatever you can throw at it on the road.

For those who like to keep things simple, Sea to Summit’s Detour is everything you need and nothing you don’t for car camping. The six-piece set includes two stainless dinner plates, plus two large collapsible bowls and mugs. The entire kit weighs barely 1.5 pounds and packs down ridiculously small.

If you decide to go the cooler route (versus a portable fridge), RTIC is our go-to pick. This 45-quart model, in particular, is every bit as durable as many of the better-known premium options from Yeti. I’m a huge fan of the wheeled design, which makes it infinitely easier to move your favorite food and bevvies from the tailgate to the campfire. Most importantly, the rotomolded construction, combined with almost three inches of closed-cell foam insulation, allows for up to five days of ice retention.