Road Trip Gear - Camping Equipment List

I recently returned from a 6-week cross-country road trip with my boyfriend, Kurt. Of our 41 nights on the road, we stayed with family for 5 nights, spent 2 nights driving, 8 nights camping, and 26 nights staying in hotels. We camped at sites across the country, including West Yellowstone, MT at a KOA; Durango, CO at Lightner Creek Campgrounds; Humboldt Redwoods State Park at the Burlington Campgrounds; and Los Padres National Forest at the Nacimiento Campground. Based on our experiences in the great outdoors, we came up with the following list of essential items for anyone planning to camp for some or all of their road trip vacations:

1. A tent. We got our tent on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods -- an 8'x7' Quest Eagles Peak, regular price $99. It worked out really well, even in some unexpectedly heavy rain one night in Montana (minor leaking, only from strong winds blowing rain up under the rain flap).

2. A tarp. Some tents have related "footprints," which are basically tarps that are made to fit the tent's size precisely. We got a regular tarp at Dick's Sporting Goods for about $20. The tarp keeps the bottom of the tent clean, and helps prevent leakage.

3. Sleeping bags. Know the time of year you're traveling and the temperatures you're likely to see -- sleeping bags come in all variations, made for warm, cool, or cold weather, often specifying the recommended temperature range. We dodged these issues by borrowing sleeping bags from my parents.

4. Flashlights. You'll need at least one strong flashlight for navigating around the campgrounds at night (and finding things you left in the car that you realize you need after dark). It might help to have 1 flashlight per person. Instead of 2 flashlights, we had 1 flashlight and 1 larger lantern, which we usually left in the tent.

5. Sleeping mats. For comfort, and to avoid sleeping directly on the bumpy ground, you should have sleeping mats to roll out under your sleeping bags. We got self-inflating, 1.5 inch thick mats made by Field & Stream at Dick's Sporting Goods. We could deflate them and roll them up for compact packing in the trunk. If camping for more than a couple of nights at a time, we might consider an air mattress for better comfort.

6. Camping pillows. We tried using rolled up sweatshirts as pillows, but after 2 nights camping we found the nearest Sports Authority and picked up some Kelty Luxury Pillows (linked below). They're soft and comfortable, and you add height to them by stuffing clothing or blankets in a pocket on the back. They worked great once we figured out the right combination of items to stuff inside.

7. First aid kit. This is just generally a smart thing to have along on any road trip, but especially essential if you're planning to go camping, for obvious reasons.

8. Bug spray. This is especially important if you'll be camping near water, since you'll probably encounter an onslaught of mosquitos around dusk. We had Deep Woods Off, which was ok, but then we got some Ben's (in the camping section of a Sports Authority), which was smellier but way more effective.

9. Bear spray. If you'll be in "bear country" -- e.g., Yosemite or Yellowstone -- you'll want to have this with you, even if you never need it, just for peace of mind. We got ours at the Sports Authority in Durango before camping near Yellowstone. If you've never used it, ask for an explanation from a salesperson -- there are some specific steps you should know about before you're out in the woods on your own.

10. Towels. Even if you camp somewhere with showers, you won't have the amenities of a hotel, so "BYO" everything you'll need to shower and groom yourself (e.g., wash cloth, soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.). You might want to bring an extra set of towels, in case one set gets dirty or doesn't dry completely.

11. Hand sanitizer. You won't want to be running to the campgrounds bathroom every time your hands get sticky or dirty, so bring Purell or some other type of hand sanitizer to keep at your camp. We used ours like crazy.

12. Tent Fan/Light.  Especially if you're camping in the summertime, the inside of your tent will likely get stuffy at night.  We had a little battery-operated fan along that really helped out a lot.  We also had a separate lantern, but later learned that we could have gotten a tent fan/light all in one.  Either way you do it, you'll want both items with you inside your tent.

13. Water & snacks. You'll likely know in advance whether your campsite has clean drinking water -- plan accordingly. You'll probably also want to have some high-protein, healthy snacks available (granola bars, fruit, nuts, etc.). We didn't do any cooking while camping -- we bought food elsewhere, brought along sandwiches, or stayed at places with food for sale at the campgrounds. If you're going to cook at your campsite, there are a whole host of other things you might need (stove, firewood, lighter/matches, pots, plates, utensils, etc.). We didn't think that was feasible for the type of road trip we were taking, since we wouldn't have room for all of that stuff in our car.

14. Food container (if in bear country). If you're going to camp with food in a region that is home to bears (e.g., Yosemite or Yellowstone), you should have a bear-proof food container along to keep your food (and yourself) safe. Some campsites have food lockers on site. Others with less serious bear problems allow you to keep your food in your car. Whatever you do, don't bring the food (or toiletries, or anything scented) into your tent!

15. Tent peg hammer. We didn't bring a hammer, and were left to use rocks. At one site, on particularly dry ground, we couldn't get our tent pegs in, so we chanced it by sleeping without any pegs (no wind, thankfully). A small mallet or hammer definitely would have been useful when setting up our tent.

16. Dust pan & brush. We didn't have this stuff with us, but it would've made cleaning out the floor of the tent easier. No matter how hard you try, you'll drag some dust, dirt, & leaves into the tent with you. A dust pan & brush don't take up much space, and they allow you to get rid of the dirt before rolling up your tent.

17. Warm clothes. Even in the middle of July, it gets colder than you expect at night, particularly if you're camping in the mountains. Bring extra clothes to layer over each other for sleeping and for night trips to the bathrooms. It's better to have an extra sweatshirt you don't need than to spend the night shivering in your tent wishing you'd brought one.

This is a working list, and we reserve the right to add to it as things occur to us. If you have other suggestions or tips, please share them below in the comments!