Camping is a beautiful outdoor experience for an overnight stay away from home. Nothing can compare with getting back to nature and sleeping under the stars. You need not reduce the pleasure by stuffing gear the wrong way in your car. We all have experienced the frustration of struggling to pack a car. You often find yourself packing and unpacking multiple times before you can get everything to fit. Let the modern technology and conveniences help you make the most of your car trunk, back seat, or camper van. Do not just stuff gear, be an expert who can do car packing with diligence and success. Organize your gear well so that you get time to focus on your camping adventure. Consider the following key points to quickly and painlessly load your car for your car camping success.
- Work in an orderly manner
Lay all the item you need near your vehicle and assess, take into account your car camping needs. Start with a good foundation, the key to efficient packing is a strong foundation, place heavier and large items with flat sides, for example, the camping cooler, camp stove and heavier boxes on the bottom. Leave some holes while packing which you can fill with some stuff you might need along the way like camping chairs for a roadside picnic, which you will be able to easily slide out.
Car packing requires wit, if it is the standard car trunk, you will most likely be faced with the issue of limited space. Work chronologically and pack the items you least need on the bottom such that when you arrive at the camp, the tent will be at the top and the climbing rope on the bottom. Perishable foodstuffs such as bananas should never be at the bottom no matter what. Weight distribution is essential; heavier items should go to the middle of the vehicle for stability and balance.
- Assign spaces
Do not just start throwing everything in the trunk, keep everything in order during the trail. Organize your gear into specific tubs such as a kitchen tub consisting of cookware, fuel canisters, and utensils; a camping tub consisting of sleeping bags, pads and hammocks, and food and coolers should go in the cargo area. Stick these tubs on top of each other, and you could also use them as impromptu tables. The headlamps, repair tools, and first aid kit should be easily accessible.
Maintain proper weight and balance. Everything has a place, and that is where it should be for a car packing camping success. Pack well until you say, “How did I get all these stuff into the car?” Make everything easily accessible so that you can get to everything without having to unload fully.
- Deal with large objects
When dealing with large objects, it is all about experience and trial and error method. Let experience save you from the unnecessary frustration and waste of time. Awkward objects such as fishing rods and chairs don’t fit well anywhere. You can store them on the roof-top compartment. Use durable straps to secure them to the rack. Heavy duty duffet bags can also be strapped down on the deck if the weather is right because they are not waterproof. Nesting boxes are essential if you want to pack items on the roof since they are waterproof.
- Leave nature where it belongs
After the fun car camping, your gear will most likely be covered in dirt. Remember to carry a broom to brush off excess dirt and sand and fold wet tents inwards not to soil your car trunk too much. You can as well bring used cookware at home for thorough cleaning. Keep the trash bags, brooms, and a paper towel in the door pockets to save on space. You could also keep trash on the spare tire.
- Plan
Think about where you are going, when you will arrive and what you will need when you get there. If you are arriving at dinner time, have your camp kitchen at the top and readily accessible, if you are arriving after the dark, be sure to place your lighting strategically
When you are done successfully car packing for camping, snap a photo, it will make it much easier to recreate and recall what you have done in future car camping experiences. Now you can hit the trail with a fulfilling car camping trip.