Our Guide to Car Camping in a Hyundai Tucson SUV

Car camping has boomed in popularity recently, and it is something that we REALLY enjoy doing. So, we thought we would share our guide and process to help anyone who is interested in giving it a try, or trying to improve their existing camp. We are no experts, but we have learned through a little research and a lot of trial and error. Our goal for car camping is not to be fancy and “bougie,” but to keep it simple, comfortable, and cost-effective.

It is something we love because it allows us to travel/visit places on weekends for much cheaper. We can go more often and we can stay closer to where we want to be (the mountains, the coast, wherever). In general, we do a Friday to Sunday car camp because of that work thing that we need to get back to. But we have done up to 7 days straight during an epic Denver to Grand Tetons NP to Glacier NP to Yellowstone NP and back to Denver road trip!

We camp in our Hyundai Tucson, so it is not huge by any means. Clearly, a bigger vehicle will give you more space. But, we have enough room in ours for us two and the dog, without feeling too cramped. I do have to sleep at a slight angle since I am on the taller side (6’4″), but we make it work. 

First off, a checklist is helpful. You would not believe the things you can forget (like a blanket when it’s 40 degrees in the North Cascades, check out that trip here), among other important camping things.  

Here is a quick little video of our normal camp setup, check it out!

Car Camp Specifics

• Air mattress with car pump, pillows, blankets, sheets. This one fits really well in our car, and is super easy to blow up. It is comfortable enough for us both, and does the job well.
  • UPDATE 06/25/2023: We decided to explore new options for our mattress/pad and look for something that was easier to setup/pack. We settled on these mattress pads from Elegear. See more below for setup and what we think about them (spoiler alert: WE LOVE THEM!).
• Rechargeable fan and light combo (air flow, white noise, light at night). This one is really important for us, we love having a little air flow in the car, regardless of it is hot or cold outside. It charges fairly quickly, and has good battery life through the night. Small, and compact, but has very good lighting, and solid air flow.
• Mesh window screens (fresh air, no bugs, a little more privacy). Super easy to install, and take up minimal space when packed. Just make sure to get the right size for your car. We bought the XL, and they are slightly big, but fit well.
• Front windshield covers (privacy, less light in AM). Good during the day, and at night. Y’all know what these are.
• Eye masks and/or ear plugs. Very helpful, especially for those cars that get in late and shine their lights straight into your camp. Also, eye masks are helpful to improve your quality of sleep so you can have more energy to hike (double bonus).
• Foldable Table: This one is more important with dispersed camping or any other situation that you may not have a table to cook or eat on. It is good sized and sturdy, and also folds up pretty small so it does not take up too much space.

Generic Camp

• Cooler
  • This backpack type of cooler is what we use, and it comes in really handy. It fits enough for a few days, and keeps everything nice and cold. The size and shape of it fits really well in the back of the car, and can fit in the space in the passenger seat floor board for when the bed is set up.
• Stove/burner, pots/pans, etc…
  • This is the burner that we use: Eureka! Sprk Plus Stove. It allows us boil water with a kettle, and cook our food with a camping pot with ease. Simple, yet effective.
    • As of New Years 2024, we upgraded our stove to the 2 burner version, the Eureka Ignite Plus!. Having the extra burner is really a game changer, and has made things easier for us.
  • Jet Boil is awesome as well!
• Firewood, fire starters, lighter/matches
• Lanterns, headlamps, flashlights
• Reusable utensils, plates, etc…
• S’mores (duh). If you are like us, and like peanut butter, go for the Reese’s instead of (or with) milk chocolate.
• Water, water, water
• Food and drink. We like to have a couple cold beverages in the cooler. Also, I have been known to enjoy a glass of whiskey by the fire. Cheers!
• Body wipes (especially if you plan for any hiking). These are really handy when there are not showers available. They do a pretty solid job to get you feeling quite a bit better after a day exploring and hiking. We like these one because they work well for both of us (male and female). Some other brands are more specific to one, so this one is our go-to.

Car Camp Setup

The air mattress gets set up in the back. Our back seats lay down flat (much more comfortable), and the head rests get flipped around for more head/pillow support when laying down. Then use the pump to inflate the air mattress. We keep a set of sheets, pillows, and two sleeping bags to complete our bed. I (Adam) sleep on the drivers side, where I can move the front seat up further, so I can get a few extra inches and my feet don’t hit the back.

Update 06/25/2023: As stated above, we decided to explore other mattress/pad options. These self-inflating memory foam pads from Elegear are what we went with. These seem to work out way better for what we are looking for. Setup takes maybe 5 minutes, or even less. You just unroll the pads and open the valves, and it does the rest for you, then just plug the valves back up. Unroll your sleeping bag, or blankets, grab your pillow, and you are ready to go.

Packing it back up takes a little more time, maybe 5-8 minutes. We just try to roll up the pad with the sleeping bag in it, so it is even faster to setup again. If you plan to do it that way, then know that they are not the smallest rolls and do take up some space. If we are putting them away for an extended period, then we will take more time and effort to fold up the pad smaller.

We went with the 3 inch thickness for extra support, and think that is the proper thickness to make sure you are supported and not touching the ground. Also, you will need to have your front seats pushed forward a little bit because the pads are 77 inches long. But, they are really comfortable and stay that way throughout the night. We would HIGHLY recommend these!

• “Not really that Pro-Tip:” Flip the head rest backward to give your pillow some more support, so it does not fall down between the front seat and laid down back seats.

Kirby takes the front passenger seat in her dog bed. The area for your feet needs to be filled with stuff so her bed is supported, we usually just put the backpacks, cooler, or shoes to full up the space. On the driver’s side, that is used for storage while we sleep. For some of the places that we have gone to camp (depends on the region), there are bear-proof containers, so those are used for all of the food and scented items. Otherwise, we use the roof rack for extra storage if needed.

Meals/Food

Depending on where you are planning to camp, there may or may not be options for food and drink. But, to save money, we try to plan out our meals and bring what we need for the weekend. A typical weekend “menu” will look something this:

• Friday Dinner: eat at home before we leave. Always something quick, since we typically have a few hour drive to get where we are going, and don’t want to waste too much time.
• Saturday Breakfast: scrambled eggs, breakfast tacos/burritos, or something similar. Coffee, we like Alpine Start because of the ease, and it is actually pretty dang good. Just boil water, pour in the coffee, and stir.
• Saturday & Sunday Lunch: sandwiches. AB&J or chickpea salad are our go-to’s because they are easy to bring with on our hikes, are filling, and are delicious. We will make them in the morning, and then put them in a plastic container in the backpack for the trail.
• Saturday Dinner: pasta or veggie chili are our go-to’s for dinner. They do not require too much in terms of ingredients, and you can switch it up a bit. We have spent a lot of time camping in the mountains, so we are always looking for something hot at the end of the day to warm us up around the fire. But, we have been known to forego our plans and grab a burger and a beer at the local watering hole.
• Sunday Breakfast: overnight oats. It is quick, you can change it up, and does not require any cooking/cleaning (until you get home at least), so we can get all of the stuff packed up and get on the trail. We also like to mix in Kodiak pancakes for some extra protein as well.

And of course, snacks for the road trip and weekend. In general, we try to snack “healthy,” but sometimes the chips or gummy bears are too enticing to pass up. Life is all about balance right?

We love to cook at home, so we are really interested in figuring out simple, but fun, new recipes to try out while camping.

Our setup is constantly evolving as we figure out things that work better or that make us more comfortable. So, if you have any recommendations on setup or food, please reach out to us!

Always remember to properly store all of your stuff (especially food and scented items) while you are camping (day and night), and take all of your trash with you. Try to leave the campsite better than when you arrived!

Check out our other posts on hiking and traveling here!

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EA

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