Camping can be a relaxing and enjoyable way to get away from it all and enjoy the clean, fresh air of nature. Or, it can be an exercise in patience when things don’t go according to plan. If you forget to bring some essentials, for instance, your trip can go downhill very quickly.
Which is why packing and having a plan is so important. And if you have a small car, then this becomes a huge challenge. You may have to sacrifice some of the things you really want to bring to get the most out of your experience.
Unless you pack it wisely. Which is why we made this list of tips on packing a small car to go camping.
Make it compact
Before you think about putting anything in the car, you need to sort of spread out your gear on the floor. Then try to make some of the things as small as possible. Fold what can be folded and roll what can be rolled. Your goal is to make things as flat as possible so they can stack and stuff that can be rolled will be more compact and can be wedged into small areas.
Use some strap adjusters to get things rolled up tightly so they don’t unroll when you are underway.
If you are buying equipment to take, then it is important to find folding items like bowls that can collapse and folding tables and chairs.
Get a roof box
An essential item to have when you have a small car is a roof box. You can fit a lot of camping gear in a roof box that won’t fit in the trunk or interior of the car. You’ll find that even when you are not going camping that the roof box comes in handy for any number of other things.
Just make sure that you plan out how to pack it so you can not only get the most items in it, but also so it is packed evenly and safely.
Keep things handy
If you will be on the road for a while then you will need to have certain things handy during the trip. Make sure that you plan out what each bag is going to have so you can have a backpack or bag loaded with only things you’ll need during the trip.
This will help you avoid needing to pull over to get things out of your trunk while you are on the road. So, have a backpack that has water and snacks for easy access while you are on the road.
Label your boxes
If you organize everything according to what it is then this makes it easier to pack and get access to easily. So, your tent essentials should be in its own box and food and cooking gear in another, for instance.
When you get to your pitch, you can have everything you need to set up camp on the outside within easy reach.
