Get the time - When choosing to drive, you will be chewing up more of your vacation time. Because of this I recommend taking more time than you normally would for a plane flight facilitated vacation. For those who do not care for so much driving, an eight hour day on the road might be all they can handle. If your destination is eight hours away, you will want at least four days of non-travel time to enjoy your destination. This means plan for six days with two days of driving and four days of exploring the destination.

While driving may take longer and require more energy, I also find it feels more like an adventure. The expanse of time between locations allows you to see gradual landscape changes. An example of this would be driving from Chicago or Minneapolis west to Montana on Interstate 94. You'll notice these changes west of Bismarck. The air will become drier and the land more arid in appearance. When you arrive at Medora and Theodore Roosevelt National Park, you will have reached the western badlands. The driver can appreciate these subtle changes and understand how they came to be simply because they took the time. The unfolding landscape reveals many surprises. Even the most subtle changes can enrich your trip.

To top this off, you have the freedom to pull over and take that photograph or to marvel at the scenery. This is why you are driving your car instead of flying- a sense of freedom. This is a good point to remember when you are wiped out from a long drive. You are doing this because of the tangible advantages over flight and the restrictions contained therein.

Time of year - This is of crucial importance, especially in mountainous areas. Not all places are created equally. Weather and natural hazards can hamper your plans. An example of this would be closed mountain passes such as Beartooth Pass or Going to the Sun Road. These marvelous roads are closed for most of the year due to bad weather. By checking with local sources, you can plan your trip in a way that won't disappoint you or put you in danger.
Mountain passes can receive snow at any time of the year in the Rockies. Your best bet for avoiding this is to visit the areas in July and August. If you are set on driving Beartooth Pass, plan for late July and August. The same goes for Going to the Sun Road and other famous mountain passes.

Another possible obstacle for your car camping trips is wildfire. This is a problem in the western United States. Last fall in late September, I was planning on doing some car camping in Grand Teton National Park. When I got inside Yellowstone, a ranger informed me that both roads leading to Grand Teton were closed. This meant that the southern half of Yellowstone was effectively closed off by wildfire! Since Grand Teton was the focal point of my trip, I needed to change my plans. I made a few calls to the national park service and chose to drive up to Glacier National Park. I did not feel like dealing with wildfires, and this park was wildfire-free at the time according to park service personnel.

To deal with any problems mother nature might conjure up, I keep a small notebook handy with important information jotted down inside. Before I leave for my trip, I find the phone numbers of all the national parks and national forests within a five hundred mile radius of my target destination. For example, if I plan to visit Yellowstone, I would have the numbers for Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, the Gallatin National Forest, the Lolo National Forest, Custer National Forest, the Bridger Teton National Forest as well as the numbers for several of the local police departments and hospitals if need be. This means that if a fire erupts at my destination, I can call other forest and parks to determine if they are encountering the same situation. These people can also point you in the right direction for weather information.
This way you are not stuck feeling helpless because of mother nature. I saw many frustrated people at the Gardiner, Montana (northern Yellowstone entrance) parking lot when that fire blew up last fall. Many had their plans ruined. One family asked me if there were any other neat sights to experience, and I explained to them the Gallatin National Forest (borders Yellowstone at Gardiner) was just as scenic as Yellowstone if not more scenic. I showed them my map of Glacier National Park. They made the decision to leave for Glacier, thanking me. I myself left for Glacier, experiencing a no-big-deal six hour drive to beautiful, smoke free mountains and lakes. My trip was saved. You can find these little notebooks for 99 cents. They don't take up room in your glove box or center console, either. Sure, a laptop or other internet-capable wireless device is handy, but you don't have internet access in many of these remote lcoations. It's good to have a backup system.

Rental car or not? - This is an easy choice if you fear putting miles on your vehicle. Rental cars typically have low miles and will be largely problem free because of this. The air conditioning will blow cool and strong too. While those are great positives, there are negatives. Rental cars aren't that cheap. There are numerous mileage restrictions and hurdles one may have to jump though such as daily limits and out of state limitations. Also to consider is the hassle of rental car insurance. It's not included with your purchase at most companies and many insurance plans offer limited coverage of seven days. Check with your own car insurance company for their rental insurance rules. You should also check with your credit card company. American Express for example offers a rental car Loss and Damage insurance plan good for thirty days in excess of your other insurance.
The insurance costs from the rental car companies can sometimes reach half the cost of renting the car itself. Make sure you have yourself covered by other means.

The other negative for rental cars is the return date. My experience is these are not set in stone. If you call ahead of time, they will let you keep the car a few extra days at the same rates if need be. There is also the issue of waiting in line at a busy car rental facility and cleaning the rental car upon return. A long trip can make a new rental seem not so new upon return. They noticed this and will charge you a cleaning fee if you aren't careful. A good tip for long term car campers is to use bed sheets over the seating. This prevents stains and spills and makes it easier to return the vehicle in nice shape. The sand and dirt of the road really adds up. For me, the biggest positive of a rental car is the low miles. This provides a level of reliability and thus confidence on long trips.

Your own car and maintenance - Ok, so you've decided to take your own car. You won't have to worry about the hassles of rental cars. But you will have to worry about taking care of your personal vehicle. This means car maintenance depending on how long you will be car camping. For those doing weekend trips, not a big deal. Those of us who can be out in the woods for a week to two months need to plan. The first big thing to do is an oil change. These should be done every five thousand miles whether you are at home or not. Before a big trip, get the oil changed. This gives you five thousand miles of not worrying about an oil change. If you hit six or seen thousand miles while out on the road, get your vehicle into an oil change facility.
The second most important part of maintenance for car camping is a cooling system check and flush. Most of vehicle trouble I see on road trips are vehicles overheating in the summer(when most people car camp). Before embarking o a summer trip, get your vehicle into a center which performs cooling system checks and flushes. This is very important. Bad cooling fluid can gum up your engine and shorten the life of your radiator and tubing. This reduces the ability of the system to cool the engine, causing overheating. You've seen those people on the side of the road, with their hood pulled up, steam rising out? That's overheating. You don't want that on your trip.

The other of the "big three" for car camping is the condition of your tires. How is the tread? Can your tires really eek out another five thousand miles? Check your tires for excessive wear. Buy yourself a tire gauge and measure the tire pressure. This goes a long way in increasing gas mileage and reducing flats. You can obtain the proper psi form the sidewall of the tires. Remember that you will possibly be driving on rough gravel roads and on hot pavement in searing summer weather. Make sure your tires are in good shape.

These three things are some of the most common issues that put people on the side of the road - not a place you want to be on your trip. I remember last fall when I pulled into my favorite camp spot on the Gallatin National Forest(seen in the photo at the top). When I got out of my car, I realized the front passenger tire was completely flat! I quickly changed the tire and rove the forty five minutes back to town. There a repair shop patched up my bad tire and replaced it within ten minutes. They charged me fifteen dollars. Nice work on their part, but still frustrating. Why? Well, I chew up two hours driving to town and back, plus the gas money it too to get there. This ate up half my day. We all get flats. It's going to happen sooner or later, but it's best to be prepared for it.

Make sure your AC runs cool and your heater works well. These two things can be very important.

During the summer, massive hordes of insects cross the roadways. Within a few hundred miles the front of your care can become encased with dead bugs. I recommend cleaning your hood at every gas stop with the gas station window cleaners they provide next to the pumps. Wash the headlights, the hood and the license plate. Doing so will make the dead bugs come off much easier.

If you are worried about trashing your car, there's an easy fix: Purchase plastic floor mats. You can also put thin bed sheets over all seating surfaces. By using this method, your car will come back in nice shape.

When you arrive at the campground, try to park the car in the shade. This will keep your items cooler and make your car more bearable when you have to drive.


Car camping paradise in Montana.

What to bring? - Common knowledge indicates you can bring whatever you want on a car camping trip. I highly advise against this. In fact, I believe that you can become a prisoner to your stuff on a car camping trip if not properly planned. The important thing is to enjoy the great outdoors, not to spend time looking for things, right? And that's the crutch of car camping. Sometimes you end up spending a lot of time looking for things. This is why over the years I have developed a minimalist approach to car camping. Yes, you can bring things you like, but be careful what you wish for. The "to bring" list should weighted from necessity to desire. Let's take a look at some essential objects:

Water - Gotta have it. Does your selected campground(s) have a water pump? Did you call ahead to make sure it was functional? If not, yo are going to have to find a source of water. You can boil river and lake water, but that takes a lot of time. You can bring several jugs of water with you no matter what, which is always a wise choice. These can sit on the floor of the vehicle or in the trunk. They do take up room but it's water! You need it. The alternative is to purchase a water filter .With a water filter, you degree of freedom increase exponentially. You are no longer chained to store bought jugs of water or the camp pump. You may find that a water filter pays for itself in gas savings and water purchase savings within one trip.

Developed campgrounds such as Many Glacier(Glacier National Park) or Bridge Bay(Yellowstone) have running water during the summer. You will not need your own source, but the plastic jugs will still come in handy for water storage. Call and make sure you know exactly what kind of water is available at a given campground.

Food - This is where I differ with a great many people. I am not really concerned with what I eat on a car camping trip. Eating is not my focus, but rather enjoying the outdoors. I keep foods that area easy to make, easy to store and low maintenance. For example, I forgo all ice. I don't want to baby-sit ice. I'm not out in the great outdoors for that purpose. Ice means I need to run back to town, sometimes an hour away. Not only is that time taken out of my trip, it also puts miles on my car and chews up gas. I can have all the ice I want back home, but I can't get all the mountain scenery I want at home. I can't spend those two hours scoping the alpine slopes for mountain goats at home.
The foods I keep are very simple; things like fruits, trail mix, canned chicken, pasta, canned vegetables, baked beans, bread, condensed milk, cereal, pancake mix, syrup, olive oil, popcorn, kashi bars, peanut butter and jelly. If I am driving past a town, I may stop and grab a hot meal or a sandwich.

Food presents an interesting issue with car camping. You always need to eat, so you are always looking for it. If you do not plan ahead, you will spend a great deal of time flopping around in your car for it. What I like to do is purchase one good sized black duffel bag which can zip closed. I keep most of my food inside, foods such as canned goods and pasta. I keep it zipped when not in use so nothing falls out, scattering in the trunk. In the car, on the back seat I have a snack bag made up of a small duffel bag. This contains fruits, nuts and other things I can easily grab if so inclined. I even throw my peanut butter and jelly in there for lunches maybe with a few bananas.

In the trunk, I keep a similar sized duffel bag that holds my camp stove, propane for the stove and plastic spoons and knives. This also holds my lighters, matches and other cooking items such as pans. The bag also holds scrub pads, a roll of paper towels and a towel. Anything that has to do with dishes and cooking goes in this bag.

For a camp stove, I recommend the single propane burners over the heavy fortified dual metal cased burners. They are less cumbersome and you can buy two if you need to. I prefer propane to white gas or other fuels for car camping simply because they are less messy and less fuss. I don't want to spend my trip time messing with a stove. I was made aware of this by a friend long ago. As we were setting up camp for the evening, he showed me his new cheap propane single burner. He simply attached the propane tank to the burner, stood it upright, turned a nozzle and lit the flame. Within seconds he was cooking. I messed around with my fancy white gas stove which people used on Mount Everest. Well, I wasn't on Mount Everest, I was car camping. My friend was halfway through with his meal while I was playing with the stove, following the careful instruction sheet and putting together the little parts. By the time I was done, my hands smelled of white gas and it was dark. Yeah, my stove looked really cool once I got it going, if that's any condolence.....

If you wait to buy your single propane burner on your trip, you will likely be gouged. You can find them at your local department store camping section for $20-30$. They come with plastic stands in most cases Yo can find the propane on the same shelf. If you are car camping with the family, but a couple of the single burners. This gives you the flexibility for future trips or to cook lots of food at once.

Once I have determined what I want for dinner, I simply place those items from the main food duffel bag to the cooking duffel bag, then walk it down to the campsite. By enabling this method, you won't be constantly looking for items. Remember to bring down a jug of water with your for cooking purposes.

If you follow the duffel bag rule with car camping, you will spend far less time rummaging through your car and more time enjoying the outdoors. You can also use backpacks. I prefer anything with a zipper. Many people use plastic containers, which I am not a fan of. The duffel bags can conform physically to space ,stack easily and they don't rattle or makes lots of noise. They also have handles for easy transport. Also consider that the hot sun beating down on your vehicle will cook whatever is inside of the plastic containers.

Flashlight - The headlamp is the new king. There's no real reason to car camp with a regular flashlight unless you like having one hand occupied while you try to complete routine camping tasks. Some think they look silly and get a chuckle out of them. I think having a flashlight stuck in my mouth while I scramble around is far more amusing. You can view a nice assortment of quality headlamps here :

Headlamps

Having two hands free is important while camping in the dark. I can't stress this enough. Also, headlamps are harder to lose. You don't have to ask "where's the flashlight" because it's on your head. I keep one in my tent and one in my glove box. Once you get over the awkward look of the headlamp, you will begin to love them as ugly ducklings; in fact you will wonder how you ever camped without them. Trust in your headlamp. ;)

Clothing - I used to think I needed my entire wardrobe for car camping. The truth is you don't need that at all. Once of the nice things about car camping is you can bring more clothes than you normally would, but don't overdo it.

For a one month trip, I do tend to bring a lot of clothes. However, they can all fit inside one medium sized duffel bag or backpack except for a winter coat. Most people will be doing a seven day trip. You will absolutely want to bring a hat, sunglasses, a warm jacket, a fleece top, several t-shirts, and a couple button up long sleeve shirts. For pants., I am really big on the convertible style. You don't have to look exactly fancy while car camping, and these pants dry very fast. They also give you the option of removing the legs and wearing them as shorts. A combination of two convertible pants , a pair of regular pants and a pair of shorts are a good bet for a week long trip. Comfortable driving clothes are very important, so maybe look at a T-shirt and separate pair of shorts for those long drives. Several pairs of socks are important. If you are going during fringe seasons(late fall, spring) have a pair of wool socks. Light long sleeve shirts are very helpful in areas with bad mosquitos.

For summer trips in the mountains I will pack gloves and a hat. I have used them many times. You should pack them as well just in case. Rain gear is important. An inexpensive poncho that you can get from any department store camping section will work OK in limited use. A waterproof rain jacket is even better if you plan to be active in wet weather. Try to have a nice variety of layers for our cool mountains and forests.

After surveying the clothing requirements of your trip, I think you will find you don't need to bring much.

Footwear - This one is easy. For summer car camping, you will want a pair of sandals and a pair of boots. Make sure they are broken in before your trip. Nothing ruins a good time like blisters. The type of footwear doesn't matter as long as you know it will last. You don't want cheap boots or those sandals to rip apart on your first walk around camp. I like to keep a light pair of flip flops for driving, a pair of rugged sandals for around camp and a pair of hiking boots for long forays into the mountains. My favorite sandals are Keen Newports. They are quite rugged and last a long time. You can view them here:

  Keen Newports

I used to buy cheap camp sandals. Unfortunately they would fall apart every year when I was using them while camping. Being stuck an hour from town with no camp sandals is not fun. I learned my lesson and bought a sandal that will last multiple years for the same cost as the cheap camp sandals. Lesson learned. You don't have to go for the Keens, but pick up something that will last you if you plan to really get into this. You will find the reward is comfort, security and time saved.

Find a pair of boots you are comfortable with. In my experience boots don't seem to fail as much as sandals. Again the most important thing is to make sure they are broken in before your trip. I like to keep shoes I am not using in the trunk or on the rear floors.

Camera equipment - This one can be tricky depending on how much you are into photography. If you have a simple pocket cam and want to take some snapshots, the glove box is a great place for your camera. For the enthusiast who owns a DSLR, you start getting into multiple lenses(some very big ones), multiple camera bodies and a place to store your photos. I keep all of my camera equipment in a small backpack made specifically for DSLR cameras. This is kept on the front seat or on the floor. At night I take it into my tent or place inside the trunk.

If you have a habit of taking many pictures, you will want a photo storage device. This could be a small laptop or one of the many portable storage devices. For a cheap storage device I like the Dooin Media Manager which sells for $45. You can add your own laptop hard drive. The other option is to buy multiple SD or CF cards for your camera.

One thing every camera operator should have is a cleaning kit. These are only a few dollars and offer a brush, a cloth and usually cleaning fluid. It's easy to gunk up your lenses on road trips. Check your lens everyday for thumb prints and gunk so you don't go home, open your pictures and find ugly smears ruining them.

These rules apply for video cameras also. If you use tape, try not to store it in the sun. Keep it closed up in a backpack or duffel bag.

First Aid Kit - I prefer to make my own. Head to your local department store and pick up a box of bandages, neosporin, tweezers, anti-itch cream, gauze, q-tips and alcohol wipes. Take these out of their packaging and insert them into a medium sized ziplock bag, then toss into your glove box. You won't need all of the products, and most you will find a use for in your home.

Binoculars or spotting scope - If you don't have a camera with a long lens and you want to view wildlife, pick up one of these. They can greatly enhance your enjoyment of a camping trip by getting up close and personal with the wildlife. Your kids will think they are neat as well. A handy item for the woods and mountains.

Camp chairs - Bring them if you can fit them in the trunk. Camp chairs add a nice level of comfort.


View from the site in Montana. Not bad.

Music for the road trip - This is where the iPod or any other kind of portable music player comes in. Boxes and cases of CD's take up room. They also end up being items you have to search for. That can be fun on a trip where you don't have six thousand other things in the car, but not so much fun otherwise. Definitely invest in a portable music player. If you have no connection ,you can purchase an FM transmitter or a cassette tape adapter if you have a cadet player. This device will cut down on car camping clutter. Plus you have all your music at your fingertips. This one is a win/win.

Maps - I keep these in the back seat pockets. I know where they are so they are easy to find. This is one less thing I have to search for. If you don't have back seat pockets, use the side door pockets. If they don't fit, use a small backpack.

Cell phone/battery chargers - These are best kept in the center console area. If not, keeping the chargers in the seat pockets also works. If you don't have this, toss the chargers in the small backpack with the maps. I highly recommend a power converter if you car camp. You can find these units at your local automotive parts store. They allow you to insert household items right into the device, plugs and all. This unit goes into your cigarette lighter. With this device, you will never have to buy a specific car charger for your gadgets; you can use what you have at home. Don't get ripped off on these. I wouldn't pay more than $20.

Choosing a campground - This is a big one. Here the importance of studying a map comes into play. Also, our campground tours cut right through the chatter. If you don't want road noise, steer clear of campgrounds from major roadways. If you seek modern conveniences, a stay at a national park would best serve you. Campgrounds like Canyon in Yellowstone offer modern restrooms, running water and even shopping across the road. Few national parks offer truly remote drive in campgrounds. Glacier would be one of the exceptions with Kintla and Bowman.
Some campgrounds charge a daily fee while other campgrounds in the national forest system are free. These free campgrounds require that you pack in and pack out your garbage.

It pays to do a little research on the local flora and fauna too. Find out what sort of animals inhabit the area where you plan to stay. After all, you will be their neighbors for a short while. Knowledge of a few animals and plants will make the trip more interesting for yourself and others with you. This is especially important in grizzly bear country. I like to keep a can of bear spray on me in grizzly country. When I am sleeping, I keep it by my tent. When I am not in grizzly country I still keep the bear spray handy. It's a nice safety tool to have at your disposal. You never know what might come up.

Choosing a campsite - Not all sites are created equal ;) The first point is obvious: if you want privacy, get a site that has thick vegetation or is further away from other sites. One can't complain about "being too close" if there were four open spots, and you picked the closest site to one which was already occupied.

Beware of stagnant water. If you don't like bugs, don't camp near lowland areas or swamps. These areas can become very chilly at night, pulling down temps at their border. If you are camped too close to one you might ask yourself "why is it sooo cold?" at three in the morning.

Thoroughly check the campground for garbage. Some people don't pack in and pack out. Make sure your site wasn't the victim of a garbage dump before you take the time to set up camp. Check the bear boxes(if they have any) for food or other items. Often, people will leave their stuff in them.

Setting up your tent in the trees will add privacy, offer cooler temps thanks to the shade, and offer protection from wind. The negatives are animals that like to drop things on your tent(see red squirrels) and the constant drip of water after a rainstorm. It's up to you to weigh the positives. A tent left in the sun can be uncomfortably warm if you want an afternoon nap.

Choosing a tent - This is the one that seems to give people the most problems. I follow a simply guideline of "keep it simple, keep it small". If you have a big family, this may not apply. The bigger your tent is, the more time you will spend working on your tent, setting up your tent and taking your tent down.
It will also take up much more room in your vehicle. For people without families I recommend taking the smallest tent you are comfortable with. These tents are more weather proof with their lower profiles. They take up less room in your vehicle and are easier to take hiking with you if need be.

Those with kids have a different challenge. You will want a larger tent that you can all enjoy, or perhaps you will want two tents, one that the kids can hang out in, and one that you can have for yourself. I feel the two tent route is the better way to go. You can even rig up a trap to make the tents connect. It doesn't take much effort. Two smaller tents will still take up less room than one giant tent. You also can use one of the tents for yourself, or you can hand the tent down to your kids when they grow up and strike out on their own camping trips.

You can view a nice selection of tents here:

  Camping Tents

One thing to remember about tents is they don't always come with the best stakes. Pick up a few extra stakes before you embark on your trip.

If you plan to car camp consistently, don't skimp on the tent. Those heading out once a year for a few days shouldn't worry, but those who plan to do considerably more should invest in a quality tent. Mountain Hardwear , Marmot and Sierra Designs make nice tents. An important tip to remember is always keep the fly on your tent during the daylight. The sun's UV rays wear the tent fabric down quickly.

Sleeping bags - This is a very important topic. Nothing ruins a trip like getting a sleeping bag that isn't warm enough. For non-mountainous summer camping in the eastern United States, a 50 degree sleeping bag should be more than acceptable. If you plan to sleep in the Rocky Mountains or the Cascades in the summer, you should look into sleeping bag that is acceptable down to 32 degrees. Since most sleeping bags are generously "rated", this means you will want to find a bag with a REAL 32 degree rating. Europe has a standardized method of testing called EN 13537, This gives a truer rating. Look for sleeping bags that mention this test. Be sure to test zippers as well. Two things you don't want are a cold bag and one you can't get out of. Sticking zippers are a real pain.

If you can't afford a new sleeping bag, use the one you have and stock up on blankets. Wear warm socks and maybe a hat to bed if it gets chilly. As long as you can layer yourself, you should be fine. It is essential to have a sleeping pad of some sort underneath you. Foam pads are the best, but you can use blankets and other padding. Foam pads are about ten buck a pop and can be purchased from your local department store camping section. I like to use two of them for added comfort and warmth. Remember to store your sleeping bag opened up loosely in your closet or in a large sack. Do not stuff them in storage. Make sure they are dry before you store them. For the road trip, I like to keep my sleeping bag in it's own plastic bag, stuffed in it's sack. This creates more room and protects the bag from spills. You don't want that leaky can of tuna getting on your sleeping bag in bear country.

Three season sleeping bags

Fishing - Tons of people who car camp love to fish, including myself. I like to fly fish. The gear can become a real problem if you let it. An easy solution to al of this is to invest in a fishing vest. I like to keep all of my flies inside this vest along with every thing else I need. I bring two rods, both of which can be broken down into four pieces and stowed in a convenient rod tube.I keep two reels in the vest along with leaders and tippet material. Clipper and hook removers are tied to my fishing vest with a stretchable plastic device. Everything I need that has to do with fishing gear is in that vest. My small trout net is clipped to the back of the vest. A small bottle of bug spray is also zipped up ion the back pocket along with my fishing license. My wading boots are kept in the trunk or on the rear floors. They can accumulate a ton of sand, so bang them together before placing them in the vehicles. Keep your eyes and mouth closed when you do unless you like sand particles. By investing in four piece rods and minimizing your fishing gear, you can actually enjoy more time fishing and less time looking for your fishing stuff. Novel concept, isn't it? Sometimes we get more by using less. Too many friends end up going camping with pickups full of fishing gear. They spend a lot of time hanging out by their vehicles, plastic bins rattling, heads buried deep inside stuff. Meanwhile, I'm on the river fishing, enjoying something I can't do at home. If I am missing a fly, so what? I'd rather miss a fly than miss time standing in that beautiful river looking at the mountains.

Toiletries - The same approach applies here. Minimize it. Go out and get those 99 cent miniature shampoo bottles. Don't bring that electric toothbrush, grab that manual one. Bring a small tube of toothpaste. Purchase that mini ting of deodorant. By going small, you save time, and saving time means you can do more of what you want on your trip. Put these in a ziplock bag or your purse; whatever you normally use. The rolls of toilet paper are easy to find. You can just toss them in the trunk.

Sunscreen/bug spray - Both of these are essential for summer camping in many places. Keep them together since they will often be used at the same time. I keep mine in a small bag in the back seat If the sun is hitting you hard on your drive out, you can reach back and apply some of the sunscreen. Sunburn and dehydration are no fun. Keep cool, use sunscreen and drink lots of fluids.

Books - A field guide to the plants and animals of the area you plan to visit may come in handy. If you spot an animal you aren't familiar with, you can tell your family exactly what that critter was. It can be a fun game on drives and sitting around camp.The National Audobon Society has field guides for mammals and birds that are well worth the cost. These are resources you can use for a long time.

Dealing with problems - I hate to write about this, but they happen. Usually, these come in the shape of people getting out of hand. I can't count how many times I've been camped in a national forest or park where someone was breaking a fire ban in a big way. I've seen it done when signs plastered all over the forest indicate fires are banned. If you have a phone, consult your little notebook and call the authorities. Many large forest fires are started by errant camp fires during droughts. It doesn't matter how late you call - they will be glad you did. Most of the rangers are working in the forests because they love it too.

On the rare occasion you will run into difficult people who are either angry or drunk(sometimes both). It's best to be as neutral as possible in this situation. Because you are camping, help is probably far away. Remain calm and disinterested. Walk away from the person and pack up camp if you have to. Or you can phone the authorities, then head off for a drive to see other sites.

Of course there are also etiquette issues. A few years back my girlfriend and I were camped on Greek Creek campground in the Gallatin National Forest. At midnight, headlights burst into our tent and the idling sound of a pickup rumbled the ground. I got out and saw the truck parked within fifteen feet of our tent, in our site. They had driven down the grass and had begun to pitch a tent. We couldn't believe the rudeness. I asked what he was doing and the man(with family) told me all the sites were closed. I informed him that there were other campgrounds down the road with open sites(Red Cliff, Moose Flat,Swan Creek Spire Rock ). He replied that they were staying no matter what. The people who ended up moving that night were my girlfriend and I. We weren't all that interested in camping fifteen feet from a truck pointed at our tent. Many say to contact the camp host in situations like these, but I would go one step further. To be honest many camp hosts just aren't interested. That's my experience, sad as it is. Contact the proper authorities.

Car camping gives you a great deal of freedom. By applying the minimalist approach to car camping, you will have even more freedom. By following a few simple rules your camping trips will feel much more relaxed and free. Digging for items every time you want something is a bad way to spend a trip.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you found a few of these tips useful.

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