First Night Car Camping Essentials

Car camping is the gentlest way to start sleeping outdoors. You drive right up to your campsite, unload what you need, and the car stays a few steps away the whole time. You don’t need to pack light, so you can focus on bringing the basics that make a first night comfortable: somewhere dry to sleep, something warm to sleep in, a way to cook and keep food cold, and enough light to find your way around after dark.

This list covers those basics for one first night at a campground. Each item is here for a specific reason, and together they make a complete starter kit.

Shelter and sleep

A good night’s sleep decides whether your first trip feels like an adventure or an ordeal. These three items work together, so plan on all of them.

Coleman Sundome 4-Person Dome Tent

A tent is the one thing you can’t improvise, and this dome tent sleeps 4 on a 9 ft by 7 ft floor, so two people have room to spread out with their bags inside. It comes with a rain fly for wet nights, and its carry bag has separate compartments for the body, poles and stakes, which makes it easier to keep everything together when you pack up.

Sleeps 4, on a 9 ft by 7 ft floor (about 63 sq ft). (source)
Center height is 4 ft 11 in. (source)
Weighs 10.2 lb and uses three fiberglass poles. (source)
Comes with a rain fly and a carry bag with separate compartments for the tent body, poles and stakes. (source)
Has an electrical access port for running an extension cord inside. (source)
Listed as a 3-season tent. (source)

View Coleman Sundome 4-Person Dome Tent on Amazon

Coleman Brazos 30°F Sleeping Bag

Campsites often get colder at night than beginners expect, and this bag carries a 30°F temperature rating with synthetic insulation. Its full L-shaped zipper lets it open flat into a blanket on warmer nights, and it’s machine washable in a large front-loading machine when you get home.

Carries a 30°F temperature rating. (source)
Filled with synthetic insulation. (source)
Machine washable in a large front-loading machine. (source)
A full L-shaped zipper lets it open flat into a blanket or join a second compatible bag. (source)

View Coleman Brazos 30°F Sleeping Bag on Amazon

Klymit Static V Sleeping Pad

A pad goes between you and the hard, cold ground, and this one is 2.5 in thick when inflated and blows up by mouth in 10 to 15 breaths. Its R-value of 1.3 suits warm-weather camping, so it’s a good match for a first trip planned for mild weather. It comes with a patch kit in case of a puncture.

Measures 72 x 23 in and 2.5 in thick when inflated. (source)
Weighs 18.1 oz and packs down to 3 x 8 in. (source)
Has an R-value of 1.3, which suits warm-weather camping. (source)
Inflates by mouth in 10 to 15 breaths. (source)
Made from 75D polyester and comes with a patch kit. (source)

View Klymit Static V Sleeping Pad on Amazon

Camp kitchen

Cooking a hot meal and having cold drinks on hand is a big part of what makes car camping fun, and both are easy when the car carries the weight.

Coleman Classic Propane Gas Camping Stove, 2-Burner

A two-burner stove lets you cook the way you would at home, with two independently adjustable burners that fit a 12 in and a 10 in pan at the same time. Wind-block panels shield the flames from breezes. It runs on a 16.4 oz propane cylinder that is sold separately, so remember to pick one up before you leave.

Two independently adjustable burners with 20,000 BTUs of total cooking power. (source)
Runs on a 16.4 oz propane cylinder, sold separately; one cylinder lasts up to 1 hour with both burners on high. (source)
Fits a 12 in and a 10 in pan at the same time. (source)
Wind-block panels shield the flames from wind. (source)
Weighs 10.78 lb. (source)

View Coleman Classic Propane Gas Camping Stove, 2-Burner on Amazon

Igloo BMX 52 Quart Cooler

A cooler keeps your food safe and your drinks cold, and this one holds 52 quarts, plenty for a first night or a weekend. Its Cool Riser legs lift it off the ground, rubber T-latches keep the lid closed, and a threaded drain plug that takes a garden hose makes it easy to empty melted ice.

Holds 52 quarts. (source)
Cool Riser legs lift the cooler off the ground. (source)
Closes with rubber T-latches. (source)
Has a threaded drain plug that takes a garden hose, and tie-down slots. (source)

View Igloo BMX 52 Quart Cooler on Amazon

Light after dark

Campgrounds get very dark once the sun goes down, and fumbling around without light is one of the most common first-trip frustrations. You’ll want one light for the whole campsite and one for your hands-free tasks.

Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 Lantern & USB Power Hub

A lantern lights up the whole picnic table or tent, and this one puts out up to 600 lumens of warm white light. It runs up to 320 hours with one side lit on low, and its built-in 5,200 mAh battery has a USB port that can charge a phone. If the battery runs down, 1 minute of hand cranking gives 10 minutes of light on low.

Puts out up to 600 lumens of warm white light. (source)
Runs up to 320 hours with one side lit on low, or 2.5 hours with both sides on high. (source)
Has a built-in 5,200 mAh battery and a USB port that can charge a phone. (source)
Recharges from USB in about 6 hours, and 1 minute of hand cranking gives 10 minutes of light on low. (source)
Weighs 1.1 lb. (source)

View Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 Lantern & USB Power Hub on Amazon

Black Diamond Spot 400 Headlamp

A headlamp keeps your hands free for cooking, setting up the tent or walking to the restroom at night. This one puts out up to 400 lumens, runs on three included AAA batteries, and has a red night-vision mode that’s easier on your eyes and your neighbors’. A lock-out stops it from switching on in your bag and draining the batteries.

Puts out up to 400 lumens, reaching up to 75 m. (source)
Runs on three AAA batteries, which are included; lasts 2.5 hours on high and 200 hours on low. (source)
Rated IPX8, waterproof to 1.1 m for 30 minutes. (source)
Has a red night-vision mode and a lock-out that stops it switching on in a bag. (source)
Weighs 3.3 oz with batteries. (source)

View Black Diamond Spot 400 Headlamp on Amazon

Camp comfort

ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair

You’ll spend most of your evening sitting around camp, and a sturdy chair makes that far more relaxing than a log or the car’s tailgate. This one holds up to 800 lb on a powder-coated steel frame, with a seat 24 in wide, two mesh drink holders and a stash pocket on each armrest. It comes with a carry bag with adjustable backpack straps for the walk from the car.

Holds up to 800 lb on a powder-coated steel frame. (source)
The seat is 24 in wide, 20 in deep and 19 in off the ground. (source)
Weighs 13 lb and packs to 40 x 8 x 9 in. (source)
Has two mesh drink holders, a stash pocket on each armrest and a mesh pocket on the back. (source)
Comes with a carry bag with adjustable backpack straps. (source)

View ALPS Mountaineering King Kong Chair on Amazon

Ready for your first night

With a tent, a warm bag and pad, a stove and cooler, two kinds of light and a good chair, you have everything a first night of car camping really needs. Before you go, set up the tent once at home so you know how the poles fit together, buy your propane, and charge the lantern. Then pick a campground with mild weather in the forecast, and enjoy your first night outside.