Road Tripping: The Car Camper's Guide

Why is it that so many Americans feel a calling to the open road? For me, it was the combination of 58 national parks and an infrastructure with over 4 million miles of roadway—pretty simple. Whatever your reason is for taking to the road, know that there are many ways to go about it. Sprinters, Volkswagen Microbuses and even converted school buses abound on Instagram—I think we collectively hit Peak Van Life sometime in mid-2016. Campers have gone from pop up to pop out in an apparent competition to see who can travel with more stuff. But what about the average American, who drives a car and owns a few backpacks' worth of gear? Well, my partner, dog and I took our 2007 Subaru Impreza on a 8 1/2 month, 27,000 mile road trip and met plenty of other people successfully doing the same. If you're thinking about hitting the road for an extended period, here are some tips that will help give you a smoother ride.

Leave room for the unexpected.

Planning your trip to some extent is necessary. But too much planning can limit your journey and mentally destroy your ability to live in—and enjoy—the moment. This is a common mistake I’ve seen many travelers make, planning out every day and not leaving room for the unexpected. It can disappoint you not only when your original expectations are not met, but when you find something exciting along the way and don't have the time to do it. Some of our best adventures on the road were spontaneous, when we dropped the current plan and created a new one as it happened. If a fellow traveler told us of an epic spot one night over the campfire, we would scribble the details in our journals and seek it out the next day. We found countless secret hot springs, campsites and oddities that we would've never found if we had our whole trip planned before we left.

Own your car.

An extended road trip warrants being a responsible car owner. Stay ahead of car troubles by being strict about checking tire pressure, oil level and changing both at the recommended mileages. Common road issues are flat tires, dead batteries and running out of gas. We got a flat our first week and used yelp to find a reputable repair shop whenever something major was needed. Make sure your spare tire has air and you know how to use your jack and tire iron. To access those, you may need to unload a lot of your gear so high visibility roadside markers are a great addition to your car kit. We brought jumper cables and a small portable jumper unit in case there was no one around if we goofed and left a light on. Running out of gas is more uncommon with map apps, but we still had a few close calls so I would recommend a 5L gas can. Other things in our car kit were automotive wire, an adjustable wrench, pliers, a screwdriver, a socket set and muffler tape. Get a rooftop carrier; it may add to your overall gas cost but the extra storage makes it well worth it. Be realistic about your space. We planned to focus on hiking and climbing and although I’ve always wanted to ski out west, all that gear just was not going to fit.

Get the right gear.

We originally planned to have the option of sleeping in our car, but this turned out not to be realistic once we loaded everything up. If this is the case for you, spending money on a good tent is a must. Look for something spacious enough to sit up in, durable enough to take the abuse of being taken down and set up everyday, and light enough to take backpacking. With 2 people and a dog we settled on a 3-person tent, which offered more comfort but was quite heavy when hiking. We bought sleeping bags that could be zipped together so we could carry our own bag on adventures and leave it zipped together for easy set up when we car camped. Try to organize your gear with clear bins or a removable custom rack. This not only makes finding everything a cinch but allows you to access your spare tire with relative ease. Everyone we met seemed to have a different set up; find out what works for you and adapt.

Take your dog.

Although most national parks will allow your dog into the park, the overwhelming majority limit their access to parking lots or paved walkways. Every ranger seemed to give us a different reason as to why this was, but what I believe it came down to was bad owners. If you want to spend a day (or a few) in the backcountry, it's easy to find a place to board your pooch. Many people have started kennels on the outskirts of parks, and some parks even have their own kennels. Talking with rangers or locals would usually lead us to a place just outside the park that was dog friendly. Eventually, your dog will get sick in the car, so have some rags ready for cleanup and don’t keep anything valuable around their designated space. Light meals before long days in the car, frequent breaks and keeping your pup well hydrated will limit their car sickness.

Save money on rent.

Hate paying rent? In the 8 1/2 months we were on the road we spent 3 nights in hotels and 8 nights at pay campgrounds, which totaled about $300. How did we manage this? National forests allow dispersed camping up to 16 days in one location. We found many of these sites using the website freecampsites.net. It is sourced by fellow travelers and provides GPS coordinates, other travelers’ comments and even pictures of the location. Some spots were crowded or trashed while others were tiny and majestic. The majority of the sites are in national forests and primitively developed with fire pits and picnic tables. As far as showering went, we found many private or state campsites would allow us to use their paid showers, and YMCA’s would charge $5 and throw in a towel.

Work for stay

To take a break from the constant moving and tent life we also planned several work for stays. Wwoofing (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and Work Away are learning-based programs in which you work (about 4-6 hours) in exchange for room and board. We found these experiences not only as a great break from the road but also a great learning experience and place to meet fellow travelers. Our favorite was with an amazing woman named Julie who ran a rescue shelter for 29 dogs!

Set a food budget.

This obviously has a large sliding scale depending on your desire to treat yourself to restaurants and local refreshments. Ways we saved big were shopping at discount grocers like Ocean State Job lot or Grocery Outlet. I remember one receipt for $26 that said “you saved $143” at the bottom! Supermarkets are frequent so pick up fresh produce and don’t feel the need to buy in bulk. A beer at the local watering hole usually leads to great intel but two drinks leads to forgetting about your budget. After hikes we made a habit of finding casinos with dollar blackjack tables and taking advantage of the “free refreshments for table players” policy. The main takeaway is to set a food budget and leave room for spoiling yourself every now and then.

Get online (only if you want to).

Although a smart phone was extremely helpful, it wasn't always necessary. My flip phone-owning partner and I would often compete to see who could find out the information we needed first; I would use my phone and she would ask people nearby. She won 80% of the time. For longer internet usage we enjoyed the many eccentric coffee shops that exist in every town. We would sip great coffee among the locals and research attractions in the area, find our campsite for the night and plan our next route. Libraries and laundromats with free wifi were also great places to plug in and plan. We had a few set plans to visit friends along the way, but Facebook led to many unplanned visits. When heading to a new area I got into the habit of searching my friends list, and many times I found that a friend had relocated there. They would always show me why they chose to live there and all the gems that place had to offer.

Experience the Great American Pilgrimage.

The people of this country are unconditionally kind—not only the many friends that I've collected on Facebook over the years, but everyone we met over our 8 1/2 months on the road. My faith in humanity was continuously elevated as we kept encountering amazing strangers we now call friends. Another takeaway? I will be back for more. The United States is extremely biodiverse, vast, and many of its most gorgeous spots have been protected using national parks and national monuments. Investing in a national park pass at $80 is a no-brainer, and allowed us to spend several days in the same park without eating up our budget. 27,000 miles covered only a fraction of this country, and the freedom of the road is now forever calling me back. I strongly encourage everyone to make this American Pilgrimage at least once. I’ll see you out there.