Guest Author - Jill Browne

What comes to mind when you think of camping?

If it's discomfort, dirt, cold, wet, hunger, pain - then you're being too hard on yourself. Here are some tips to make car camping more enjoyable. There's no point saving money if you don't enjoy your travel.

What Car Camping Is

Car camping is travelling by car and sleeping in a tent. With a car you always have a place to keep your gear. You don't have to be able to lift everything you're bringing and carry it in one backpack. You can bring heavier items than you would if you were backpacking.

Car camping means sleeping in a tent. Otherwise, it wouldn't be camping. It might be hostelling, motelling, staying with friends, or some other budget alternative.

Tips for Enjoying Car Camping

1. Practice before you go. This is essential. When you're at home, you can add and subtract things from your gear until you have the right mix for your tastes. Maybe it's an extra pillow, or maybe you don't need all five sleeping bags.

2. Learn how to set up the tent and take it down. Same thing goes for all the equipment for sleeping and eating.

3. Make sure all the pieces are present and in good shape. Make sure the sleeping bags are clean and dry before you set out.

4. Bring the right equipment for the weather. For tenting, that includes the tent pegs best suited to the kind of ground you expect to find. Ask at a tent store, or go online to find pegs you can use on sand and for advice on how to pitch your particular tent on a rocky site.

5. Bring the kind of sleeping pad that works best for you. This could be a foamy, a self-inflatable like a Thermo-Rest, a big air mattress - in which case, bring a foot-operated pump, or something else you like. Maybe you want to double up and have two pads underneath you instead of one.

6. Decide whether your style of car camping includes picnics and campsite cooking, or whether you will be buying most of your meals at restaurants. Don't bring dishes and a stove if you really don't intend to use them.

7. If you do want to be a cooking camper, find out what the rules and the facilities are at the places where you will be camping. Open fires are banned in many areas because of the risk of forest fires or grass fires. A small camp stove (backpacker style) is almost always allowed, but these can only cook one pot at a time. A heavier stove, such as the Coleman brand, is very popular with car campers, but only bring it if you really plan to use it.

8. Make reservations at the places you know you want to stay.

9. Plan to stay two nights or more in as many places as you can (assuming they are places you like). That gives the journey a relaxed pace and allows you to settle in and explore.

10. Try to avoid driving on the weekend. If you can get to your camping place on Thursday and stay all the way to Monday morning, you will be relaxing in a park instead of crawling on a highway. On the days when you must drive, try to leave at a time that avoids the rush. This varies from place to place. There is often an early morning rush, then a lull, then a mid-day rush. If you have reserved ahead, call to confirm your reservation and make sure it is guaranteed, and then take your time and enjoy the journey of getting there.

Of course, sometimes you camp simply to sleep and move along. In those cases, it's still wise to reserve ahead. The closer you are to a major route, the more popular the camping place will be, even though the surroundings may be quite utilitarian.

Camping is inexpensive and can be very comfortable. Planning ahead and practicing before you go can make a big difference to your enjoyment.