A How-To Guide to Car Camping the Right Way

Principles, packing lists, proven systems that makes it easier and.. how to poop?

After two weeks on the road camping out of my Jeep TJ with my girlfriend, there’s one thing I can say for certain: I’m glad I’m not new to this whole camping thing.

In Big Bend National Park, Texas, 2025

I’ve been camping at least 100 times before. Mostly just for fun, however I was a member on a trail crew where camping was part of my job. During my time on the trail crew I learned the systems of doing things which removes some of the pain and discomfort that can be associated with camping. I also learned a lot through trial and error while camping by myself.

If you’re new to camping, I highly suggest you take some of this advice before going on your next camping trip. Making mistakes is part of the experience - and makes for good stories - but starting out on the right foot is worth it.

I want to be clear that this is for people who want to get more into car camping on public lands. I highly value our public lands so I put a lot of emphasis on leaving no trace.

Below I’ll share some essential camping tips that you should implement before your next trip. I’ll talk about things you must not forget, how to pack the right way and packing tips for couples, the cooking and dishes situation and how to properly discard your waste water, power and entertainment, and how to properly poop when there isn’t a bathroom. I’ll also leave links to the products I mention. These are products that I use regularly, and I wouldn’t share the link if I didn’t actually believe they’re worth having.

If you’re going to be someone who goes camping, you must understand the importance of leaving no trace. Having public land for recreation is a priveledge which can be taken away. You should respect the land, not litter, and leave it better than you found it. How amazing is it that we can go camping for free on land that is designated for recreation!

Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but photos.

Ok - let’s get into it.

There are a few essential items that are easy to forget. I’ve made the mistake of forgetting these a few times before and it really puts a damper on things. 

First - trash bags. Don’t forget your trash bag. You don’t realize how much trash you create while at home because you just throw it in the can and forget about it. Put trash bags at the top of your list of things to not forget while camping - AND DO NOT LITTER. Even things you think will degrade like orange peels, banana peels, coffee filters/grounds, toilet paper - throw it in the trash. Remember: leave no trace. If it didn’t come from there you shouldn’t leave it there. That means packing all your trash out. You aren’t the only one who will be using the site you’re at. Nobody wants to see your trash.

Second - a folding table. You need surfaces while camping. You don’t want to be doing your cooking or your dishes on the ground.  If you’re going to a campground there will likely be a picnic table, but if you’re dispersed camping on Forest Service roads there’s usually just an open spot. For a super packable and lightweight option I have a Coleman aluminum compact table. It’s not too expensive, stores away in a small bag, and doesn’t weigh much at all. If I don’t need to be super lightweight I have a 4 foot folding table which provides more surface area but takes up more space in the car. Worth it for a weekend getaway.

Third - water. You need water, and you need a lot of it. I have a 5 gallon Scepter that I use while on a weekend getaway. It’s enough for drinking, cooking, and dishes. 

Fourth - a lighter. Or something to create a spark to light your camp stove.

Fifth - Fuel. You don’t want to get your camp stove out and realize you don’t have fuel to power it.

Now let’s get into the systems.

At Overland Expo Mountain West, Loveland, CO, 2024

The packing situation - have dedicated storage boxes for your gear.

This one is absolutely the best way to make camping easier to do on a whim, and leaves you no excuse to back out after the idea is out there. Plus, it’s fun to get it all set up. 

For this I have two 108 Quart Plano Storage Boxes. These puppies are made in USA and will last you forever. At the moment, one of these boxes is holding my full size camping mattress, and the other is holding the tent, our camping chairs, and Taylor’s sleeping bag. 

However, when we’re not on the road, one Storage box is used for my camping gear, and the other is used for Taylor’s camping gear. This way, if I want to do a solo camping weekend I can just grab my box, and the same goes for Taylor. 

For example, in my box I’ll have my tent, my sleeping bag, my sleeping pad, and a tarp. In Taylor’s box is her tent, her sleeping bag, her sleeping pad, and a tarp. If we both wanted to go camping together, we’d just take out one of our tents and use the other. Super simple, removes the pain of getting everything packed every time you want to go camping, and makes so that you don’t forget essential gear. You don’t need your camping gear unless you’re going camping, so you might as well have it all ready to go all the time!

I also have a 54 Quart Plano Storage Box that is currrently my wardrobe on this road trip. When we aren’t on the road, this box is used for all the kitchen gear. Pots, pans, utensils, dish bins, drying rack, etc. 

All three of these boxes fit like a glove on my roof rack, but if you have any normal sized car (not a two door Jeep) they should fit in the trunk and back seats with no problem. 

Using this system of packing ensures that your sleeping and cooking situation is ready to go

The cooking situation can get complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. You can get a classic Coleman camp stove for cheap. It’ll last forever and it’s all you’ll ever need. Keep this with your kitchen box so it’s all together.

If you’re planning on going out on one or two night getaways then those little green one pound propane bottles will do just fine - and they’ll last multiple trips. You can get those at most convenience stores. The only downside is there aren’t great ways to dispose of them. In my case, I invested in the Ignik five pound propane tank and a mount for my Gobi Rack. It’s refillable so I don’t have to keep buying the green bottles and adding to the landfills - plus refilling the Ignik is less than $5.

A combo set of utensils is a classic camping accessory, and you can get a couple plastic plates and bowls for a dollar at Walmart. If you have a pot and a pan that you never use, throw that in your kitchen bin. Otherwise you can get a cheap set for a couple bucks at Goodwill. You’ll only use it for camping so who cares if it contains forever chemicals, right?

The dishes situation. This is a system that I believe is the best way to do dishes while at camp. It might seem excessive, but at camp you don’t have running water or a built-in food disposal. It’s simple, efficient, effective, and sustainable. 

Dishes have always been a pain point when it comes to camping until I learned this system while on the trail crew. We used a four bin system - but really three bins does the job.

You'll need 3 plastic dish bins, a drying rack, a 5 gallon bucket, and a strainer. You can get the bins, drying rack, and strainer I use on Amazon, and the 5 gallon bucket at any hardware store. The drying rack is one of my favorite camping gadgets ever.

Obviously you’ll need some dish soap and a sponge.

• Fill each bin with enough water to submerge a dish. Two inches of water is plenty. Your first bin will be for getting the big food particles off your dishes. 
• Your next bin is for washing your dishes with your sponge and dish soap.
• Your final bin is for rinsing your dishes.
• After rinsing just put your dishes in the drying rack and that’s it!

But what about the water in the bins? This is where the 5-gallon bucket comes in to play.

• First, pour your first bin - the bin used to get all the big food particles off - into the 5 gallon bucket.
• Next you take the water from your soapy bin and pour it into your first bin - the one you just emptied. Swish this water around and pour it into your 5 gallon bucket.
• Now you’ll take the water from your rinse bin (third bin) and pour it into your soapy bin (second bin). Swish it around and then pour that into your first bin (food particle bin).
• Finally, pour the clean water - which has now been through each bin - into the 5 gallon bucket.

It sounds like a lot. But with this process you clean your bins as you empty them into the 5 gallon bucket.

Now what about the water in the 5 gallon bucket? This is where the strainer comes in - and having someone with you makes this part much easier. 

In the road near your campsite you’ll pour the water from your 5 gallon bucket through the strainer. You should do this while walking to spread out the water. Whatever gets cought in your strainer goes in the trash.

Ideally your 5 gallon bucket will be your waste water bucket for the whole day, and you strain it at the end of the day. You do this in the road because it’s away from any campsites and it gets driven on anyway.

It sounds like a lot, but it keeps food particles out of the campsite which would otherwise attract animals. All in the name of leaving no trace!

Next, the power and entertainment situation.

At Organ Pipe Cactus Campground, Arizona, 2025

This one is simple! Make sure you have the capability to charge the devices you bring. You probably already have a portable charger. Make sure it’s charged before you leave. 

I’m a big believer in doing the outdoors your way. If you want to go camping for the purpose of disconnecting, that’s great! Just do you.

Bring the Nintendo Switch. Download movies on your laptop and have a movie night in your tent. Do it your way. But make sure you have the ability to charge your devices.

If you’re going on a more extended trip, or you have multiple devices that might need charged (phone, laptop, camera batteries, etc) you will need a larger power bank. You don’t need the top of the line power bank that costs a fortune. When I lived in my Jeep I had a small power bank that worked flawlessly and I could charge it via my solar panel. It’s on the road with me now. It has an AC household outlet so you can charge your laptop, two USB ports and a USB-C port, as well as a light on the back with several modes. The only thing it lacks is a cigarette lighter outlet which is handy for some devices.

You don’t want to be cought with a dead battery while camping - especially if you don’t have cell service. I suggest getting a battery jumper for the peace of mind. (It's half off right now)

Finally, how to properly poop while camping. 

If you’re at a campground there will probably be vault toilets, and I don’t need to tell you how to poop then. This is if you want to go dispersed camping where there aren’t any bathrooms.

There are a few ways you can do this. First, you can get a few wag-bags. A wag-bag is a kit of everything you need to go #2 in the wilderness and leave nothing behind (even your poop). It’s the best method when it comes to leaving no trace. Clean, concise, convenient. I recommend getting one or two for emergencies.

If you don't want to use that method, you’ll need three things: a shovel, toilet paper, and plastic bags. You can get a small shovel from a hardware store for under $20.

First, find a spot away from camp - at least 100 feet downhill from any campsite.

Dig a hole and try to make it 8 inches deep. 

Do your business in the hole.

Put your used toilet paper in your plastic bag.

Cover up the hole.

If it sounds crazy to pack out your toilet paper, then you’ve never come across other people’s toilet paper at a campsite. It is way too common. Toilet paper does not degrade like most people think.

Dig your hole deep. Pack out your toilet paper. 

Following this guide will ensure that you start off on the right foot when getting into car camping. 

I want to know what you think! Leave a comment.

I hope this helps.

-Sean