Minimalist Car Camping Checklist (Printable)

This Minimalist Car Camping checklist was originally written in 2008 following a ten day tour of England with a tiny car. This is how to travel when you want to take a camping trip but still keep things pretty light weight. “Minimalist car camping” is particularly great if you’re changing locations every day or every other day. You don’t want a mass of stuff to have to pack and unpack all the time.

The other bonus to Minimalist Car Camping is that it makes it easy to just GET OUT THERE. I recommend buying a couple plastic bins with lids, and have most of your kit pre-prepped – store all your gear in such a way so that you can efficiently load up the car and go. Think of it as a Car Camping Go Bag. Make it easy for yourself to take an impromptu adventure at the drop of a hat! Better still, get a roof rack and roof box for gear storage and so your gear is always packed and ready to go.

Pro tips: Consider investing in a roof rack and roof box for extra storage. We keep all of our minimalist camping gear in the roof box so it’s ready to go at the drop of a hat. It’s like a “Go Bag” but for car camping!

This list is not too dissimilar from what I’d take wild camping (see my wild camping checklist). There are just a few bonus extras (e.g. folding chairs) that are easy to pack, add that extra level of comfort, and are well worth taking if you have a car.

Download your printable Minimalist Car Camping Checklist here: PDF | WORD

Minimalist Car Camping Checklist

Cooking Supplies

• Knife
• Pots and pans
• Cup
• Plates
• Cutting board
• Veggie peeler
• Cutlery
• Baggies
• Wet wipes
• Sponge and soap for washing up
• Dish towels
• Camp stove
• Gas for camp stove
• Lighter
• Trash bags

Clothing

• Waterproof Jacket
• Thermal underwear
• Wool socks (plus spares)
• Bathing suit
• Towel
• Warm hat, gloves, scarf
• Warm fleece / midlayer
• Underwear
• Sunhat
• Hiking Boots
• Shoes for camp
• Gaiters

Camping Gear

• Tent
• Sleeping bags
• Air mattress

Campsite Accoutrements

• Folding chairs
• Picnic blanket (preferably with a waterproof bottom)

Personal Items

• Toilet Paper
• Tissues
• Sunglasses
• First aid kit
• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Nail clippers
• Lip balm
• Face wash
• Hand/body soap
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Vitamins
• Medication
• Diary/pen (I love these custom pens!)
• Reading material

Electronics

• Mobile phone
• Headlamp / flashlight
• Battery pack for charging USB devices
• Spare batteries for flashlights, etc

Extra stuff for off-campsite activities

• Daypack
• GPS and extra batteries (or mobile phone with a battery pack)
• Water bottle or hydration pack
• Travel guides / walking books
• OS Maps

Car Stuff

• Sat Nav
• Road atlas

Download the Minimalist Car Camping Checklist here: PDF | WORD
If you spot any omissions, or have any suggestions for other must-have items in your Minimalist Car Camping kit, please let me know in the comments!