Camping With the Comforts of Home: What's Your Style?

Backpacking, of course, has its own glories—the wonder and quiet of remote areas, the enjoyment of living as simply as possible for a short time—but car camping is a great way to escape for different reasons. The convenience of the car allows you to rough it to whatever extent you choose, indulging in the comforts of home—morning espresso, real pillows, elaborate fire-cooked meals—or leaving them behind as you see fit. So what's your car camping style? Do you like to bring the indoors out, making yourself at home in the wild, or do you keep it simple?

We can certainly understand the lure of a luxury camping trip, like the one pictured in the gorgeous scene above. A campsite decked out like that one appeals to our love of pretty man-made things and our love of the natural world all at once. But there's also something to be said for a simpler approach, for letting go of the comforts we're so dependent on at home.

What do you think? How do you roll on your escapes to the Great Outdoors?

(Image: Country Living, via Absolutely Beautiful Things)

Comments (11)

Tent with air matress, feather bed on top, flannel sheets and down comforter. And of course, lots of pillows!!!

posted by Ta on July 24th 2009 at 10:12pm
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jiffy pop, great friends, and lots of local beer/wine make it fun to sleep on even the lumpiest of campsites :)

posted by lemook on July 24th 2009 at 10:43pm
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One of the roughest but most adventursome ways to car camp is to head down to Death Valley with a 4x4 with high clearance. You can take back roads down beautiful canyons and either camp right by your car, or walk a few miles farther down the canyon. You're almost guaranteed solitude.

We were decidedly unglamorous about it -- we backpacked several miles a day away from the car to camp -- but I can easily imagine a much cozier and less rough trip if we'd just stayed by the car.

posted by apf on July 24th 2009 at 11:08pm
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can anybody identify that tent?

posted by thepictures on July 25th 2009 at 7:25am
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I love camping and I like the rawness and simplicity of hiking in with just a back pack.

More often than the earlier I car camp because I can do this year round. I have my plastic bin ready to go which has a small burner, white gas cans, stacking camping pans and other essentials..then a pop up tent, sleeping bag, pillow and sadly now I must take a air mattress.

I don't like camping around motor homes and lots of people, loud music, etc.. I have my favorite more remote spots and my close to home not so crowded spots. My ex and I use to go all the time. Now I drag my friends out with me they like it but they are way too fussy and the bring their whole house with them... we have a great time anyway.

posted by LoriSF on July 25th 2009 at 9:49am
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thepictures- it might be something by Celia Birtwell a British designer, as cute as that is I don't see it holding up in weather. Any fog or dew in the morning you will be soaked. My tent has a full zipped cover when needed, not fun being wet and damp.

http://www.millets.co.uk/camping/tents/all-tents/product/095822.html

posted by LoriSF on July 25th 2009 at 10:14am
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I think both have their place - with no children, or older kids, it's backpacking and preferably right on the beach after a hike. But all my friends with small children prefer car camping with some (and maybe all) of the comforts of home - maybe more for the security and comfort of the parents than for the kids.

And while I really prefer light camping far, far away from family sites, in part because I don't want to tent next to the dude who gets drunk all by himsef and sings at the top of his lungs in Spanish all night (happened just two weeks ago), or waste my time washing many dishes on my camping trip (hate dishes at the best of times), I do admire my pals who have the determination to go the extra mile and make full breakfasts and bring a propane powerd blender and the fixings for margaritas.

My biggest camping indulgence is bringing tins of sweetened condensed milk. There is nothing like sitting on the edge of the ocean in the early morning with a cup of vietnamese-style coffee for breakfast.

posted by scarletdog on July 25th 2009 at 10:42am
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I just returned from a five-day trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Swiss Miss and freshly ground coffee in a french press. Well worth the weight, although the cardboard box of wine that we took was a bit heavier.

posted by hendrickb11 on July 25th 2009 at 5:06pm
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@ thepictures

the tent is by Cath Kidston:

http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/p-13303-cath-kidston-box-floral-teepee.aspx

posted by zimtzucker on July 26th 2009 at 5:11am
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I mostly do motorcycle camping so weight is not a big concern but size is. Important things for me are a very good tent, thermarest, sleeping bag and tiny stove and espresso pot for coffee in the mornings. If car camping - similar but more cooking things. I like to have candle lanterns for atmosphere and a very good head lamp. I love it all!

posted by Gallivant on July 27th 2009 at 4:35pm
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We have a "ready-to-go" plastic box that holds most of our car camping supplies & last year we bought a huge tent (the big agnes big house), so theoretically this year we would be going camping a lot but . . . i'm pregnant now & have a hard enough time sleeping in our own bed. ;-)

Some great-to-haves for us include a two-burner camping stove (with wind blocks), stainless steel cooler to house beer & other essentials, picnic tablecloth, citronella candle, ingredients for s'mores, and the plush variety of thermarest-style camp beds.

posted by ratgrrrl on July 27th 2009 at 6:04pm
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