This Wild Wonderland

Ah camping...

Whether you're backpacking, at a campsite, in a tent, hammock, or car

there is so much joy in being liberated from the stresses and routine of modern life.

Most people are familiar with pitching a tent, rolling out sleeping bags, or tying up a hammock.

But how many people know how to live and function out of their cars?

One thing I really love about car camping is the mobility of it. If you need to leave your spot quickly or drive out early in the morning it's great to not have the extra worry or time spent breaking down a tent.

Here's a little list of some reasons to fall in love with car camping:

1. Mobility

As I said previously, you can hop in the driver's seat and get going a lot quicker than you can if you're camping in a tent.

2. Less Restrictions

If you're doing any kind of traveling, other than backpacking, car camping is a great option for sleep, storage, and safety. You can lock up your stuff, you can park and "camp" a lot more places - particularly parking lots, and you don't need to pack and unload gear to the same degree that you do for tent and hammock camping.

3. Weather & Seasons

When you're car camping, it doesn't matter if it's raining, snowing, hailing, or the middle of summer. There are so many easy ways to keep warm, keep cool, and stay dry.

4. Storage

Again, car camping offers a lot more security for your belongings than tent or hammock camping does. You can also bring along a lot more if you're traveling a long distance, or staying out of civilization a long period of time.

6. Anytime, Almost Anywhere

Car camping is extremely flexible. If you have your car, you have shelter. No matter what time of day or night, no matter what you packed or didn't pack, you have a safe place to snuggle up for the night.

Obviously, there are a million and a half reasons to love sleeping in tents or hammocks under the stars, but I feel a lot of appreciation for the mobility and flexibility that car camping offers.

I love knowing how to make my car function as a "base camp", and knowing that I have a safe place to keep my belongings and sleep when I'm traveling.

Knowing how to make the most of your car is essential.

I have a Subaru, which means it's easy for me to convert the back into a bed and living space. That doesn't in anyway mean that it's impossible to sleep comfortably in other types of vehicles, each one has it's quirks and selling points.

Hatchbacks, Wagons, and SUVs are my vehicles of preference, but I will try to touch on some basics and tips and tricks for life in other cars and trucks (eventually).

Here's some clips of a nice weekend car camping trip off the Peak to Peak

This spot is way too beautiful. I can't get over it. There's tons of free camping in the mountains and although some of the spots are neglected and abused (I'll be doing a rant post about this eventually) the beauty of the mountains and trees cannot be ignored.

Dandies! Oh my god, so I love 'smores, I mean, who doesn't? So when I found vegan marshmallows by Dandies, well needless to say, I have a supply of them ALWAYS. If you haven't tried them already, please do! You won't regret it.