Essential items for off road camping

Camping and off-road driving go hand in hand.  The best off-road trips involve a little camping and sometimes they evolve into camping trips with some off roading involved.  Either way, the trips are much more enjoyable if you have good equipment.

Tent

While it is possible to sleep in the Cherokee or in the tow vehicle; I have slept in my Suburban many times and in the Jeep a few, I find having a tent much more comfortable.

I really like my latest tent. I have an instant tent that basically unfolds and sets its self up in a couple of minutes.  On my latest trip, I had to set up in the dark and having this tent made life so much easier than trying to thread poles though the little sleeve of my previous tents.

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Sleeping Bag

A good sleeping bag is very important to keep warm and comfortable. Remember that the conditions can change rapidly and the forecast for the valley can be very wrong in the mountains.  I have a variety of weights of bags and try to use the one that is apropiate for the night time temperature.  A mummy bag works best when it is really cold at night. But those can get unpleasantly hot in the summer.  So choose wisely and pack more than one if you have space.

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Cot

Next is a place to put the sleeping bag. I really don’t like lying directly on the ground like I did when I was younger.  I like either an air mattress or a cot.  Oddly, I find I have less leg cramps when I use a cot.  I don’t know any reason for this just an observation.  Also, cots don’t have to be inflated.

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Cooler

You are going to need a place to keep food and drinks.  I like to pack a medium sized cooler that fits in the back of the Jeep.  I also like to carry a smaller cooler for carrying lunch on the trail if it will be away from camp.

From Amazon

Totes

I like to keep camping supplies and even clothes in plastic totes to keep them safe from the weather. There is an infinite variety of sizes and shapes available to meet your storage requirements.  I even keep my sleeping bags in totes.  You can often get holiday colored tots on sale after each holiday. For example, orange ones are usually availbe in early November.

From Amazon

Propane Stove

While there is a popular vision of cooking everything over the camp fire, a propane stove makes life much easier.  It is great for breakfast cooking of scrambled eggs and bacon.  That way you don’t have to worry if the fire is out before you leave camp to go wheeling.

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Grill grate

There are some things that are best cooked on the fire however. Steaks for example. For this, you need a sturdy grill grate. If you don’t want to build a fancy one, there are plenty of smaller options available.

Example from Amazon

Example from Pinterest