13 Car Camping Essentials on a Budget under $1,000 (Realistic)

The first time we went car camping, we didn’t stop for 2 years.

Lala and I had a small budget to spend on gear – and we made it work.

And, by the way, car camping means sleeping in a car.

So many car camping essentials lists on the internet are about sleeping close to your car in a tent, which is completely wrong.

This list is for people who want to sleep in their car.

I’m gonna walk you through the basics of what we’d buy if we were starting over today, organized by what matters most.

We’ll cover your sleep setup first because it’s most important, and then kitchen and storage.

Disclosure: This blog has affiliate links, and it’s how I can keep doing what I love. If you book something, I might make a commission with no added cost to you. Thanks for the support!

But there’s something you should know.

The cheapest option isn’t always the smartest.

I don’t want you wasting money on trash gear (like sleeping pads that last 2 nights – and yes, that comes from personal experience).

So, my recommendations are all the tried-and-true gear I love for car camping.

Car Camping Essentials on a Budget (By PRIORITY)

1. Sleeping Comfortably in your Car

Let’s start with sleeping because you really could car camp just with that.

Everything else you could deal with as you go.

But you won’t last a night if you’re uncomfortable.

The Mattress

Our mattress was always 2 sleeping pads with a memory foam mattress on top.

But when I solo car camped all over the Pacific Northwest, I realized just a sleeping pad will do.

But it has to be a good one!

Lala once bought a $25 sleeping pad from Amazon after the previous one got damaged.

Pro tip: don’t leave inflated sleeping pads in a car, they’ll blow up!

That sleeping pad from Amazon lasted a grand total of 2 nights.

We quickly learned that what you need is a high-quality sleeping bag that’s at least 3 inches thick.

This Big Agnes sleeping pad is exactly like the one I used and loved the most:

ericgomez

REI

Divide Insulated Sleeping Pad Yellow Regular

$129.95

It costs about $130, and it’ll last a long time if you take care of it.

The Bedding

We were able to get a system from REI that they don’t sell anymore.

It was a set of fitted sheets and a blanket for a twin-size mattress – perfect for both me and Lala.

But, since they don’t make it anymore, the best budget option is sleeping bags.

Sleeping bags are rated for different temperatures, so which one works best?

I would get a sleeping bag rated for 20-25 degrees.

That way, it works in the cold and then you can unzip it to use as a blanket when it gets too warm for it.

For couples, if you like being REAL cozy, get this same exact bag that they made for 2 people to fit.

It’s the upgraded version of the setup Lala and I bought:

ericgomez

REI

Siesta Hooded 20 Double Sleeping Bag Green Medium Wide

$249.00

The 1-person version is spacious, warm and made for car camping.

ericgomez

REI

Siesta Hooded 20 Sleeping Bag Green Medium Wide

$149.00

But warm weather sleeping bags are way cheaper.

Or you can just bring a sheet/blanket from home for $0!

The Window Covers

Window covers are an absolute car camping essential, and you can make them on a budget.

You need them for privacy, but also to keep the light of the full moon from keeping you awake!

We made them with a roll of reflectix, some black fabric and spray-on gorilla glue.

Believe it or not, they lasted the entire 2 years and we still use them.

Read my full guide on making car camping window covers right here!

So, just a mattress, sleeping bag and window covers are all you need to go on a budget road trip.

The total is $350 if you buy everything new.

But these are just the essentials, and if you want extra comfort for longer trips, check out my car camping sleep setup here!

2. Car Camping Essentials for a Simple Kitchen

I hate that influencers make cooking outdoors look fun.

Maybe it’s because I lived in my Forester full-time, but cleaning after cooking was the worst.

That’s why we ended up creating a simple system that worked super well and was very affordable.

The Right Stove

My favorite stove was a 1-burner gas stove.

Now, you could get this Coleman stove for about $70 – and you know it’s good because it’s Coleman.

But you could also get this Gas One Stove on Amazon for less than half the price…

And you know it’s good because I used it for 2 years (and still do).

I know people hate on Amazon, but this time it has the better stove for budget car camping!

So, why a single-burner stove? Well, here’s the summary:

• Simple is better when you live in your car
• You can make some delicious 1-pot meals
• Two-burner stoves are SO expensive

And, of course, you need propane cannisters.

You can get them at REI, but I always got them at Walmart at half the price.

Pots and Pans

Again, simple is better.

So, all we had was one 10-inch pan (for all our 1-pan meals) and a set of pots.

We just took a 10-inch pan from home!

When it comes to the set of pots, we got a set that you could store all together inside the bigger pan.

This Fire Maple cookware set is what we used for 2 years.

It includes a pot, a kettle and a pan.

The pan sucks (we never used it) and it also came with some random cups and a sponge.

But we used the kettle almost every day to boil water for coffee and oats – can you believe we never got sick of oatmeal?!

The 5 Essentials for Eating

All that’s left to create a useful car camping kitchen on a budget is some utensils.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. A spoonula: you can scrape and you can dish out food with it!
2. A knife: a high-quality one from home
3. Spoons and forks: these exact ones really lasted us 2 years! We had 4 sets.
4. Plates and bowls: wheat straw plates are SO durable. We found ours at a thrift store.
5. A can opener: take one from home (we opened TONS of cans while living in our car)

The best part? You probably have all this at home already, so it doesn’t add to the cost.

A Small Cooler + Water Jug

We got a small cooler that would fit 2-3 days of fresh food.

The REI backpack cooler was perfect for us, but they discontinued it.

The cooler closest to it right now is this pack cooler, and it actually has WAY more cooler space.

It costs about $100, it’s not heavy at all, and it’s compact – perfect for car camping.

ericgomez

REI

Campwell Pack Cooler Blue

$99.95

When it comes to a water jug, this is the one we have.

We actually spent months just buying gallon-jugs from Walmart before getting it.

But buying a 7-gallon jug made life so much easier – as much for drinking as for washing things.

Now it’s 100% a car camping essential for me.

However, you might not need it if you’re car camping 1-2 nights.

Just like that, you can make food out of your car for about $230.

Now, these are just the kitchen essentials on a budget.

If you’d like to see the full picture of our car camping kitchen, read all about it here.

3. Storing all your stuff (the most expensive part)!

In our system, all our kitchen gear and stuff we used every day moved to the front seats at night.

Then it went in our trunk during the day.

But we lived in our SUV full-time, which meant we had a LOT more stuff like clothes, toiletries, seasonal gear, rock climbing and hiking gear, and other random things.

Where did that go?

The cargo box!

But is a cargo box actually necessary?

No, but it makes car camping much more enjoyable.

Out of sight, out of mind… and when things are stored in your cargo box, they are very much out of sight.

However, cargo boxes can cost $700+, so how do they fit in an article called “car camping essentials on a budget”?

That’s where Facebook Market comes in.

We got a Thule cargo box, the one we still use today, on Facebook Market for $180.

Then we got these cross bars to put the cargo box on for $200 (now they cost $270).

What cargo box should you get?

I really recommend you try getting a used cargo box to save money.

When buying a used one, make sure:

• You’re getting a great one – the best brands are Thule, Yakima and Inno.
• It doesn’t have any rust, and all its parts still feel strong.

Ours actually had a good bit of rust, which scared us, but we’ve used it for years now with zero issues.

Oh, and get one that’s aerodynamic like the ones below so that it doesn’t destroy your MPG.

And get the smallest cargo box because there are some HUGE ones you really don’t need.

ericgomez

REI

RocketBox Pro 14 Roof Box Black

$699.00

ericgomez

REI

Pulse 2 M Roof Box Black

$699.95

You’re good with a cargo box and some bins, but a full setup has some more things.

Read about all the car camping storage I used for 2 years on the road!

The Classic Storage Bins

If you’ve looked into car camping, you know the storage bins I’m talking about.

Just know you don’t have to overdo it.

Lala and I just had a 27-quart bin and a 15-quart bin and that was enough for us.

Most of our kitchen tools when in the 15-quart bin.

Our non-perishable food went in the 27-quart bin.

What NOT to buy for Car Camping on a Budget

• A sleeping platform: you can buy a pre-made one or make one, but it isn’t always necessary! I wrote a whole article about whether you actually need one.
• 2-burner stove: good ones are very expensive, they take a lot of space, and just complicate life.
• Tent: car camping is sleeping in your car. We had a tent just in case but never used it.
• Chairs: when car camping on a budget, you don’t need chairs. Find a campsite with picnic tables or get creative!

Now, some things like a tent and chairs can actually be nice to have in your car camping setup.

The same goes for other things I didn’t cover here, like headlamps, a car battery jump starter, and a water jug.

I didn’t include them because this article covers the essentials.

With what you’ve read here, you can go car camping no problem.

Everything else just adds convenience and comfort – which I have to say are important too!

So, if you want to get deeper into the topic of SUV camping gear, read my full guide to camping in any SUV!

The Full Breakdown (table)

How to Get Cheaper Gear

There are a few things you can do to get cheaper gear:

1. Wait for discounts: for example, REI always has crazy discounts in May (their anniversary), and a lot of companies offer Spring discounts. And, of course, you can always wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
2. Get an REI membership: the REI membership costs $30 once and then you get 10% cash back on all your purchases in REI. That cash back can only be spent at REI, but if you know you’ll be buying a lot from them, it makes sense to do it.
3. Look on Amazon: for some reason, some items (like the Fire Maple pots and my other stove – the Pocket Rocket) are cheaper on Amazon. Same brand, same quality, but cheaper. If you’re OK with buying on Amazon, it can help save money on some things.

Next steps:

I turned this list into a free printable checklist.

It has all the exact gear we used for two years on the road, organized by category so you can check things off as you buy or pack.

Grab it below!

Ready to go deeper?

Here’s everything else you need to know about SUV camping – from getting the best car to how to stay warm.