The Off-Grid Car Camping Gear I Rate (And What's Not Worth Your Money)

There are two seasons here in Florida — "This is kind of nice" and "Oh my God, I'm going to die!" I camp every month in both kinds of weather, though six months out of the year, I'm at a spot with electric hookups so I can run my air conditioner. The rest of the year, I'm off-grid. There are multiple places in Florida where you can car camp off-grid for free, if you know where to look. Check out these sources to find off-grid campsites in the U.S.

What do we mean by the term "car camping?" Some use the term to refer to camping in your vehicle; others use it to refer to tent camping in a spot you can drive to. I'm going to refer to both, since there's some overlap in your choice of gear when you do either one "off-grid," or without electrical or water hookups. My own setup is a 23-year-old Dodge Ram 1500 with a topper on the bed. I converted the back of the truck into a small camper, complete with a bed platform, bed rug, toilet, cabinet, and TV.

My rig is self-sufficient out in the woods. I have enough electrical power for anything less draining than an A/C. I also keep a couple of good sleeping bags, all the utensils I need to cook a decent meal, some safety gear, and a couple of tents in case I need them. Of course, I leave enough room to carry sufficient water and food.

I use the Oupes Mega 1 power bank to keep my camp electrified in cooler weather. It's a 2000W, 1024Wh power station, which is enough power to get me through a couple of days. I like to keep it topped off, though, so I carry a foldable set of solar panels that total 300W. I have no trouble powering a laptop, a couple of fans, a couple of smartphones, and a TV. It will not run an A/C all day and night, which is why I opt for on-grid camping in the summer. One of these summers, I'll go camping in a cooler spot than Florida, like the surface of the sun, for example.

It's a good little power bank, though. I've put it through plenty of abuse, leaving it in my hot truck for days at a time, banging it against walls as I carry it through the house; I may have even dropped it a couple of times. But it's still going strong. The only gripe I have about it is that the expansion batteries cost more than the power banks themselves. I give the Oupes Mega 1 power bank 8/10 stars.

The best piece of camping gear for keeping warm on a cold night is a good sleeping bag, which is essential for car camping. Some campers swear by Mr. Buddy-type heaters, but you're taking a risk, especially in a small space like a car or tent. A good sleeping bag rated for temperatures as cold or colder than your environment is a safer option and, in my opinion, just as effective at keeping you warm.

I personally use a Bigfoot Outdoor Lumberjack sleeping bag (10/10). It's rated for 43 degrees Fahrenheit. Right now, some of you Northerners are rolling your eyes so hard I can actually hear them. Forty-three degrees is barefoot weather to you. But I've camped in weather colder than that (yes, some winter nights get colder than that even in Florida), and the only part of me that was cold was my head when it poked outside the bag. That's been true even when I've been tent camping.

So, my advice is that if, in the climate you're camping in, wearing layered clothing keeps you warm enough in colder temperatures during the daytime, see what an appropriately rated sleeping bag does for you at night before going out and buying a space heater. Unfortunately, I can't find any evidence that Bigfoot Outdoor Products is still in business, but my recommendation still stands — find a good sleeping bag.

Cooking while camping can either feel like a chore or part of the fun, depending on how you look at it. It's a chore to me, but I like eating too much to subsist on granola and pre-packed sandwiches. It can be less of a chore when you have the right gear. 

I can not tell you how much I love my Wesqunie Camping Cookware Utensils Set. It's got a corkscrew/bottle opener, a can opener, two sharp cutting knives, tongs, a gravy ladle, a spatula, a whisk, a brush, scissors, a cheese grater, a potato peeler, metal salt and pepper shakers, a set of silverware, telescoping sticks for roasting hot dogs and s'mores, a barbecue fork and knife, and a cutting board. No, I don't see myself ever grating a block of Parmesan cheese while camping, but it's nice to know I could if I wanted to. All of these things are full-size and kitchen-quality, yet they fit together in a handy compact bag. I give it a 10/10, and recommend checking it out before spending the money to buy all of those utensils separately.

Aside from those utensils, I have a pot, a pan, a collapsible basin I use for a sink, and the single-burner Pacilack butane stove, which seems to have two settings: "Is it even on?" and "Raging inferno." The plastic carrying case it comes with had a chemical smell when I first got it, which took a long time to go away. I give it 4/10 stars.

If you're someone who can comfortably go for a couple of days without a bowel movement, then your bathroom strategy is pretty simple: find a spot. We are not all built like that, however. That means if you're out in the off-grid boonies, you're either digging a hole or bringing a toilet.

Some are fine pooping in a bucket with a trash bag. I'm sure the employees emptying the trash can at whichever 7 Eleven you dumped your mess at appreciates it. Some get composting toilets, which take up a lot of space, stink, and draw flies. Besides, where are you going to spread that compost, over the strawberries in your backyard garden? I don't think so, and I would not waste the money on one of these toilets.

I use the Phabules Portable Camping Toilet. It's a simple plastic box with an upper tank for flush water and a lower tank for waste. When you're done camping, detach the bottom tank and dump it at a dump station or in a toilet. That way, your poop ends up in the septic or sewer, you know, the way God intended. It may sound strange, but this is my favorite piece of camping gear, and I give it a 10/10. One pro tip from someone who has put his toilet through its paces: use the Walex Bio-Pak or Porta-Pak Toilet Treatment Drop-Ins (10/10). Your nose will thank you.

I recently bought a UNP Outdoor 6-person SUV camping tent. It attaches to the back of an open SUV, extending your camping space. It fits on the rear end of my truck bed/topper very nicely. It's not complicated to set up, though I did work up a sweat putting it together. But I can get drenched on a Florida summer day just by blinking my eyes too fast. My only real complaint is that the rainfly extends just enough to cover the roof. Leave the windows open during the rain, and you will get a wet floor. I rate the product 7/10. Roof top tents are popular, but I can't see spending well over $1,000 for just a tent. Don't get me wrong, they look really cool, and one of our writers liked the one he tried out. But they are so much more expensive than a ground tent, have less room, and are inconvenient to climb in and out of.

I also have the FLEXTAILGEAR pop-up privacy tent, which is great as an outhouse or for showering. It just pops open for setup and folds up easily for breakdown. My one complaint is the lack of ventilation. Bring a fan with you if you use it during the summer. FLEXTAILGEAR doesn't appear to sell this tent anymore, but you can find numerous similar tents online. 

I always have a couple of fans running in the back of my truck when I'm camping. The fan I use is made by coldSky. One of the reasons I like it is its rechargeable battery, which can last for a couple of days. Most of the electrical gear that I take camping off-grid has its own rechargeable batteries. This puts less of a drain on my power bank than devices that need to be plugged in whenever they're running. The great thing about my fan is that it can, in turn, charge other things like smartphones. The coldSky fan (9/10) delivers plenty of air, oscillates, and even comes with a remote control. But I find myself relying on it more to light up my camper space. It comes with a light that has multiple modes, so I hang it by the hook on its base and use it as my ceiling light.

Most power tool companies make similar fans that run off of their branded detachable batteries used with their cordless tools. These fans are quality fans, but they can easily retail for over $100, four to five times as much as other portable fans. I can see buying one of these fans if I already had the brand's cordless batteries for power tools, but even then, I'd have a hard time justifying the purchase.

What are your favorite camping items? Let us know in the comments.