How to pack your car for camping

The challenge of fitting your camping gear into your vehicle gets a whole lot more difficult as your family grows. In fact, it can be downright frustrating, if not impossible, unless you have the right kind of vehicle (and not necessarily the biggest one), the right kind of camping setup as we describe in this website, and a planned approach to packing it.

With our help, you will be amazed at how much your car can comfortably and safely carry while still staying within the payload limit, or the designated weight carrying capacity of the car.

Car roof loaded ws

Assuming you have a suitable vehicle as we describe in our cars section, the exact way in which you will pack your particular car for camping will vary depending on:
  • The size of the rear cargo area - we have packed quite a few different cars now and none of them pack our camping gear in exactly the same way.
  • How many rear seat passengers you have, and therefore how much space is available in the rear passenger cabin for safely transporting soft items like bedding and clothing.
  • Whether your vehicle has fitted roof racks and a tow / hitch bar.
What if you don't have the right kind of vehicle?
If you want help to choose the right kind of vehicle for your camping getaways, then check out the following articles:

Tips for packing the car for camping

Tips for packing the car for camping

When packing and loading our car, safety needs to be at the forefront of our minds. Done without due consideration to safety matters and you may pose a significant risk to you and others on the road. A poorly packed and loaded vehicle can also limit what you can take, cause damage to your vehicle and in some cases even invalidate your insurance policy in the event of a claim.

Before you go further, read our tips for packing your car for camping.

Packing a car WITHOUT roof racks

Packing a car WITHOUT roof racks

Packing a car without roof racks for a family or group of 4-5 can be a real challenge unless your vehicle has a particularly large rear cargo area, such as an 8-seater people mover or a dual cab ute with a canopy over the rear tray.

These are not vehicles the average family would own, but with the extra cargo space, they can comfortably hold our camping setup for beginners. They would also be an excellent choice if you were hiring or renting a car.

See how we have packed an 8-seater people mover HERE.

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