Hungry for Adventurez

One of the first things I recommend getting if you want to camp out of your SUV, hatchback, or Minivan is some window covers, and I thought I would share how easy it is to make your own Reflectix window covers.  I have been using "window socks" for my last few years of car camping, even back when I was camping in my Prius . They work great when you want some air flow, and they can be used on different makes of vehicles. However, they are not insulative and are transparent; sometimes you want a little extra privacy. Furthermore, you have to get out of the car to put window socks up, which isn't ideal when you are stealth camping. After a few failed experiments with fabric curtains, I decided it was time to upgrade.  Benefits of Reflectix  -Materials for homemade Reflectix are easy to get. I got mine in the home insulation department of Menards.  -Reflectix helps insulate your car in the winter, keeping your body heat inside the vehicle and extending the range of temp...

This spring I built a foldable sleeping platform for my Hybrid 2018 Rav4. I had outgrown my Prius set up , plus my boyfriend wasn't a fan of the tight quarters. I used just some basic pieces of hardware (which cost less than $20) and some wood that my dad had leftover from his own campaign project. (about a sheet of 1 inch Baltic birch that costs less than $80, and 100 inches of 2x4s which cost about $5.) In addition to raw materials, you will also need tools for cutting wood, measuring, and some sand paper. Here is a breakdown of how it works and the measurements, so you can recreate it.  Why I Designed a Foldable Sleeping Platform for my RAV4 I am a weekend only camper. As much as I would love to do the full time van life thing, It won't be in the cards for a while. I wanted something that would allow me to make use of all space, without requiring the back seats to be taken out. Seats in 2028 hybrid RAV4s do not fold flat, so not using a platform was never an option. I’m also...

I have been car camping with and without a cooler for a while now, using either a Prius or a Hybrid Rav4 with a bed platform. And honestly, I have come to realize that I really don’t need a cooler. Maybe my opinion would change if I was traveling full time, but for now, my mind is made up. Here is why for minimalist car camping setups, you really don’t need a cooler, even if you love meat or are trying to eat healthy.  Problems with using a traditional ice cooler Traditional coolers, such as your average Coleman cooler, use a combination of water ice or dry ice and insulation to keep food cold. This means that you will have to buy ice for each camping trip, and you might need to refill during your trip to make sure food stays at a safe temperature. While ice isn’t particularly expensive, it is an expense that should be kept in mind if you are working with a tight budget. A second problem with ice coolers is that water ice will melt into water, which has to be removed from the coole...

  I have been camping in my 2008 Prius for about a year as a weekend activity. Sometimes I even convince my partner to come with me. A few weeks ago I went over the details about how I use my space for solo camping, but I realized there were so many differences between my solo setup and my couples setup that I needed to make it into it's own blog.  My layout Bedding When camping with my partner, we use a special air mattress designed for use in a prius and similar types of small cars. It has special wings on the side to bend around the wheel area, and it comes with a 12 volt pump. The mattress is deflated and packed away whenever we change locations. We bring whatever blankets and sheets are seasonally appropriate. We need to upgrade our rig with a solar or battery fan, because we have found that very hot nights are almost unbearable so close together in such a small space.  Food Due to the issue of space, our dry food storage and cooler moves around depending on what ...

My Prius at the local woods   I have been camping in my 2008 Prius for about a year as a weekend activity. Sometimes I even convince my partner to come with me. It occurred to me that I haven’t shared my non-damaging “build” before. Let's walk through how I handle camping with such little space with one person. I don’t have any fancy pictures of my setup, because car camping is not as aesthetic as the van life photos would make you think. Luckily, I do have some graphic design skills, and have made up some fun illustrations instead.  Basic Prius Layout A Prius looks like this with the seats up. It has seating for five people including the driver. The bench seats fold down perfectly flat - something that is not universal across hybrid vehicles, making the Prius one of the best small cars for camping. There is a small bit of space between the folded bench seats and the front seats, which can be slid forward at night to make more headroom if needed. Note that the trunk area is no...