For those new to the party, I took my first car camping trip recently and learned a lot. Getting on the road was so fun, and knowing I only had myself to keep me company left me with a lot of time to think. I chose my destination based on proximity and landed on Croatan National Forest, a short three-hour drive. The forest was stunning, and seeing the ocean alongside the trails was an experience I’ll never forget.

It was an eye-opening trip. Which is a nicer way of saying I didn’t know what I was walking into. I feel like I did well on the trip, especially because it was my trial run for my camping set-up and new car.

Some things I learned aren’t as relevant for the shorter trips, and others would have made my life significantly easier the whole time. These are the seven things I learned from my first car camping trip.

1. I Skipped Out on Supplies I Shouldn’t Have

I have a bad tendency to want to muscle through situations. Sure, I can buy this $20 sink, but realistically I can pour water into a bowl and call it good. It was not good, it was extremely painful. There were two things I found I was desperately reaching for again and again. I thought about them at least twice every day. Those things are a portable sink and a headlamp/light source.

The first was pure stubbornness. I was told on so many hands by several YouTubers (I have no other source) that I wouldn’t want to hold my flashlight or my phone the entire time. They were right. I found myself leaving my door open for the car ceiling lights, which let in bugs all night. Nature is fun, but I would prefer it outside the car.

I know I have a headlamp somewhere around my house, but digging it up is a whole different story than having it. If I don’t find it I might splurge for a little hanging solar lamp, like this one. I try to steer clear of new gadgets, but I might allow a $20 splurge if I need a lantern anyway. Also, it doesn’t take batteries, and that’s always a plus.

The second thing was a mix between laziness and forgetfulness. I meant to order a collapsable sink from Amazon, and promptly never did. There wasn’t any sort of replacement, I assumed it was easy enough to do dishes without anything to hold water. I was wrong.

I wasted so much water trying to do simple things like dishes, a sponge bath, and cooking. The ground got watered more than any of my stuff did, and by the end of the trip, I was over it. Bare minimum, I need a bucket, but preferably one of those collapsable sinks. In a small car, storage is always my priority.

2. Checking the weather

I blanked on this one. Regardless of the weather, I was going on this trip, so it felt null and void to check. I expected it to be slightly chilly, so I packed leggings, jackets, and short sleeves so I didn’t overheat when hiking. I didn’t think to bring an umbrella, a raincoat, or even a hat.

That’s right folks, it rained for two of the three days. I woke up to rain on the second day, and it rained on and off the rest of the weekend. It did take a trip for a bit of common sense to kick in, but we got there.

3. Don’t Hike After Dark

I got overzealous on the first day and decided to embark on a three-mile hike with an hour left for sunset. I didn’t account for the time it would take me to play around with my camera, one I didn’t know how to use, to get some decent shots. Each time I stopped it added 5–10 minutes.

By the time I reached the 2-mile marker, I had to put my camera away and jog the rest of the way. “Don’t hike in a place you don’t know after dark” is pretty solid advice, and I didn’t plan on being the idiot who goes missing because she didn’t follow it.

There’s a lesson in here somewhere. It could be to start hikes earlier, not take the camera if I’m short on time, or maybe take less time with the photos. I can feel it out next time, but you won’t catch me in the same position again.

4. Take More Photos

I don’t know if this is ‘take more photos’ or ‘take more of the right photos.’ I got a lot of photos of landscapes, the ocean, and cool bridges (I like bridges). There is an immediate problem and a more long-term one.

The first was when I was coming home from the trip. I sent my sister a few snapshots, and she asked me if I had any of myself. No… I don’t sis. I don’t have a single photo of myself this entire trip. The thought didn’t cross my mind until I was long gone.

The second was when I was finishing my previous article, “How I prepared for car camping.” I meant to get photos of my car set up, my camp set up, and the spots I choose to sleep in. I got none of those. Sorry, y’all, I solemnly swear to do better by you next time.

Unfortunately, I still haven’t perfected which photos I need, but next time I’ll take a mass amount and see which ones I typically use. After that, I’ll probably be able to cut down again.

5. Know The Area

I walked into Croatan National Forest with stars in my eyes and a blank map of where I was going. I glanced at the photos a few times and looked up places I could sleep, but aside from that I didn’t bother.

As soon as I got there I realized my mistake. National forests are big, and using Google Maps to take you there means it’s going to take you to the middle of the forest. It doesn’t take you to a visitor center (do national forests have those?), or even to a hiking trail, or even a sign with National Forest written on it. You just end up on a road, because the national forest spans hundreds of acres.

I was googling hiking trails and places I wanted to go while parked next to a lake in the middle of Croatan. Every place I wanted to go was a 45-minute drive from me, and an hour from one another. I spent more time cruising back roads than hiking or taking pictures.

There were places I had to skip that I wanted to go to, all because it was too far out of the way of everything else. I could have made it if I would have planned better. Hindsight is 20/20 yes?

6. Stay the Night in a Campground

I might do this next time, or I might not because I’ve already braved the wild. I partially regret not going to a campground. My reasoning was I knew what I wanted. I wanted to be a ‘real car camper’ and find my free camping spots. I don’t want to have to pay for a campground every time I go somewhere.

It was my first time camping by myself, and I thought because I stayed in hotels and went to cities by myself I was prepared. I was not. During the day it was great, I felt steady, I would hike places and eat in my trunk and didn’t think anything of it.

Nighttime was different. It took me hours to fall asleep. I jumped at every sound, certain I was taking my last breathing moments. At least at a campground, I had others around me if I screamed. Terrifying reasoning, yes, but I’m young, alone, and scared. My mind came up with all sorts of gruesome ways to go. The second night went better, and the third night better still, but I still think I would’ve been steadier in a campground, even if it was eight dollars a night.

Frankly, I didn’t want to write this lesson. I wanted to present a brave front. It would be nice to let everyone think I’m not afraid of anything. I watch all these seasoned travelers do amazing feats like they’re not afraid of anything, and I desperately want to be like them.

The truth is, I’m not a seasoned traveler. I’m just starting my travel journey, and that’s going to come with some fear. Maybe diving in head first is the answer, but sometimes it would be just as easy to ease myself in. We’ll see in our future travels.

7. Make a build

This isn’t necessarily a lesson, I knew I wanted to make a build at some point. This trip did help me decide what I wanted to prioritize on the build. I hated setting up and taking down camp, specifically my kitchen setup. This changed my design for the build, but the fact that I know more about what I want makes it that much easier to design.

My dad and I are currently working out the kinks, and any last-minute issues and decisions. Trying to decide if I want more storage or headroom, how much space I need to sleep, and what the drawers are going to look like have been hard decisions, but I’m more prepared to answer them after this trip.

Conclusion

I didn’t exactly have the adventure of a lifetime, but I would say my first trip was a success. I went intending to learn a few things about myself, my future, and see a little bit more of the world. A low bar for success, but I like to keep it real.

With these lessons under my belt, I’m already planning my next trip, and it’s a big one. I can’t wait to share the rest of the details about this trip, and start my next one! Thank you all for reading, and feel free to follow along as I begin my travel journey. Stay brave!