Camping with Your Pickup Truck

It’s always great to get away, even if just the weekend, and go hang around in the wild places of the world. Maybe you’re an angler, hunter, or forager. Maybe you’re a hiker, biker, swimmer, skier, or paddler.  Maybe you just want to go sit around a warm fire, roast something edible on a stick, even sing a song or two. 

Whatever you’re planning on doing, you’re going to need a place to stay, and a way to get all your toys to your destination. If you were searching for truck camping equipment, it’s a good bet that you’ve got a pickup truck and you’re in the market for some truck camping accessories or gear.

Maybe this isn’t your first stop, but if it is, you will find numerous sites to tell you which truck camping essentials you must have and where to buy them.  If you’re starting from scratch, this may help you think about what you need. 

Capacity and organization

It does not take long to fill up a pickup truck with camping truck accessories before you’re lashing things down in a big heap. Trucks with domed toppers have a lot more enclosed space to work with, but try digging out your fishing rods from the front corner without unloading the entire bed first. A tonneau cover like ours will make it a lot easier to reach those front corners. In any case, the space you have is limited, so consider:

• Organizing totes and compartments for the bed and/or the cab of the truck
• A bed extender to capture some additional cubic footage at the end of the bed
• A bed slide to pull out and access items at the front of the bed easily

How to sleep on a pick-up truck

To some people, “camping” is synonymous with sleeping on the ground in a tent. To other people sleeping on the ground is synonymous with “no thank you, I’ll just stay home.” If you have a pickup truck, one option is to sleep in the bed. But your truck bed camping gear should at least include something to sleep on, and likely something to sleep under.

The bed on your bed

Truck beds are not comfortable to sleep on, even with a plastic bed liner. You will want to find something more to put between your body and the bed:

• Air mattresses – These are ideal because they are very compact and comfortable. On the other hand, they must be inflated and deflated, and they can be punctured. Battery powered, self-inflating versions are very nice. All you need are spare batteries and a patch kit to bring along just in case.
• Collapsible cots, a.k.a. camping beds and foam mattress pads are bulkier to bring along, but are easier to use and will never deflate.

No matter what you sleep on, bring a sleeping bag suitable for the overnight temperature.

Truck tents and roof tents

If there’s no rain or mosquitos where you’re going, you could plan to just sleep under the stars and move right on to other truck bed camping accessories. But most of us will go for some kind of a roof over our heads, no matter how much we like stargazing. That brings us to truck tents and roof tents.

• Truck tents use the bed as your primary enclosure, but add a tent roof on top. They require little or no independent structure and, unless you have a monster truck lift kit, you can climb right up the tailgate to get in. These are the simpler option.
• Roof tents go on top of the vehicle, starting with a rigid platform, under a tent structure, with a ladder to climb up and inside. This more elaborate option may be the best choice if you don’t have an open bed to work with and/or if you prefer to be up higher off the ground.

No matter which option you choose, there are lots of truck tent accessories to go along with them.

Other stuff for camping in your truck

There are thousands of great products out there that are suitable for all kinds of camping.  Browsing your favorite outdoor store or website is a good place to look for all the latest gadgets and gizmos. Here are some other specific pickup truck camping accessories.

• Awnings provide extra shade and rain protection along the side or off the back of your truck
• Hitch-mounted grills, food preparation stations, and even chairs and hammocks make clever use of that trailer hitch or receiver
• Tailgate-mounted or slide out kitchen centers offer quick access to food preparation and clean up 

Regardless of how you decide to get out on your adventures, we’d love to keep your gear protected while in transit and in camp. Check out our solid aluminum retractable truck bed covers and reach out with any questions. Happy camping.