I have no qualms with hiking miles to summit a mountain or sliding on my butt to get to the bottom of a canyon—but sleeping on the ground with only a thin layer of nylon separating me from the outside world is where I draw the line.
Not only do I prefer to be comfortable and warm at night, but I’m also simply too afraid of what could be lurking in the woods to sleep peacefully in a tent.
My solution has been to ditch the tent entirely and turn the back of my Subaru Crosstrek into a cozy campsite instead. This setup, which hinges on an air mattress designed for cars, is more comfortable than sleeping on the ground and blocks the elements better than a tent ever could. It also provides more security from potential campsite scaries, like small creatures and critters, or even predators like mountain lions. (But keep in mind that, even though a car offers more protection than a tent, bears can still break in, especially if they smell food—so be careful not to eat or store food in your car overnight.)
For someone like me, a prima donna scaredy cat, camping in my car is a way to have my s’more and eat it, too.
Here’s the gear I use when I want to be close, but not too close, to nature.
