Everything You Need to Know About Truck Bed Camping

Whether you just want a weekend out exploring with the family, or you want to take a year-long trip down the Pan-American Highway, truck bed camping is a great way to travel and explore on a budget.

And while it’s easy to get caught up in all the cool truck bed camping gear, and it's fun to dream about the perfect truck bed camping designs and platforms, the goal is not the means - it’s the adventure!

This post will cover all the basics of truck bed camping and provide you with everything you need to know, so that you can get out there and start your own truck camping adventure TODAY!

And at the bottom of the post, you’ll find a printable packing list of all the camping gear and equipment you’ll need!

Truck Bed Camping Methods

While having a camper shell or canopy on your pickup certainly makes the process of going truck camping easier, it’s not mandatory for enjoying your time outdoors in your pickup.

Camper Shell

If you already have a camper shell or canopy on your truck, use it! If you’re interested in getting one, be sure to check out our guide to choosing one that’s right for you - there are SO many options available! And it doesn’t have to break the bank - we found our first fiberglass camper shell used on craigslist for $40, and then years later upgraded to a GFC camper for family travel.

This is obviously our preferred method of truck bed camping, as it provides a secure and weather protected space for you to eventually customize your truck bed with a sleeping platform, organization, drawers, curtains, lighting, etc. to specifically suit your own camping needs so you can always be ready for any adventure.

Truck Bed Tent

A truck bed tent, like this one*, is a great and inexpensive way to start camping in the back of your truck. The benefit to this method of truck bed camping is that it offers the lowest barrier to entry, requiring less up-front cost and no major additions to your truck, while still providing you with an elevated space for sleeping.

However you cannot install more permanent or custom truck bed sleeping platforms with this method, and the setup process of the truck bed tent can be just as cumbersome as a ground tent.

Ground Tent

Just because you aren’t sleeping in the bed of your truck, doesn’t mean you’re not truck bed camping. Grab a high quality tent* and some water-resistant totes* for your truck camping gear, toss them in the back of your pickup, and head for camp!

When you get to camp just set up your camp kitchen on the tailgate, pop your tent, and you’re ready to go.

And if you’re fair-weather camping you could always forgo setting up the tent and just sleep beneath the stars in the bed of your truck!

Though It doesn’t take a lot of fancy gear to enjoy your first time truck bed camping, there are some basic pieces of truck camping gear that you will need to bring along.

Truck Bed Camping Sleeping Gear

Getting a good night’s sleep is vital to enjoying your truck bed camping experience - it ensures you are well rested enough for the next day’s adventures.

Mattress

We’ve got a whole post dedicated to helping you select the right truck camping mattress, but if you’re just starting out we recommend using what you already have first and upgrading from there. So if you’ve got an old inflatable mattress or foam sleeping pad already tucked away in your closet - grab that!

If not, here’s our top picks:

Inflatable Mattress
- Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Ultra Sleeping Pad*
Sleeping Pad
- Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Ultralight Foam Backpacking Mattress*
Memory Foam Mattress
- Budget Friendly: Millard Tri-fold Memory Foam Mattress* (they come in a variety of sizes and thicknesses and you can customize them to fit your truck bed camping setup)
- High-End: Hest Foamy* - if your budget allows and you’re not interested in going the DIY route, the Hest Foamy is a super high-quality truck bed camping mattress. You can use one for solo truck camping, or link two together for a full width sleeping platform.

Sleeping Bag

Again, if you’ve already got a sleeping bag and you aren’t planning to camp in temperatures below 50 degrees, just use what you have to get started now!

But if you’re planning to camp in colder temperatures, a quality sleeping bag is absolutely necessary for enjoying your truck bed camping adventure. The best sleeping bag will have both:

Synthetic vs Down Insulation - this is important when truck bed camping because, unlike most down fill bags, a synthetic-fill sleeping bag’s insulating properties will not be as affected by condensation and moisture. However, some down sleeping bags use hydrophobic down that absorbs less moisture and dries faster making it better suited for truck camping if you’re needing a more compact sleeping bag.
Proper Temperature Rating - make sure that your sleeping bag’s temp rating is suitable for the temperature range you’ll be truck camping in.

Our preferred combo is either the Big Agnes 15 degree synthetic bag* or the Thermarest Vela 20 degree down quilt* coupled with a sleeping bag liner*. The bag liner offers added insulation in the coldest of nights, and can also be used on it’s own in the dead heat of summer. Plus a bag liner helps to keep your sleeping bag clean and can be more easily washed!

PRO TIP: Bring your pillow from home. If you’re like us, you spent a good deal of time finding the just-right pillow to sleep on at home, and those inflatable camp pillows - though nifty and compact - will never live up to your regular pillow.

Truck Bed Camping Kitchen

One of the great things about truck bed camping is the kitchen setup. The pickup’s tailgate is the perfect counter space, and you can customize your camp kitchen kit to fit your cooking style - it can be as elaborate or as basic as you want.

Truck shell camping kitchen with slide out drawers and a swing out fridge.

Camping Stove

You’ll want a good 2 burner stove for truck bed camping and if your budget allows, this is a good place to splurge.

High-end: The Cook Partner* propane stoves are as sturdy as camping stoves get and will last for generations. They’re hand crafted in the U.S.A and can be ordered in a wide variety of configurations. We love ours, but they are pricey.
Mid-range: Camp Chef propane stoves also have a great reputation and the Everest* is a quality option at a reasonable price.
Budget: This Coleman Duel-fuel Camping Stove* design has been in use since WWII and can run off either Coleman white gas or regular old unleaded gasoline as a fuel source. It is an inexpensive and versatile option, though not quite as durable as they were once known to be and not as clean burning as propane options.

Kitchenware

A good set of kitchenware for truck bed camping doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated.

Grab the basic cooking utensils from home or pick up a set from a thrift store to go in your camp kitchen box. We recommend assigning one plastic tote to house all of your camp kitchen gear to help you stay organized and more easily break camp.

Another great upgrade to your truck bed camping kitchen, is the Mountain Hatch Tailgate Panel Cutting Board which converts your truck’s tailgate into a convenient camp kitchen counter and food-prep space. We’ve used one in both of our truck builds and love it.

You can check out our post How to Set Up a Portable Camp Kitchen Box Today for tips on setting up your first camp kitchen. And you can check out the camp kitchen section on our gear page to find all the gear we use in our personal truck bed camping setup.

Truck Bed Camping Storage

Having a good method for keeping your camping gear, food, and drinks organized is another great way to ensure you enjoy your truck bed camping experience, and also helps to decrease the likelihood of forgetting or losing vital items when breaking camp.

Gear Storage

This doesn’t need to be complicated, a couple simple plastic totes* for gear and a duffle bag for clothing will work just fine if you’re truck bed camping with a camper shell or truck bed tent. If you’re using a ground tent you might want to consider using some higher quality water-resistant totes. You can check out these Stress-Free Camping Storage Ideas for Organizing Your Camping Gear for tips on keeping things organized, and our guide on How to Choose the Best Camping Storage Boxes, Bins, and Containers if you want some help selecting a good tote for your gear.

Once you’ve decided that truck bed camping is something you want to pursue long-term, then you can consider built-in storage options - like the drawer system and sleeping platform we designed.

Water Storage

Before we upgraded to using the RoadShower as our truck camping water storage container, we used the tried and true 7 gallon Aqua-tainer* and it worked just fine. They’re inexpensive, easy to fill, and really pretty durable. Or if you’re up to a DIY solution, our latest 10 gallon DIY Camping Shower and Camping Water Container design is a great solution for truck bed camping too!

Food Storage

Cold Food Storage: The options for coolers are endless, and the costs vary greatly. We used good old fashioned ice chests for years before finally investing in a 12v Camping Fridge for our truck bed camping setup. We recommend starting with a basic cooler if you’re just getting started, and upgrade from there.

PRO TIP: Use two smaller coolers instead of one large cooler. Keep your drinks in one and food in the other - this will help reduce the amount of ice you use while camping. The smaller spaces will cool easier and you grab drinks far more frequently than food so the ice in the food cooler will last longer when not constantly being opened.

Also try to pre-cool all your food and beverages at home prior to packing the cooler so that ice is not wasted on bringing everything down to temperature. Your second night’s meal could even be frozen before going into the cooler. Frozen water bottles could also be used initially in place of ice, and then drank once thawed.

Dry Food Storage: Plastic totes and storage containers are great for dry food storage in most truck bed camping situations, but if you’re camping in bear country you should invest in a bear proof container* for your food storage and familiarize yourself with best practices regarding food storage and preparation in areas where there may be bears.

And if you’re looking for easy meal ideas while camping, head over to this post!

Truck Bed Camping Safety and Repair Equipment

Truck camping safety and repair equipment

The best part of truck bed camping is the ability to get out to those awe-inspiring camping spots in the boonies, but you’ll want to be prepared beforehand.

Go check out our post on Wild Camping Safety & Security for some helpful insights, tips, and safety gear recommendations to be prepared before heading out on your first truck bed camping adventure. And if you’re hoping to take your truck bed camping off road, our post on Overlanding and Off Road Recovery Gear can help you get there.

Bathing While Truck Bed Camping

Our guide on Bathing While Wild Camping will help you decide on a bathing strategy that works for you. We cover everything from sponge bathing to solar heated pressurized camping showers (plus some great DIY camping shower options)!

Using The Bathroom While Truck Bed Camping

While definitely the least glamorous part of truck bed camping - when you gotta go, you gotta go.

In our Complete Guide to Using The Bathroom While Camping, we cover all the ways to effectively and ethically take care of business while truck camping in the wild.

Dealing With Extreme Temperatures while truck bed camping

Truck bed camping in the heat of summer or the frigid cold of winter doesn’t have to be miserable. With a little forethought, planning, and the appropriate gear it can be a lot of fun!

Winter Truck Bed Camping

Our Guide to Winter Truck Camping, based on our own experience battling sub-freezing temps while truck bed camping, will provide you with everything you need to stay comfortable while cold weather camping in your truck bed throughout the winter months.

Summer Truck Bed Camping

If you’re planning a summer camping trip, this Guide to Summer Truck Camping will provide you with tons of helpful tips and effective gear to help you stay cool while truck bed camping in hot weather. Though a traditional AC unit is likely out-of-the-question, it covers a number of ways you can still enjoy your time outdoors in the summer.

Truck Bed Camping Off-Grid Power

You’ll likely want a way to charge your cell phone, laptop, and GPS while truck bed camping.

Most modern electronics like these have 12v charging capabilities and can be charged from your truck’s factory 12v outlets. If not, you can pick up a cheap 12v power inverter* to convert your truck’s 12v power to regular 110v like you use at home.

The key is not over-taxing (draining) your truck’s starting battery too much. We recommend carrying a portable jump starter, like this one*, just in case.

If you’re interested in powering more equipment (like a 12v camping fridge), camping for an extended period of time, or are truck bed camping while traveling, you may want to consider upgrading to a dual battery setup. We’ve got an entire guide to help you choose a dual battery solution that fits your budget and power needs.

We’ve also got an entire series all about camping power and finding the right camping power supply for your needs:

Other Useful Truck Bed Camping Gear

Camp chairs - We’ve used everything from the budget-friendly options like this one from Coleman* to the higher-end Big Agnes Mica Basin* and Helinox Sunset* camp chairs. Bottom line - you want one that fits your budget, and is comfortable enough to be able to relax after a long day of hiking. Check out our post on The 12 Best Camp Chairs for tips on choosing one that’s right for your needs and truck camping setup.

Hammock - Want to take a siesta next to a river or just chill out and read a good book? Of course you do! A hammock is an excellent way to relax while truck bed camping. We use and highly recommend the Eno Double Nest* (don’t forget to grab some tree-straps*). If it fits your budget, it’s well worth the investment.

Headlamps - Hands-free illumination is priceless while truck camping. These Black Diamond Spot Headlamps* are an excellent, budget friendly, and waterproof option that we’ve been really happy with.

Tarp - A basic Sil-Nylon tarp* has SO many uses while truck bed camping, and can be a budget alternative to a traditional truck camper awning to provide some outdoor space when the weather isn’t cooperating.

Lantern - The Black Diamon Remoji Lantern is USB rechargeable, and has built in collapsible double-hook hanging loop and magnets for a variety of mounting options. They’re a cheap and efficient way to illuminate your campsite, truck bed shell or tent, or camp kitchen at night.

Camp Saw/Axe - Grab a traditional axe and/or bow saw from your tool shed at home for processing firewood if you have one. We recently upgraded to the Agawa Canyon Boreal Folding Saw* (this post tells why it’s been one of the best truck bed camping gear purchases we’ve made) - so if it’s in your budget it may be worth looking into.

Shovel - Properly putting out campfires, disposing of human or pet waste while wild camping, digging your truck out of the sand or mud - a shovel has a TON of uses when truck bed camping. But you don’t need anything fancy. Just grab one from your shed or pick one up at the hardware store to get you started.

Camping Washing Machine - The Scrubba Wash Bag is a super handy piece of truck bed camping gear. If you’re thinking of going on an extended camping trip or traveling while truck bed camping, check out our post showing how we do laundry on the go.

Tire Table - the Tailgater Tire Table* is a great alternative to the standard camp table for truck camping that mounts to your truck’s tire. This allows it to be easily leveled on uneven or soft terrain - you check out our detailed review of the Tire Table for more info.

Best Places To Go Truck Bed Camping

Anywhere!

But seriously, the best part of camping from the bed of a pickup (especially one with 4-wheel drive and high clearance) is that you’re not limited to developed campgrounds - you can go off the beaten path and camp wherever your adventure takes you!

That said, if you’re just getting started we do recommend taking a couple shorter weekend trips in good weather and close to home to help iron out any kinks in your truck bed camping setup. And when you’re ready - go check out our detailed Guide to Free Camping. It will open up a whole world of truck bed camping adventures!

Be sure download our FREE printable truck bed camping gear checklist by clicking below:

There you have it, everything you need to start truck bed camping TODAY! If you have any questions as you get started please drop a comment below - we’d love to help!

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Thanks for reading!