Truck Bed Camping; How to do it and why it is awesome
I am sure you know all about camping with a tent and a sleeping bag out in the wilderness. But what about truck bed camping? Have you ever pulled out your sleeping pad and bag to get cozy in the back of your truck or even a large SUV? Well, my family and I did and let me explain why and how.
For the first year of owning our western NC mountain land, Pumpkin Patch Mountain Homestead, we have had to camp on the property. We bought unused raw land, which barely has enough flat areas to camp comfortably. But we made it work with two Lightweight 2 Person Camping Backpacking Tent that fit one adult and one little kid. The family had fun quickly setting up our sleeping area and camping like we would at a state or national park. In the picture below, we set up a giant tarp under the tents and then wrapped it over the back of both. This helped to keep the morning dew and light rain from dripping.
Our sleeping situation changed as we moved into summer. Our two neighbors had informed us that a black bear had been visiting our side of the mountain. The bear had jumped into an open car window and pulled out some groceries from the back seat. It was also found stealing bird food and pushing on the back sliding glass doors to get in. The bear had been fed and not scared of humans, which meant it was a danger to me and my girls. We had to change our sleeping arrangements when we went up there, and so truck bed camping was born.
We own a 2004 Ford F150 with a six footbed and a hard cap or camper shells. The purchase and installation for this cap was purely for keeping our belongings dry. The husband moves a lot of materials for his job, so years ago it was just sensible to buy one. I never really paid enough attention to realize we could camp in it too. The shell has screened windows on each side and an easy opening and closing tailgate glass. Our truck came with a rigid and hard truck bed liner that has deep grooves. It works great for any water flowing through, but not necessarily for sleeping on. The Self-Inflating Camping Pad was essential to be comfortable. Plus, our camper shell did leak in one spot when it rained heavily, so the grooves kept us dry while sleeping.
Our bed was large enough for two adults and even one small kid. My oldest daughter slept comfortably in the backbench of the cab by herself when the whole family came up to the property. But it was most enjoyable when it was a solo trip for either my husband or I. Plenty of room to stretch out, kick back and chill in.
The best part was the easy setup. Tents, even the smallest, typically take two people to set up easily and quickly. Sleeping in the back of the truck takes one person and no time at all.
Most times we would haul materials to the property to work on that weekend, and those materials would be in the truck bed. This was an easy remedy by unloading the materials under the carport then sweeping out the bed of the truck. I kept a small two-foot broom in the truck at all times. After, I would Lysol the bed and open the windows to let the liner dry. Finally, it was time to roll out my sleeping pad and bag, fluff up my pillows, and set up my night side table that included my MPOWERD Luci Inflatable Solar Light, reading a book, and evening snacks and drinks. And bam you are done setting up the sleeping arrangement for the night or two.
Now there were times when I had to drive out in the middle of the day with my sleeping gear all set up in the back. For the most part, it was not too much trouble. I would grab any loose items like water bottles and my books to toss in the cab of the truck. Everything else stayed in place for the most part.
Ultimately I enjoyed camping out in the back of our truck. We plan to do this more often even when we are not at our property but merely camping in a park on vacation. It keeps us safe and dry with plenty of room to sleep and gives privacy.
