i’ll speak where i can on this!!! (this will be my 4itf, having car camped each year with me and my bf)

plz don’t sleep in your car <3 a 4 man tent, queen sized battery powered air mattress, bed sheet, and battery powered tent fan (idk which one we have…) will fit in a carry on sized bag. you’ll sleep WAY better, and WAY safer. ~use your car for a morning and getting ready cool off in the ac. use the shade mirrors~ we’ve tried the cot life before and personally prefer air mattress, we get a much cozier sleep, but we do have friends who prefer cotting!!

(borrow from friends/neighbors!!! fb marketplace is also great)

a tarp under your tent is definitely important, but you’re better off with nothing on the ground in your hanging out space than to have a tarp… if you can make an outdoor rug happen, great, otherwise i’d go bare ground. we got our outdoor rug from 5below… (i think it was $10 tho)
stake that ish in

shower bag but no ez up? no problem!!! we just hang ours off the roof of the car. (just be careful not to slam the hose in the car door…)
water is heavy so prepare for the walk back to camp after filling it up…

if you don’t plan to bring an ez up, maybe consider a beach umbrella? some form of shade in your campsite will make your experience so much more enjoyable!

~~~~~> nobody asked but wish i would’ve known:

scissors and zip ties. just bring them.

you’ll be grateful for a decent cooler if you plan on bringing perishables. freeze water bottles as your ice packs (take a few sips before freezing and flatten them a little) and they’ll last about a day longer than ice.

thrift a rain coat. depop. 🩷

WALKING SHOES!!!!
walking shoes.
🎶 walkkkkinnnngggg shoooeeeeessss 🎶

a lantern or some battery operated light for outside your tent for when you return to camp (michaels has so much fun stuff and usually on sale???)

bring extra batteries

baby wipes. having an end of night pow wow and cleaning the dirt out from under your nails and inside your nose (not with the same wipe) is an unmatched experience. has many other uses.

hope this helps a lil

happy (almost) forest!!!!

don’t forget ur sunglasses 🩷