Awesome Car Camping in Lake Tahoe with our Honda Element

Since purchasing our Honda Element two months ago, I have dreamed of the warmer weather so we can take her out for camping. I've seen the word "hotELEMENT" a few times online and had been inspired by people using their Element for camping. So, when the first 100° weather rolled in Sacramento, I got online to book a camping site in the beautiful and cooler Lake Tahoe at the Nevada Beach Campgrounds. My husband and I decided to give car camping a try for the very first time and went for an overnight camping trip!

Read about our date night trip to the drive-in movie using our Honda Element here! Also, check out drive-in movie tips for newbies and must-haves!

What is car camping?

In essence, car camping is being able to drive to a primitive campsite where you can set-up camp near your vehicle and not have to hike, however, with the rise of vanlifers, car camping has taken another meaning. Just as it sounds, campers now sleep in their cars or vans instead of the tents often by removing or folding the seats to allow for a comfortable camping bed space. It is important to note that car camping is perfect for couples only. For anything more than 2 people, bring a tent for others to sleep in.

Why car camping?

What I like about car camping is how it simplified camping for us! It was just the 2 of us during the trip and not having to set up a tent made it easy. Plus, this also made our packing list considerably shorter. We literally rolled in the campsite with our bed already made and left with very little packing effort. Also, camping can be very cold at night and sleeping in our car was warmer than sleeping in a tent. Ultimately, it was a more comfortable experience for us both. Lastly, because camping is now a much simpler process for us, I see us doing a ton more of it during the summer! I'd like to think of it as a "drive and camp" process!

Our Vehicle - Honda Element

I love Honda Element for its versatility! Its interior design is spacious and practical.  For car camping, there are 2 options for setting up the bed. One option is to flatten out all seats to convert into a bed. While this is very simple, I find sleeping with the curves of the seats somewhat uncomfortable, especially for s;eeping overnight. So we chose to fold the backseats to the side and place a thin Ikea mattress on the floor. We've tried both ways in the past and having a soft Ikea mattress on the floor is a better option for us. Plus, the front row seats are where we placed our backpacks and other belongings.

We also added a curtain in the upper trunk door to help keep the bugs out. I've seen one where they used a mesh fabric but the only small curtain I had available was this black curtain. We used Ikea hooks to set the curtain in place. What I like about this setup is that we're able to keep our trunk doors open to allow the air in all while keeping the bugs out!The bed setup will obviously differ from car to car. Vans like Chrysler's "Stow and Go" also makes a comfortable bed space for car camping.

What we brought?

I've always been a light packer! During this overnight trip, we brought a small cooler (with snacks, drinks, food to grill), charcoal,  and logs as well as our backpacks and toiletries. Other items include paper towel, plates, forks, small pot, spatula, garbage bag and foil. We also bought a cheap folding chair from Walmart.

Highlights of Our Camping

We've had so much fun car camping in Lake Tahoe that immediately we started planning our next one! Among the best highlights that I didn't take photos of were stargazing inside the Element and waking up with the pine trees in sight first thing in the morning! Here’s our sleeping setup! We bought a mattress topper from Ikea for this camping and brought in pillows and blankets!

Marlon and I also enjoyed watching the sunset by the beach with a cold beer and a good conversation!

We grilled and ate our heart out! My husband was tasked to feed us both during this trip! His menu included hot dogs with chips, pre-marinated chipotle ribs and canned corned beef hash and eggs for breakfast! Needless to say, we ate our heart away!

The weather in Lake Tahoe was perfect at around 80°F! We hung out at the beach and dipped very briefly in the water to cool off! I also took this chance to meditate and live in the moment. What a gift that was! Often, when meditating, I like to listen to the sound of the waves on my phone. Today, I got to live it!

What camping doesn't have s'mores? We made a bonfire, ate some smores, share some stories and laughter!

The following day, we woke up early at around 6:30 AM to make our breakfast! Working in a bakery means waking up at 2 AM and 6:30 AM is already considered sleeping-in for me! After cleaning up, we've decided to pack things up and explore! Packing up was simple and fast and we were out of the campsite by 8:30 AM! Among the sites we visited are Tallac Historic Site, Eagle Falls, Emerald Bay Vista and Taylor Creek Visitor Center!

We had an amazing time at the Nevada Beach in South Lake Tahoe! It was beautiful all around and we had plenty of memories to remember! I love, love, love our Honda Element and look forward to all the adventures we'll share with her! Thank you for sharing this trip with us! Cheers!