The Three Biggest Mistakes Made When Camping In A Truck Bed

People who use a pickup truck for hunting or travel will often feel like they're living out of their truck, but some people actually do  choose to utilize their pickup truck beds to camp in. Unfortunately, truck bed camping is not as easy as tossing an air mattress in the back (although that's what many people do). Here's a look at three of the most common mistakes people make when camping from their truck beds.

Not Thinking Vertically

In a small space like a truck bed, floor space is at a premium. And if you choose to sleep directly on the floor, that's well over half of the truck bed that can't be used for anything else. How can you fix this? Go vertical. This could mean stacking an air mattress on top of several boxes (which are being used for storage) and sleeping a few feet off the ground, or it could mean making a small sleeping platform out of lumber and storing things below. Another way to utilize vertical space it to hang things from the ceiling and attach storage to walls. If your only storage space in a truck bed is the floor, you'll quickly run out of room.

Not Thinking Clean

One of the toughest things about using a truck bed to camp in is keeping it clean and dry. Rain, dust, mud, and more will have plenty of chances to work their way inside. Make sure all hardware that holds your camper to the bed is as tight as possible and that any seals are in good condition. Also, make sure that sliding windows are completely closed when driving. As you're camping, have storage bags for wet or muddy clothing, and have a battery-powered vacuum that you use each day.

Not Thinking Categorically

Thinking (and storing) things categorically will save you a ton of time when camping out of your truck bed. What does this mean? Instead of keeping all your clothes in one location, all your shoes in another, and all your gear in still another location, instead store things by category. Have a space that contains all of your hunting clothes, shoes, and gear, and a space that houses all of your rain essentials. This way, you're only pulling out the things you need at that specific time instead of rifling through piles of things looking for one specific item.

Truck bed camping can be a pretty cozy way to sleep at night, but if you don't take the time to plan a little, it can be a pretty miserable experience. Make sure you have these tips in mind, though, and you'll be ready for the perfect camping trip! Click here for more information.

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