{"id":9113,"date":"2026-03-20T16:19:59","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T16:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=9113"},"modified":"2026-03-20T16:19:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T16:19:59","slug":"best-truck-camping-gear-for-a-simple-overlanding-setup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=9113","title":{"rendered":"Best Truck Camping Gear for a Simple Overlanding Setup"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Published March 20, 2026 09:07AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I have a love\/hate relationship with camping. On the one hand, sleeping outside is amazing. Eating dinner in the woods is absolutely sublime. Sitting by the fire at night borders on spiritual. Honestly, car camping is truly one of the great pleasures in life. It\u2019s also a pain in the ass\u2014mostly because of the packing.<\/p>\n

My friends and I joke that it takes 48 hours to prep for an overnight camping trip, and then another 48 hours to unpack from that trip. We\u2019re being hyperbolic, but not by much. Car camping is a logistical nightmare, but I love it. So instead of getting better at packing, I decided to stop packing altogether and build a truck camping setup that\u2019s ready to go at all times.<\/p>\n

During the pandemic, I converted our near-vintage Toyota 4Runner into a simple car-camping rig so I could take the family out on a whim. It worked\u2014we camped our asses off during the modern plague. When I upgraded to a pickup, I added a topper for stealth camping. It was cramped, but lovely.<\/p>\n

Now I\u2019ve got a newer F150 and another chance to refine the system: a practical, no-nonsense truck camping build designed for overlanding.<\/p>\n

And when I say \u201coverlanding,\u201d I really just mean car camping. I live on the East Coast and have no interest in rock crawling. This is my daily driver\u2014I don\u2019t want to roll the thing over into a ditch or have to replace a punctured oil pan. My 4WD F150 runs stock suspension and all-terrain tires, and that\u2019s plenty for the unimproved gravel roads winding through Pisgah and Nantahala National Forest. My focus isn\u2019t extreme mods\u2014my goal is to make camping so streamlined, I only have to pack some food and beverages before heading into the woods..<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the gear I\u2019ve added to turn my truck into a ready-to-roll car-camping machine.<\/p>\n

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Decked Drawer System<\/h2>\n
(Photo: Courtesy Decked)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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I love driving a truck, but they\u2019re not exactly known for their trunk space. Adding a Decked Drawer System to my bed is the single biggest upgrade I\u2019ve made for truck camping. Now, most of my gear lives in these drawers full-time.<\/p>\n

Cooking kit (stove, coffee, seasonings, plates, utensils), chairs, sleeping pads and bags, lights\u2014 even an extra tent when the kids come along\u2014it all disappears into the system. Instead of assembling gear before every trip, I just add food and go.<\/p>\n

\"Decked
(Photo: Graham Averill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Decked isn\u2019t cheap, but it eliminates the pre-trip scramble through garage bins. Installation was easy too. I got my teenage son to help with some of the heavy lifting and got it done in an afternoon\u2014no drilling into the bed, no emergency runs to the hardware store. I\u2019ve built custom drawer systems before, and while that\u2019s a satisfying DIY project, Decked is a turnkey solution that delivers secure, weatherproof gear storage.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not for everyone. If your truck regularly hauls gravel, dirt, or furniture, the drawers eat up a lot of bed volume. For me, it\u2019s a no-brainer\u2014I can still haul lumber or toss surfboards and paddleboards on top, while keeping my camping setup permanently dialed.<\/p>\n\n

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Thule Xcape<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Thule
(Photo: Courtesy Thule)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The Xcape is the true foundation of my build. The unsung hero that literally does all of the heavy lifting. At just 51 pounds, the all-aluminum build is light, but it holds up to 500 pounds of static weight.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always liked the clean look of Thule racks, but what sold me here is the Xcape\u2019s telescoping design. With the press of a button, I can adjust the rack height depending on what I\u2019m hauling. Low for bikes or a rooftop tent tucked below the roofline to cut drag; high when I need clearance for long paddleboards or a canoe.<\/p>\n

\"Thule
(Photo: Graham Averill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s hard to overstate how useful this rack has been. It creates the base for my rooftop tent (more on that below) and gives me the ability to haul absurdly long paddle boards in the summer. I\u2019ll probably add side MOLLE panels for extra storage and maybe a side-mounted bike rack down the line\u2014the possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n

And much like the Decked, I didn\u2019t have to drill any holes in my truck bed to install this rack. It clamped directly onto my bare bedrails. You can also get uprights that fit to a tonneau cover. I installed it by myself in just a couple of hours.<\/p>\n\n

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Sylvan Sport LOFT 2.0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Sylvan
(Photo: Courtesy Sylvan Sport)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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I used a topper on my last truck so I could sleep in the truck bed. It was simple and fuss-free, but both that truck and my current one have short beds (5\u20196\u201d), which meant sleeping diagonally. Sleeping in the back of the truck also meant sacrificing storage space, and things got especially cramped when my wife joined me. For this build, I wanted a setup that separated our sleeping space from gear storage, so I switched to a rooftop tent\u2014specifically the Sylvan Sport LOFT.<\/p>\n

The LOFT is a hardshell, two person tent that sets up in less than a minute. Seriously, unclip four clamps, and the tent is ready to go. Packing it away takes a little more finesse\u2014you have to tuck the fabric walls carefully\u2014but after a couple of practice runs it\u2019s still far easier than wrestling with a traditional tent.<\/p>\n

It comes with a ridiculously comfortable 2.5-inch mattress and gear storage galore\u2014two hanging organizer pockets, a shoe bag, and two net gear lofts attached to the ceiling where you can stuff layers, books, and other odds and ends.<\/p>\n

\"Sylvan
(Photo: Graham Averill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Closed, the tent is just eight inches thick, giving it a low profile that helps reduce drag even mounted above the roofline like mine. Two crossbars on the top platform hold up to 150 pounds, so you\u2019re not sacrificing rack space\u2014you can still carry boards, kayaks, or bikes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s surprisingly roomy, too. My wife and our 50-pound dog sleep comfortably inside, and the large windows keep it from feeling like a coffin. Getting a 50-pound dog up the ladder is comical, though.<\/p>\n\n

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Zenbivy Overland Double Bed Kit<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Zenbivy
(Photo: Courtesy Zenbivy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Speaking of my wife, this addition to my camping kit is for her. I\u2019m happy to sleep in a mummy bag, but comfort is my wife\u2019s number one priority while camping, and if I can make our sleeping situation more comfortable, she\u2019ll camp with me more often. So I see the Zenviby Overland as an investment in our relationship.<\/p>\n

The Overland isn\u2019t just an oversized two-person sleeping bag; it\u2019s a full bed system. A fitted double sheet stretches over a range of mattress sizes and includes a built-in head cover you can use like a pillow on warm nights or pull over your head when temperatures drop. On top, a double quilt filled with chemical-free 650+ down drapes over you like a comforter.<\/p>\n

\"Zenbivy
(Photo: Graham Averill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You can wrap the foot box of the top quilt around the bottom of your mattress for a tighter, warmer fit, or you can leave the bottom untucked for more freedom of movement. There\u2019s even a built-in storage pocket in the hood that\u2019s perfect for keeping a headlamp handy. This is easily the most comfortable two-person sleeping system that I\u2019ve used.<\/p>\n\n

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Coast EAL35R and Coast CL10R <\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Coast
(Photo: Courtesy COAST)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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I wanted to upgrade my camp lighting situation with my new build, but I\u2019m not a string light guy. I understand why people like those string lights\u2014they look great on social media\u2014but I\u2019ve found most of them to be too much of a hassle. I wanted an old school lantern that I could easily carry with me, and a dedicated cook station light.<\/p>\n

\"Coast
(Photo: Graham Averill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Coast delivered with the EAL35R, an old-school lantern with a few modern tricks, including voice control. Say \u201cCoast, turn on,\u201d and the lantern fires up. You can also dim the light or change colors with voice commands. It sounds ridiculous, but being able to turn on the light from the comfort of my sleeping bag without having to search for said light is very, very convenient.<\/p>\n

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(Photo: Graham Averill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For task lighting, I added the CL10R, a compact spotlight that delivers 1,150 lumens on a swiveling base that attaches almost anywhere via clamp or strong magnet. That means I can slap this light onto my truck bed rack, point the light at my cook station (or cooler), and take care of business in the dark.<\/p>\n\n

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Packfire<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Packfire
(Photo: Courtesy Dick\u2019s Sporting Goods)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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I\u2019ve been a fan of self-contained fire pits like Solo Stove and Breeo for years, mostly using them in my backyard. My only complaint is that they\u2019re too heavy and bulky to bring camping. Enter the Packfire, which takes the clean-burning, nearly smokeless system of high-end fire pits and builds it into a collapsible package designed for car camping.<\/p>\n

The stainless steel and aluminum \u201ccan\u201d looks similar to a Solo Stove when in use but folds flat and packs away easily and small enough to fit into a backpack. Setup takes less than a minute, and it burns either standard firewood or Packfire\u2019s ClearBurn Firewood ($60)\u2014super-compressed hardwood bricks that burn hot and long.<\/p>\n

Wildfires are becoming an increasing concern, even in the moist Southern Appalachians where I live, so I appreciate having a contained fire that reduces the risk of an errant flame. And the less smoke, the better: the Packfire, paired with ClearBurn Firewood (or any dry wood, really), produces very little of it.<\/p>\n

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