USA Van Camping Information

Many of our favorite traveling companions don't enjoy the rigors of backpacking, so we organize at least one van trip each year. Our domestic van trips have traditionally occurred in the western United States. The van carries us and our gear to a succession of campsites, much like a raft would on longer river trips. During the day, we sightsee and dayhike to points of interest, returning to our fully-provisioned base camp each night.
These van trips focus on natural wonders, visiting archaeological sites, perusing museums, soaking up local culture, and viewing wildlife. The options are endless and frequently impromptu events end up being trip highlights.
We generally rent a fifteen passenger van with a gear rack and when necessary add an auxiliary support vehicle. We load up our enormous rafting coolers with the same type of deluxe food we would take rafting. We move to a new campsite daily or every other day depending on the extent of the hiking and sightseeing opportunities in each area.
An advantage of group van camping is accessibility to the occasional hot shower. Another is being able to have luxury items which aren't remotely imaginable when you tote all of your personal gear and food on your back.