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It's really hard to say how much time I've spent living out of vehicles. During my first season as a river guide, I lived in an old Jeep that eventually burnt to the ground. Then I downgraded to a crappy Pontiac Grand Prix with a hood that was duct taped shut. The year before I became a mountain guide, I made a huge upgrade to a $1000 '89 Ranger with a canopy that was about six inches longer than the truck bed. Since moving to Utah, I've camped out nearly every weekend during the springs, summers, and falls. Let's see ... 13 years of climbing and mountain biking with, let's say, 25% of the weekends in the rig, plus four whole summers, is about 700 days of car camping in a little over a decade. In that time, I've picked up lots of tricks that can make a campfire next to the car feel like home. Remember, the more comfortable your camp time, the more energy you'll have to get after it during the days. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Safety first:Get yourself a serious first aid kit and keep it in your car. There are about a million ways to get jacked when you're climbing, biking, hiking, or even chilling around camp. If someone gets a little sloppy with the firewood chopping, then you want to be able to deal with it quickly. Especially when you're an hour from the closest town with zero chance at cell reception. It's also well worth your time and money to take a Wilderness First Responder class so you can deal with anything that doesn't require an emergency room.

Water is life:Water is the source of all life, so it makes sense to have plenty with you. You need to wash your pots, dishes, and hands, fill your water bottles, and top off your dog's bowl. Get a three- or five-gallon water jug and always top it off before you leave for your trip.

Don't skimp on the food:

Eat a lot and eat right. I'm not talking about gas station food and freeze-dried ultralight whatever. Bring a two-burner stove and a couple large pots and cook your crew a meal that will make the lumberjack breakfast at a truck-stop diner look like a side of green beans. My personal favorite: boil some thick pasta and fry up a tube of Jimmy Dean sausage. Mix the two together when they're ready, and then cook them another few minutes with a bit of heavy whipping cream added into the mix. When it's nice and thick, top it with the cheese of your choice or throw on some pasta sauce if you like. A cooler is obviously a key item if you're packing meat to the campground, but skip the ice. Sausage floating in melt water isn't too appetizing. Instead, hang on to your plastic soda bottles, fill them with water, and freeze them at home. Now you have ice to keep the goodies cold, and when it does melt, you have more water. When you get home, fill them up and freeze them for the next trip.

Something to chop with:Have you ever tried to start a fire with only the six giant logs that came in the grocery-story firewood bundle? If you have (and it can be done), then you know how handy it is to have an axe around so you can turn one of those logs into kindling. And if you're going to bring an axe along, then it may as well be the most badass one around. Be careful though; this thing isn't for swinging when you're six beers deep into celebrating the day's adventures. Better to have a designated firewood chopper who isn't too drunk to forget that a double-bladed hatchet is downright dangerous. It could be argued that a regular hatchet works just as well and is safer, but where's the fun in that?

Let there be light:After setting up a tent by the light of a cell phone, I made it a point to never be without a light while car camping. OK, so it actually took a few times, but that's not the point. Bring a headlamp for yourself and an extra in case. Stash a third in your glove box, so if you forget to pack one, you won't be completely SOL. Not that you'd ever forget, but hey, it could happen. In addition to the headlamp, I highly recommend a lantern. It'll help immensely with the cooking, it gives everyone something to gather around while the fire is being built, and it helps you find camp if you get a little turned around after you wander off into the woods to visit nature.

Your shirt is not a napkin:You're going to be really happy that you brought some paper towels when your buddy spills his morning coffee all over the center console of your rig. Not only do paper towels come in handy for cleaning up spills and doing your dishes, but they can also help with starting a fire. And remember, paper towels double as toilet paper in a pinch, but toilet paper makes a terrible paper towel.

Somewhere to sit:Sitting on top of the cooler isn't all that comfortable, and if it's Beer:30, then it's just plain rude to block access to the drinks. Not to mention the fact that putting the cooler next to the fire kinda defeats the purpose of keeping the contents cold. Don't skimp on furniture. Get a nice, big folding chair with armrests, cup holders, and the whole nine yards. And make sure to collapse your chair at night. It's amazing how far these things can fly in a good stiff wind.

Pack right:Now that you have all of your gear together, take a little time to pack it right and stay organized. Either get some large rubber containers, some modular storage bags, or some duffel bags. Fill one with food, one with clothing, one with gear for the weekend's adventures, and so on. This keeps the car from turning into a rolling gear bomb by the end of the first day, and it lets you quickly find your toothbrush on Sunday morning.

Sleep well:Whether you're throwing down in the back of your truck or inside a massive car-camping tent, you should be doing so on a seriously comfortable sleeping pad and in a warm sleeping bag. Weight and compression are not factors, so go as comfortable as you like. And if the situation permits, I highly recommend the double sleeping bag. This is, without a doubt, the best car-camping invention ever created.

The only thing limiting the gear you bring car camping is the size of your car. So pack carefully, buy a cargo box if you have to, and bring along anything that you can possibly think of to make your stay more comfortable. Share your own car-camping stories and tips here...