I have read quite few posts about camping trips on this site. My wife and I going on a long summer vacation using our 2008 Prius to camp all over the Western U.S. (Yellow Stone, Bad Lands, Arches, Grand Canyon, etc.) For those of you who have gone on long trips with their Prius. what advice would you give us. What should we bring? Should I buy seat covers? etc. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. And thanks ahead of time.
If it's just the two of you going, there should be plenty of room for whatever you'd normally take camping. (Except a canoe on the roof will really kill your mileage ) We've found a plug-in cooler to be very handy, though you'll still need a source of ice in the summer heat. The Prius will likely go longer between rest stops than you will.
Since things tend to get quite dirty on the road I would suggest either going all out and gettting seat covers or simply putting long beach towels over the seats and maybe a large sheet to cover the rear seats and hatch area. Good all-weather floor mats help with all the dirt you'll be tracking in. I say this quite a bit but I'll say it again. A twin-sized inflatable air matress fits quite nicely once the rear seats are folded down and makes for a comfortable bed when you need a quick nap or if you cannot find a good camping spot or don't want to spend the money. It looks almost like this but in red... heck at least it matches the car.
Hobbit address the ventilation problem associated with this practice, and offers a proposed hack. This may be more than you want to do, but you will need to think about the problem. Some folks just leave the Prius on all night with the fan on low. The engine will kick on periodically to maintain the battery. Another proposed solution, very low tech, was some mosquito netting with weights that you could drape over the front doors, and leave the windows cracked.
I was thinking 'camping' meant sleeping in a tent. Taking a car is almost cheating in the first place, but you want to sleep in the car on an air mattress? And leave the engine running? No, that's not right. A six week unsupported bicycle tour from Canada to California - now that's camping. Wimps.
Hmm...seat covers are almost required considering where I go....A nice blue tarp makes a great, cheap cover for the floor of the rear hatch. I never sleep in my car (well, there were a few times in college, but that could not really be called sleeping...).... IF someone slept in the back...and I suppose of the entire landscape was covered in poison oak or poison ivy, or killer scorpions, I MIGHT consider that, I would just leave the hatch open. Solves venting problems. Normally, I just sack out on the ground somewhere. I seldom use a tent, except for snow camping.
