The Best Campsite Is the One You Build Yourself
Real gear reviews, campsite setups, and outdoor tips from someone who lives out of a truck and camper — because the best experiences happen outside, not inside an RV.
Why I Started This Site
I’ve always believed that the best camping experiences don’t come from the most expensive RV or the fanciest campground with full hookups. They come from finding that perfect spot — a clearing in the pines, a ridge with a view, a quiet creek bank miles from the nearest paved road — and building a campsite that makes you never want to leave.
My rig is a lifted 2013 Toyota Tacoma 4×4 with a Four Wheel Campers Project M pop-up on top. It’s not an RV. It doesn’t have a built-in kitchen or a bathroom. What it has is the ability to go anywhere — fire roads, forest service trails, mountain passes, desert washes — and carry everything I need to set up a premium campsite once I get there.
The philosophy is simple: sleep inside the camper, live outside it. Inside, there’s a custom queen-size mattress and a good night’s sleep. Outside is where the real living happens — a proper camp kitchen, comfortable seating, good lighting, a fire, and whatever view I drove all day to find.
I started Camping Under The Trees to document this approach and share what I’ve learned about the gear that actually works. Not theoretical reviews written by someone who’s never slept on the ground — real recommendations from hundreds of nights spent outside, in every season, in every kind of weather.
What You’ll Find Here
- Camping gear reviews — Honest takes on tents, sleeping bags, camp kitchens, lighting, furniture, and everything else that goes into a campsite. If I recommend it, I’ve used it.
- Truck and camper setup — How I built my overlanding rig from the ground up, including the Tacoma upgrades, the Project M camper, and the gear organization system that makes setup and teardown fast.
- Outdoor cooking — Camp kitchen setups, cookware recommendations, and recipes that work when your kitchen is a folding table and a propane stove.
- Travel tips — How to find the best campsites, what to pack, how to camp in different seasons, and the lessons I’ve learned the hard way so you don’t have to.
- Buyer’s guides — When you’re ready to invest in gear, I’ll help you choose the right product at the right price point — whether you’re a weekend warrior or a full-time overlander.
The outdoors doesn’t require a massive budget or a six-figure rig. It requires the right mindset, a few key pieces of gear, and the willingness to get out there. Whether you’re truck camping like me, car camping with a tent, or just looking to upgrade your weekend setup, you’re in the right place.
Welcome to Camping Under The Trees. Let’s build something great outside.
Follow the Build
The ongoing story of a blacked-out Tacoma, a Four Wheel Campers Project M, and everything bolted to them.
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