Some of my fondest experiences traveling for races have been the nights spent car camping. In the past few years, I have headed to Mt. St. Helens for the Backcountry Rise—an epic Daybreak Events race that, due to its remoteness, practically encouraged car camping in the expansive parking lot the night before. I’ve had similar nights at Haulin’ Aspen in Bend and the Sisulaw Dunes in Florence.
I wasn’t really set up for this style of camping, and while I had a great time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing out on the full car camping vibe. I was just in the middle of nowhere in my SUV, in the dark, when car camping should feel like more. It should be a weird little home away from home—little bits of comfort and fun tucked into an otherwise dreary setting.
With a few key pieces from BioLite and GoalZero lineup, I’m excited to see how a proper setup can transform these nights—from functional to fully enjoyable.
Range 500
Even though we’re heading into spring, race travel still comes with plenty of dark moments—early alarms, pre-dawn starts, and nights spent car camping at trailheads and staging areas. Between late arrivals and the general chaos of race weekends, having a reliable light becomes less of a luxury and more of a necessity—whether you’re organizing gear out of the back of your car or trying to create a little pocket of comfort in the dark. That timing lines up well with BioLite’s updated Range series, an evolution of their original 2018 headlamp built with these exact moments in mind.
The biggest upgrade comes in the form of USB-C charging, eliminating the need to dig around for spare batteries, along with fast-charge capability that can give you enough light to get through a setup or squeeze in a few early miles. From there, it’s a well-rounded package: strong output, multiple lighting modes for everything from trail running to camp setup, and a design that actually feels good to wear.
Lightweight, low-profile, and built to handle wet, messy conditions, it fits seamlessly into that race weekend flow—helping turn those dark, in-between moments into something a little more functional, and a little more like that “home away from home” car camping should be.
Solar String Lights
Good lighting makes all the difference when you’re spending nights outside, especially during race weekends where your “campsite” might just be a parking lot or trailhead. BioLite’s Solar String Lights bring a surprisingly cozy element to those setups, with 44 feet of soft white LEDs that can run off solar or USB power—no outlets or battery scrambling required. It’s one of those pieces of gear I wish I would’ve had during any of my overnight car camping stays before races.
For car camping, they instantly turn a dark, utilitarian space into something that actually feels livable. Drape them around your trunk setup, over a tent, or across a makeshift hangout area, and suddenly you’ve got that “home away from home” feel dialed in. Whether it’s organizing gear the night before, unwinding after a race, or just adding a little atmosphere to an otherwise dark corner of nowhere, these are one of those simple upgrades that make a big difference.
AlpenGlow 250
When it comes to staying outside longer—whether that’s camping before a race, winding down after, or just hanging out at a trailhead—good lighting (and a little extra power) makes all the difference. The AlpenGlow 250 (also available in 500 and 900 lumen versions) fits right into that space as a versatile, do-it-all lantern. With up to 200 hours of runtime (around 5 hours on high) and IPX4 weather resistance, it’s built to handle whatever conditions race weekend throws at you.
What makes it especially useful for car camping is how adaptable it is. It can sit on a tailgate as a lantern, hang from your trunk or hood for broader light, and shift between cool, functional lighting and more ambient multicolor modes depending on the moment.
It also doubles as a power bank, giving you a way to top off your phone or headlamp when you’re off the grid. Whether you’re organizing gear, setting up your “car room,” or just trying to make the space feel a little less like a dark parking lot, it’s an easy upgrade that brings both function and a bit of fun.
Goal Zero Yeti 300
Half (or maybe most) of the reason for heading into the mountains for a run is to disconnect (he says, while sitting here typing, wishing he wasn’t). But for safety—and, let’s be honest, a few other reasons—staying connected is a necessary evil. Whether it’s for emergencies or snapping photos of the kind of views that make the trip worth it, you still need power. And at a time when gas is pushing $5 a gallon, using your car battery as a charging station isn’t exactly cheap, smart, or all that practical when you need that same battery to get you back home.
The Goal Zero Yeti 300 hits a nice middle ground for car camping and race weekends, offering enough power without drifting into overkill territory. It’s portable, weather-resistant (IPX4), and built to handle cold conditions (down to 4-below), with a long lifespan that makes it feel like a reliable piece of gear rather than a one-off solution. Shoot, the battery has 4,000+ cycles which means you can use it daily for over 10 years.
Pair it with the Nomad 50 solar panel and you’ve got a setup that can fully recharge in about 7 hours and power your phone dozens of times over. Whether you’re staging out of your car the night before a race or spending a full day off the grid, it’s the kind of upgrade that lets you stay connected without relying on your vehicle to do all the work.
