We Asked AI to Plan the Ultimate Car Camping Trip. Here’s the Plan… (and What We’d Change)
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We asked ChatGPT to create a full car camping plan, including where to go, what to eat, and which gear to pack. We’re putting the plan under the microscope to see what it got right and what we’d change.
Why We’re Letting AI Plan Our Camping Trip
We’ve spent years perfecting our camp setups, dialing in our vehicles, and exploring remote campsites across the Pacific Northwest. But with AI tools like ChatGPT blowing up, we started to wonder…
Can artificial intelligence plan a legit car camping trip? Could it handle the real stuff: unpredictable weather, meal planning, packing lists, and gear logistics?
So we gave it a prompt and let it take the wheel.
The Prompt: “Plan a 3-day car camping trip in the Pacific Northwest. Include campsite suggestions, a camping gear checklist, meals, and outdoor activities. Assume we have a car, basic gear, and a camp kitchen setup.”
Here’s the plan AI gave us: what we think it got right, what’s missing, and our final thoughts.
🏕️ Campsite Pick: Olympic National Park
AI’s Pick: Kalaloch or Hoh Campground
Initial Thoughts:
Honestly… great choice. Olympic National Park is a classic for a reason. It offers access to beaches, old-growth rainforest, and hiking trails all within a few hours’ drive. Kalaloch sits right on the coast. Hoh puts you deep in the mossy magic.
What AI missed:
- No mention of reservation requirements (these sites typically book up months in advance)
-
Didn't check or give us a heads up for fire bans
📦 Camping Gear Checklist
AI Suggested:
- Tent
- Sleeping bags
- Camp stove
- Flashlights/headlamps
- First aid kit
- Rain jacket
- Multi-tool
What’s missing:
- No mention of a camp kitchen setup, not even a table or cutting board
- No food storage (cooler, bear safety containers, or even a dry box)
- No cleaning gear, trash bags, or reusable dishware
What We’d add:
- A full camp kitchen setup (like the Chuk Kitchen Box)
- Kitchen basics like a knife, spatula, and cutting board
- Paper towels, trash bags, and spices/cooking oils
🍳 The AI Meal Plan
Day 1:
- Breakfast: Oatmeal with dried fruit
- Lunch: Hummus wraps
- Dinner: Foil-packet salmon with potatoes and fire-roasted corn
Day 2:
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and coffee
- Lunch: Trail mix + jerky
- Dinner: Chili in a Dutch oven
Day 3:
- Breakfast: Granola and fruit
- Lunch: Leftover wraps or sandwiches
Our take:
Not bad. The basics are there, but AI definitely leaned safe. No mention of real coffee gear (we bring an AeroPress or Moka Pot typically), fresh produce, or fun extras like s’mores or cocktails.
We’d swap the instant coffee, add a real skillet breakfast, and maybe throw in a campfire cocktail or two for good measure. And let's be honest, every camping plan needs s'mores.
🧭 Suggested Activities
AI Recommends:
- Hike the Hall of Mosses Trail
- Explore tidepools
- Watch the sunset
- Go stargazing
- Journal reflections by the fire
Our take:
Pretty touristy and surface-level, but it’s not wrong. Overall, it put together some pretty great activities, but it missed a few smaller or more spontaneous things that I love about camping. Things like skipping rocks, playing board games or cards, spotting wildlife, and sharing a whiskey around the fire.
⚠️ What AI Didn't Consider
These are the blind spots we spotted that we’ll plan around:
- Weather: It didn't ask for travel dates or check the forecast
- Fire restrictions: Critical for many different reasons
- Storage + cleanupL No mention of how to keep food safe and camp tidy
- Comfort items: Camp chairs? Table? Hammock? Music? Nah
- Backup plans: If the site's full or roads are closed, what's plan B?
Final Thoughts
AI can build a solid camping trip framework, especially for beginners. It’s decent at organizing a trip, picking a destination, and listing the essentials. But the real magic of camping? The gear you trust, the meals you crave, and the moments that happen when the checklist is done, all that’s still up to you.
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