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Recently I got a new-to-me 2017 Subaru Forester! My old car wasn’t going to cut it much longer so I started looking for my next adventure vehicle. Over the last 5 years, I’ve been in various combos of RVs and random cars. I was ready for something smaller, reliable, and that I would keep for a very long time.
I pretty much knew right away I was going with the Forester. I love a Subie and they’re perfect for car camping. Well, I finally got it and a couple of weekends ago Sheila and I took it on its first adventure! I’m planning on turning my subie into my ultimate adventure vehicle over the next few months! And Sheila and I are actually going to live in it for a bit!
Here is our first adventure car camping in my Subaru Forester!
We decided we’d go to one of my favorite spots. I grew up in a small town called Pine, Arizona at the base of the Mogollon Rim. I grew up camping up there and being in the forest is truly my happy place. There are so many great dispersed camping spots up there. Some of my favorites are right along the edge of the Rim.
We left the valley around 10am and headed north up the 87. Before heading to our spot I wanted to go to Knoll Lake. Knoll is a beautiful little lake that is about 30 miles back on forest road. The road is pretty well maintained. But it’s still pretty slow going and takes a bit of time to get out there. Sheila doesn’t love bumpy roads but I knew it’d be worth it once we got to the lake.
And I was so right! Sheila loves swimming and fetching in lakes and to say she was STOKED about the water is an understatement.
We walked around to the back side of the lake to get away from the couple families that were there and found a quiet spot. We fetched and explored the woods and swam in the lake. The water was actually really nice! Not cold at all!
Once Sheila started to slow down we headed back to the car and then on to our campsite.
On our drive back we got sun, we got rain, we got hail! The subie had quite the experience and by the time we found our campsite it was quite dirty. Just how a subie should be!
We found a spot pretty easily, right near where I wanted. There were a few other campers nearby but it looked like they were just scouting for the upcoming hunting season. They were quiet and kept to themselves and we had plenty of space between us which is what I love.
The storm we drove through looked like it was coming our way so I got our bed set up in case we had to hunker down early for the night.
Luckily, we just got some thunder and a light sprinkle. After it passed it was about 10 degrees cooler (around 65f). So I hung up my hammock, put on some sweats, and read a book. Sheila had a Real Dog Box cow ear for a snack, chased some bugs, and took a nap.
At this point, it was getting fairly dark and we were both exhausted from the day so we retreated into the subie.
I hadn’t received my Luno air mattress yet so we had a simple sleeping set up this time. I used my Outdoorsman Lab sleeping pad as my base. Covered that with a few thick blankets for coziness, and then used my Voited quilt on top. It ended up being quite comfy and plenty warm! Sheila is a girl after my own heart. She wants to be comfy at all times so she wanted to share my sleeping pad, which didn’t go well. So I’m excited to show her the Luno mattress next time!
We slept great in the Forester! And woke up bright and early so we got to watch the sunrise. It was chilly so Sheila wore her Puppy Playa poncho for a bit, which is insanely cute! We had a light snack and then wandered the forest for a couple of hours. Eventually, we came out at another spot with a great ridge view. So we sat down so I could enjoy the rest of my tea and the valley below.
I did have plans to pick up some plants from someone so we couldn’t stay too late. We headed back down the mountain at about 10, collected my plants, and then headed back to the valley!
I am already LOVING my Subie! It is going to be the perfect adventure car. Right now I’m planning on staying in my apartment into January and then living in my car for a bit! Over the next few months, I want to upgrade the Subie! I’ll get some new gear and make it more liveable.
I have a Luno air mattress on the way which will make car camping so much comfier. Once I’m ready to live in it, I’ll upgrade to a rooftop tent. That way I’ll have more room in the interior for storage. I may add a platform inside as well to make organization easier. But for now, it’s perfect for car camping just the way it is!