Most people who climb Everest fly into Kathmandu, hop a small plane to Lukla, and trek about ten days to Base Camp. But this spring, a growing number of climbers are taking a wildly different approach. They’re starting thousands of kilometers away, at the edge of the ocean, and making their way to the summit using nothing but their own legs and lungs. The Everest sea to summit trend is picking up real momentum in 2026, and the stories behind it are as wild as the mountain itself.
Waking up in the back of your SUV with a mountain view beats any hotel alarm clock. Car camping has blown up over the past few years, and automakers are responding with SUVs built for trailside living. The 2026 model year brings a strong lineup for weekend warriors and road trippers alike, and picking the right one comes down to cargo space, ground clearance, fuel economy, and how flat those rear seats actually fold.
The 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness leads the pack with 9.3 inches of ground clearance and roof rails rated for 800 pounds, enough for a rooftop tent and then some.
Toyota’s redesigned RAV4 now runs exclusively on hybrid power, offering up to 44 mpg combined and nearly 70 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded.
Ford’s Bronco Sport continues to impress with its rubberized cargo floor, built-in tie-downs, and an available camp-ready accessory bundle.
Subaru Forester Wilderness Takes the Lead
The 2026 Forester Wilderness deserves a long look from anyone shopping for a camping rig. Subaru bumped ground clearance to 9.3 inches this year, beating both the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands and Hyundai Tucson XRT. Approach and departure angles sit at 23.5 and 25.5 degrees, so forest service roads won’t keep you up at night.
Those reinforced roof rails handle up to 800 pounds of static weight, meaning rooftop tents, kayaks, and cargo boxes are all fair game. Inside, 69.1 cubic feet of cargo space greets you when the 60/40 split seats fold down. Water-repellent StarTex upholstery is a nice touch when you’re tracking mud into the cabin after a trail day. Towing maxes out at 3,500 pounds, and Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires come standard.
Toyota RAV4 Brings Hybrid Efficiency to Camp
Every 2026 Toyota Rav4 now runs on hybrid power, and that’s a big deal. In AWD form, the system pushes 236 horsepower while returning up to 44 mpg combined. Fewer gas station stops means more time at the campsite.
Cargo space measures 37.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to roughly 70 cubic feet when they fold nearly flat. Campers should keep an eye on the Woodland trim, which borrows rugged front-end styling from the 4Runner, comes with AWD, and tows up to 3,500 pounds. The plug-in hybrid version adds 50 miles of electric-only range, perfect for quiet cruising around a campground.
Ford Bronco Sport Was Built for Basecamp
Ford designed the Bronco Sport for people who actually spend weekends outside, and the details prove it. A rubberized cargo floor wipes clean after hauling muddy boots. MOLLE straps let you mount water bottles and tools inside the cargo area, and there’s a slide-out table for trailside cooking.
Stepping up to the Badlands trim with the Sasquatch package adds steel bash plates, all-terrain tires, and an upgraded torque-vectoring rear drive unit. Ford even sells a Camp Outfitter bundle that includes roof crossbars, a Yakima rooftop tent, an awning, and all-weather floor mats. Fold the seats and you get 65 cubic feet of cargo space, enough room to sleep inside on milder nights.
Two More Worth Considering
Don’t sleep on the Toyota 4Runner, which has earned its reputation through decades of durability and a massive aftermarket parts community. Want to build a sleeping platform or bolt on a rooftop tent? Guides for the 4Runner are everywhere online. It can tow over 6,000 pounds and handles serious off-road trails with confidence.
Subaru’s Outback Wilderness is another strong contender, bringing 9.5 inches of ground clearance with a turbocharged engine and 76 cubic feet of cargo space with seats down. That wagon-like roofline creates extra headroom that taller campers will appreciate, and it still works as a comfortable daily driver during the week.
Picking the Right Rig for Your Next Trip
Spec sheets only tell part of the story when shopping for the best car camping SUVs for 2026. Pay close attention to how flat the seats fold and whether there’s a hump between the cargo area and the seatbacks. Both the RAV4 and Forester score well here with nearly level sleeping surfaces. Anything above 8.5 inches of ground clearance should handle most campground access roads without issue.
Roof load capacity is easy to overlook until you’re shopping for a rooftop tent. Most weigh between 100 and 350 pounds, so check your rail ratings before buying. Fuel economy counts too, since remote campsites often mean long stretches between gas stations. On that front, the RAV4’s hybrid powertrain stretches each tank further than anything else on this list. Before signing anything, measure the cargo area against your height. One practice night will tell you everything the brochure can’t.
Planning a national park road trip this year? New rules just changed how you’ll pay to get in. From digital passes that load right to your phone to pricing tiers that split residents from international visitors, 2026 brings the biggest shift in park access we’ve seen in decades. Whether you’re plotting a multi-state adventure or just want to know if that annual pass makes sense, here’s how to save money and skip confusion at the gate.Read More
There’s no reason to learn off-road driving the hard way. Instead of scraping your fenders against rocks or getting stuck in mud while you figure out recovery techniques, you can learn from pros who’ve made every mistake in the book. Off-road schools around the country teach regular people how to pick smart lines, work with a spotter, and get unstuck without trashing their rigs.
Professional instruction helps you avoid costly body damage and build confidence before tackling difficult trails on your own.
Schools teach practical skills like winching, recovery board use, line selection, and how to read terrain before you commit.
Programs range from half-day experiences to multi-day boot camps, with options for your own vehicle or school-provided rigs.
Why Formal Training Beats Trial and Error
Most people buy a 4×4 and head straight to the trails. That works fine on easy dirt roads, but the first time you face a steep descent or a boulder field, you’re winging it. Bob Wohlers, who runs the Off-Road Safety Academy in California, puts it this way: his two-day course teaches what most people take years to learn on their own. Trained drivers know when to engage 4-low, how to use momentum without building up too much speed, and when to stop and walk an obstacle before attempting it. They also know recovery techniques that don’t involve yanking on a stuck vehicle with whatever rope they found at the hardware store.
What You Actually Learn
Off Road Vehicle Courses teach driving and a whole lot more. At places like Overland Experts, the curriculum breaks down into three areas: driving technique, recovery skills, and field repairs. You’ll practice throttle control on steep climbs, how to spot for another driver, and what to do when your rig drops into a hole at an awkward angle. Recovery training gets detailed, covering anchor points, tree savers, soft shackles, and traction boards. The classroom portions cover how your 4WD system works, when to lock your differentials, and how to read a trail before you drive it.
Where to Find Quality Training
Moab’s Bronco Off-Roadeo stands out as one of the best programs in the country. Ford offers this experience to new Bronco owners, but they also run half-day adventures open to anyone for around $800. The Moab location uses real trails like Dome Plateau, which combines rock crawling with high-speed sections. Instructors teach you how to use features like Rock Crawl Camera and Trail Control in actual driving situations on genuine terrain.
The instructors at Bronco Off-Roadeo know their stuff. Many have racing backgrounds, including Baja experience. They teach spotting communication, terrain reading, and how to get the most out of your vehicle without breaking parts. Plus, the Moab scenery alone makes the trip worth it.
For drivers on the East Coast, Northeast Off-Road Adventures in New York offers a two-day boot camp that combines driving essentials with recovery training. You bring your own vehicle and spend a full day on their 75-acre trail network with instructors walking alongside you. The second day focuses on either winch recovery or non-winch techniques like using high-lift jacks and traction boards.
The 4×4 Center in Vermont provides year-round training, including winter driving on snow and ice. Their 20 acres of obstacles include a frozen ice lane and courses designed for bad weather conditions. If you drive in areas with harsh winters, this training pays off.
RallyPro at The FIRM in Florida offers 420 acres of wooded terrain with mud holes, steep climbs, and articulation obstacles. Their courses welcome any skill level with personalized instruction.
Making the Most of Your Training
Most schools recommend bringing a partner if you regularly go off-road with someone else. If something happens to you on a trail, your spouse or friend needs to know how to drive out. Schools typically run from one to three days, with single-day courses covering basics and multi-day programs tackling advanced terrain and detailed recovery work. You can usually bring your own vehicle or use school rigs.
Getting Started Without Breaking the Bank
Prices vary widely. Bronco’s half-day experience costs around $795 for a driver plus three guests. Multi-day programs like Off-Road Safety Academy’s two-day course run closer to $1,000 per driver. The investment makes sense when you consider what body work costs after you scrape a rock with your rocker panel. Talk to anyone who’s taken a course and they’ll tell you the training gets rid of that intimidation factor that keeps people from exploring more challenging terrain. Gift certificates work great if you know someone who just bought a 4×4.
Stop Guessing and Start Driving Right
You wouldn’t jump into rock climbing without learning proper technique and safety protocols. Off-road driving deserves the same respect. Take a course, learn from people who’ve spent decades on trails, and you’ll have way more fun while keeping your rig in one piece.
Pull off at the right scenic overlook on a cool October evening and you’ll understand why autumn is when the stars feel closest. The air gets crisp, humidity drops away, and those early sunsets give you hours to watch the sky wake up. Pack a thermos, grab a blanket, and head out to where the Milky Way actually looks like a river of light.
Autumn offers the clearest skies for stargazing, with lower humidity and stable air that reduce atmospheric distortion.
Dark-sky parks across the Southwest provide the best viewing conditions, with Utah alone hosting more than two dozen certified locations.
Night driving needs specific safety prep including clean headlights, regular breaks, and dimmed interior lighting.
Why Fall Wins for Sky Watching
You’ve probably noticed how different the air feels once September rolls around. That crispness makes for better stargazing. Summer brings warm nights but thick humidity that blurs the view. When temperatures drop in autumn, the atmosphere stabilizes and less water vapor means clearer sightlines straight up through space.
Sunset hits earlier, so by 8 PM you’re already in full darkness. That gives you solid hours before midnight to spot planets and trace constellations.
Where the Dark Sky Gets Dark
Light pollution from cities washes out the night sky for miles around. That’s where designated dark-sky parks come in. These spots are certified by DarkSky International for having genuinely low light pollution.
Utah dominates with more certified locations than any other state. Arches and Canyonlands National Parks both offer ranger-led night programs during fall. Big Bend National Park in Texas sits so far from major cities that it claims some of the darkest skies in the lower 48 states. Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania brings dark skies to the East Coast, rare for that heavily populated region.
Planning Your Route
Pick a destination but keep your route flexible. Weather can shut down a perfect stargazing spot fast. Check moon phases before you go. Four days before or after a new moon gives you the darkest conditions.
Highway routes work better than back roads for night driving. Route 163 through Monument Valley offers stunning pullouts. Utah’s Highway 12 connects multiple dark-sky parks through red rock country.
Gear You Actually Need
Start with good binoculars. Look for 7×50 or 10×50 models. Bigger front lenses gather more light when you’re trying to see dim objects billions of miles away.
Get a red flashlight. Your eyes need about 20 minutes to adjust to darkness. Regular white light ruins that instantly. Red light lets you read star charts without resetting your night vision.
Dress warmer than you think you need to. Nights in the desert can drop to 40 degrees. Bring layers and download a planetarium app like Stellarium Mobile before you lose cell service.
Staying Safe After Dark
Night driving requires different habits than daytime cruising. Your reaction time drops when you can’t see as far ahead. Slow down on unfamiliar roads. Use your high beams on empty highways but dim them when you see oncoming traffic.
Get your windshield and headlights clean before you leave. Dirty glass scatters light and creates glare. What looks barely noticeable in daylight becomes actively dangerous at night.
Dim your dashboard lights. If the gauges are blazing at full power, looking from the dash to the dark road ahead disorients your eyes. Some vehicles with blackout styling help here. The Camaro Black Panther edition features low-glare interior lighting that works well for nighttime adventures, keeping the cabin dark enough to preserve your night vision while still seeing the controls.
Take breaks every two hours minimum. Pull over, walk around, stretch your legs. Fatigue hits harder at night. Keep an emergency kit in your trunk with flashlight, jumper cables, first aid supplies, water, and snacks.
Making the Most of Your Stop
When you find a good pull-off, give your eyes time to adjust. Spend the first 15 or 20 minutes just sitting in the dark. It feels like nothing is happening, then suddenly you notice stars you couldn’t see before. The Milky Way develops detail instead of looking like vague haze.
Look away from direct lights. If a car drives past, turn your head so the headlights don’t hit your eyes straight on. Learn a few easy constellations before your trip. Orion is up by late autumn, impossible to miss with its belt of three bright stars in a row.
Your Next Clear Night
Autumn stargazing turns a regular road trip into something that sticks with you. You don’t need expensive equipment. Just drive away from the city lights, find a dark spot, and look up.
Check the weather forecast a day ahead. Clear skies matter more than anything else. Plan for at least three hours at your stargazing spot. This isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about sitting under a sky so full of stars you can’t count them all.
Most people store their kayaks and wait for spring, but they’re missing something good. Indiana’s rivers change completely when temperatures drop, offering peaceful walks, clear views, and wildlife you won’t see during warmer months. The White River winds through charming towns where winter brings a quieter kind of magic to the water’s edge.Read More
