【2023 Car Picnic Guide】6 Recommended Camping Locations for Car Picnic + List of Basic Equipment

In the past year, very few people in Hong Kong could travel abroad. Besides having staycations in Hong Kong, many people chose to head to the rural areas for activities like camping and hiking, and one of the most popular activities these days is car picnicking. Today, our experts at Kwiksure will present to you a list of car picnicking sites in Hong Kong, along with their fees. Many of these sites have a long list of facilities for borrowing, which makes them very suitable for novice car picnickers!

The term "car picnicking" originated in Japan, and means accommodation in the car. This practice has been popular in Japan for many years. The car owner would transform the car's interior into a living space, possibly adding TVs, beds, folding tables, etc. These owners would live, cook, play, and sleep in the car, and also have self-driving trips when they find the time. This is similar to the car travel life (Vanlife) that foreigners love, though most foreigners will use large camper vans instead of private cars or goods vans and park their cars at the campsite before setting up tents and cooking. As for the "car picnicking" that has recently gained popularity in Hong Kong, many people will drive to outdoor campsites to set up tents, so the practice is closer to what people do in the West.

List of essential items for car picnicking/car camping

If you do not own a car, you can go directly to a car camping site to experience car camping/car roof camping. There are comprehensive facilities available for borrowing in these sites.

If you own a car and want to experience car picnicking, you will be pleased to learn that most camping equipment is suitable for car picnicking. If you are new to camping, however, you may find the following list of needed equipment useful:

1. Tent

A tent should top the list of essential items for camping! A tent lets you get close to mother nature while giving you a shield from the elements. Remember to bring tent nails and a mallet so that you can fix your tent to the land!

2. Folding table and stools

For these, It is best to choose easy-to-store and lightweight designs, and it is especially beneficial to choose folding stools that are shorter to match the height of other camping furniture. Naturally, depending on your budget and desired level of comfort, there are folding tables and stools with different price points, functions, and designs, ranging from HKD $300 to upwards of HKD $1,000.

3. Cook set

From pots, woks, teapots, household gas stoves, wind shields, to universal knives and tableware, as long as you bring all these items, you will not be out of delicious food. It is recommended that you bring a kettle with you in the winter. Depending on the complexity of the cooking, a cutting board and liquid detergent can also be purchased beforehand.

4. Mattress and pillows

Depending on your budget and requirements, air mattresses are usually less expensive but don’t give you very good support, while latex mattresses are comfortable but bulky. These days the most common are air mattresses, and since they have the best texture and are even ergonomic in design, they also take up the least space when in storage.

Also, if you sleep in a tent instead of a car, you may want to consider whether the bed is waterproof.

5. Personal hygiene supplies

If you want to keep things simple, you can simply bring wet wipes, towels, no-rinse shampoo or hair powder, and clothes for changing for simple cleansing of yourself. If your budget allows, consider purchasing one of the inflatable shower packages and bath pumps on the market, which usually hold about 10 liters of water.

6. Mosquito-repellent items

Most people from the city are scared of mosquitoes, so it is best to bring items like mosquito-repellent water and mosquito lamps with you.

7. Portable power banks

It is recommended that you bring several mobile power banks for phones, small fans, or small appliances to avoid draining the car's battery. You may even consider bringing a power bank that can be used to jumpstart your car just in case you may need it.

8. First aid supplies

First aid supplies such as potion tape, scalding ointment, antiseptic lotion, bandages, allergy medicine, abdominal pain medicine, and antidiarrheal drugs are essential. 

6 recommended sites for car picnicking

Site recommendation: Natural Garden, Lau Fau Shan, Yuen Long

Covering an area of more than 100,000 square feet, Natural Garden in Lau Fau Shan, Yuen Long has a large grassy area. It integrates leadership training and stargazing camping. Advance reservations are required. The venue is well equipped, with a campfire area, shared refrigerators, hot and cold water bathrooms, dishwashing sinks, etc. Campers can bring their own camping supplies or rent equipment from the venue. Two, three, four, and multi-person camp rental packages are on offer. The venue will turn off the lights every night at nine, and all activities will be suspended to maintain a quiet environment. Pets are not allowed.

Camp recommendation: Carpus & Co. in Sheung Shui

Covering an area of about 22,000 square feet, Carpus & Co. is located in Fu Tei Au Tsuen in Sheung Shui, and can accommodate about 20 vehicles and 80 people at the same time. Naturally, the biggest attraction is the large grass field. There is a firewood area in the center, which creates just the right ambiance. The venue is fully equipped, including kitchen zinc pans, drinking water, hot showers, toilets, etc. Free herbs are available for picking, and bicycles are available for rent. At night, you can watch the stars and have a chance to see fireflies. Carpus & Co. is a pet-friendly venue, but only welcomes up to 4 pets a day for HKD $200 each.

Camp recommendation: Urban Quit Garden in Kam Tin, Yuen Long

Urban Quit Garden, located in Kam Tin, Yuen Long, opened in 2021. It covers an area of about 40,000 square feet. The campsite is newly designed and provides hot and cold showers, refrigerators, kitchen zinc pans, vanilla picking, and more. In the summer, there is a large water pool 40 m² in size. The camp has specially set up a "food wise station" to store unopened and unexpired food and beverages for everyone to pick up.

Camping and parking spaces need to be registered in advance. If the number of applicants exceeds the capacity, the result will be determined by a lottery.

Recommended campsite: Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Ma Tso Lung Campsite, Kwu Tung, Sheung Shui

The first car camping site in Hong Kong, TWGHs Ma Tso Lung Campsite has 3,600 square meters of grassland for visitors to camp in and can accommodate at least 30 private cars. Campers must make an appointment three weeks in advance. In addition to tents, floor mats, camping tables, chairs, etc., for borrowing, the venue also has facilities such as multi-purpose lawns, football fields and cross-country cycling fields, fixed-point shooting training areas, multi-purpose activity sheds, and farming areas. The campsite gate will close at 10 pm every night to prevent unrelated people from entering and leaving.

Camp recommendation: Autocamper, Kam Tin, Yuen Long

Unlike the campsites introduced earlier, Autocamper is actually a Hong Kong roof camping rental and specialized store, specializing in roof camping. They have roof tents, self-driving car camps, base camps, canopies, etc., for rent. The venue also provides refrigerators, barbecue grills, camping tables and chairs, mobile power supplies, etc.

However, the camp is currently members-only, and all visits need to be reserved in advance, and walk-in is not entertained. 

Camp recommendation: BULA LAND, Sha Tau Kok

BULA LAND is divided into ordinary camping and car picnicking areas, and has outdoor cooking areas, refrigerators, large ovens, hot water showers, toilets, and more.

** All camp charges and details are subject to the official websites.

Car picnicking/Car Camping car insurance Q&A

Q: If a problem arises with the car during picnicking/camping, will the insurance company pay for resolving it?

A: Firstly, it depends on whether the owner of the car purchased comprehensive insurance or third-party insurance. In the latter case, it is likely that the insurance company will not pay the costs. If you purchased comprehensive insurance, the insurance company is more likely to pay compensation if the problem is with the car itself, such as a fire caused by a short circuit of the battery.

Secondly, the answer also depends on who caused the damage to the car. Suppose you, the car owner, caused a fire while cooking in the car. Since the damage was caused by the owner's own negligence, the insurance company will not pay any compensation. But if a third party, such as your friend, caused the fire, the insurance company is more likely to pay compensation, but the insurer may claim compensation from the party that caused the fire afterward.

At present, there are also car insurance plans specifically for car picnicking. Dah Sing Insurance launched the "Tesla Electric Insurance", which provides "car picnicking" protection to compensate the insured for a traffic accident when driving an electric car to a car camping site. The policy offers annual personal accident coverage of up to HKD $350,000.

In addition, if the car is parked at a private farm for car camping, and there is any accident on the site that causes personal injury or property damage, whether compensation is available depends on whether the person in charge of the site has purchased insurance for the site.

Q: Do I need to declare if a rooftop tent is installed on my private car?

A: This involves the potential problem of vehicle modifications related to car picnicking. According to Transport Department guidelines, current legislation requires all vehicle bodies and components to be in good working order. After installing the relevant accessories, the body size must not exceed the size requirements specified in the "Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations". If the above requirements are met, there is no need to apply to the Department for the installation of roof racks.