In Europe i prefer sleeping in the car. 1) There is always a chance of rain, and camping in a tent with rain (packing it up all wet and muddy) is just awful. 2) Also it is hard to find a nice level spot without stones roots and so on. 3) Security: If you sleep with your divers seet reclined, starting the car and just leaving is a matter of seconds while in a tent you are more vulnerable. As all these three points are not really a concern in the UAE you might as well give the tent a try

Thanks, everyone, it looks like the car option suits me (at least I fit well in the trunk of a car). Ventilation will do with the roof sections (on Wrangler its easy)

well well well, My last experience was at Expo Lake with my family (2 Adults + 2 Kids). and before planning a night camping i research a bit to equipped with all necessary stuff such as 1: Tend Mat, tent for 4, Tarpoline (it prevent your tent to get wet in fogg), Portable gas stove, Camping dining table and sitting for 4 person, LED light, lots of water, snacks, breakfast material, extra sleepers, 2 large sleeping set (designed for camping), Water bucket (it’s like a wash basen) desert rug (for sitting outside the tent), tissue paper, toilet paper rolls. before all this setup, i found a fantastic spot which is close to the vehicle, so that i can plug In/plug out the LED attached with battery. and a rechargeable search light. the amazing part is all these stuff well equipped in the trunk of X Terra.

If it's just to get sleep for myself alone, and nothing more, putting an air mattress in the car is preferable for me. The only thing I've found to be challenging is ventilation. I don't like keeping the windows down during the night, and how much you crank them down becomes a personal preference. Instead, my solution has been to get a little screen that goes above the moonroof. It keeps bugs out but also keeps the cabin breathable. And because it is flush with the roof, even with winds it doesn't flap around like a window screen would.

Sleeping in car is always better, for such tight schedule and space constraints situation. Just make sure to do the test run at home and know that you can sleep or squeeze in car nicely. I have tried sleeping on driver seat that recline almost 70 degree with comfy pillow and blanket, it works fine.

For this weather. I have a good air mattress that fits both a tent and a car (trunk and rear seats folded down) + have very little staff to carry with me + for 1 person Pros for car: fewer operations, don't care about the wind, don't need to carry a tent. But never tried it Pros for the tent:..... I know what to expect

Oh really sad to hear that , didn’t know this … nowadays many areas are being fenced or restricted for one reason or another .

For what it worth, we recently went there, the fenced area on the island is closed now. There is a gate next to the comms tower, but it is completely blocked. We drove along the fence but couldn't find a way in. Had to camp on the Shipwreck beach which is a short drive from there.

hi @Mario Cornejo , we camped in Al Quaa last weekend. And it was perfect because we checked the Moon Calendar and it was New Moon, so the place was so dark we could see the Bright Stars since 8pm. The next dark night seems to be 31st Dec, but you can try this weekend 9-Dec: Moon Phases Calendar for the month of December 2021 (moongiant.com) The spot we picked was this GPS Coord 23.53486406458191, 54.744255383291794 (https://maps.app.goo.gl/68fmFqbDdRqLQZEB8) ; near a service road servicing a camel farm so our non 4x4 friends can park their car and walk a bit inside... in reality the sedans cancelled and we have a Honda CRV and GMC Acadia AWDs, all they needed to do was deflate to 17psi and they were able to join our 4x4s into the desert. Drone footage of the camping area >> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zdPgHM8cNLtFb3cA8vsH8zNtH5glGpJv/view?usp=sharing Pic below, the only time I use 4LO besides stuck: pulling the kids's sandboard slowly 😂 The next morning, plenty of technical sand for some offroad excursion, we went towards "The Green Pond" https://goo.gl/maps/JDnSNnbpH6AioMTq7 (second pic below)

For those who love remote locations and astrophoto - 23.412565° 54.390732° is the entrance point, and then you can drive 5-15 km inside the desert to the east. Unlimited places for camping inside the dunes from the left side. Deflating is a must, but the track is easy and safe

@Mario Cornejo in the other camping post I mentioned ‘the Milky Way spot’ as a potential camping venue which is actually in Al Qua- easily accessible it seems and if willing, a short drive past it on the dirt track could take you past all the saloon cars and likely a quieter spot. Do keep me posted on plans you make for Al Qua as it’s on my bucket list also… to drive and camp! AL Quaa Milky way Spot https://goo.gl/maps/rt9SFPG2abJ7SKtz6

Hi everyone Does anyone know a good spot for camping in Al Qua? Also any advice about that area: recommended routes, what to avoid, what to look for? Thanks in advance!

Not the desert but another island option is Dalma island - if it wasn’t for lock down, we had planned to visit with the video below the inspiration.

24.16144750056716, 52.65408740227145 Jebel Dhanna Bird observatory. I was there last Dec. Drivable right up to the shore.

This road / dirt track goes quite deep inside: https://goo.gl/maps/XamBgrHbs471euzT8 I’ve put the pin towards the end, as I’ve used it a while back to as starting point for a drive. The road itself can be done with any vehicle, and on both sides you’ll find plenty of nice spots. Just make sure NOT to approach it from the Sweihan side (as Google maps would suggest, as this is not possible), Better take E75 followed by E22. (From Khatam side).

I remember our Emmanuel had a post about a beautiful island in AD check it out please

Hey, does anyone have any good camping spots in Abu Dhabi? big enough for a substantial group with children and dogs easily accessible for inexperienced off-roaders with little equipment (I don’t want to spend the night recovering 🤣) any gps locations would be greatly appreciated

Adding to the list of places where to buy camping stuff there are two quite interesting shops I've visited: Al Bawadi in Dragonmart 2 and "Al Ghafaa Picnic Accesories" (https://www.instagram.com/alghafaa/) located near to Maliha in Sharjah-Kalba road. As to equipment, an item you might find useful (especially if you go with children or just for the day) is a gazebo or "sports shade", I got this one "CORE EQUIPMENT 8x8 Instant Sport Shade" from AdventureHQ. Happy camping everyone!

Thanks @Janarthan there are lots of beautiful spots to camp in UAE. I would not share them but keep the best ones for yourself and close friends. As we are driving in the desert on a weekly basis, you can mark on your GPS a waypoint where you find an interesting spot: - Not too very far from a dirt track / exit point, especially if you have friends joining with less offroading experience. - Not on a typical route where most clubs drive. I saw a guy camping on the base of Fossil Rock last week. I don't think he slept much that night. - Not too close to a camel farm, as this can get a bit smelly. - Not in a wadi (too dangerous for flash floods). - Not nearby water (mosquitos).

Trust me @Frederic i have camped twice this season and you have literally covered everything, like 100 percent. This is my checklist post before every-time we head out for camping. Still I am a beginner, but would love to hear some from experts here for some beautiful spots. Last time we camped near the love lake, where the long range dunes start.

Something most people forget are the lamps. Headlamps, torches, camping lights, etc. And with lamps, batteries are also very important.

With the camping season starting, let's revisit this topic and add essentials. Let's hear your experiences !

True, sad and unfair. The authorities could do more tho, if being honest. Just to close place of beauty or natural interest down isn't really fair. I didn't think so when it happened and I don't think so now. Patrols, wardens, fines etc. would part way fix things. In my opinion, is little lazy and also a real couldn't care attitude towards the general public. But, maybe I'm getting jaded.. Anyway at least there are still some really beautiful places to camp and visit responsibly. Am thankful for that. Think Heart Beach and that coastline were hit by a BIG oil spill 2 mths ago. Probably prefer to hide that mess from the masses.

Littering, grafitti, lighting camp fires is one of the reasons they closed the most beautiful Wadi in UAE. I'm talking about Wadi Wurraiya which was closed in 2008 and remains closed. Very sad that everyone has to suffer because of a few idiots.

I hope authorities will conduct frequent patrol and fine those who litter at wadis, picnic and BBQ area. Once all the fines are imposed, it will not completely eradicate the problem because it is down to awareness but it will be a strong deterrence.