I've never camped with my kitties but I did with my dogs years ago. They took off as soon as we let them out of the car. We found our male scottie getting friendly with a bull in a field. That was a close call. Now I've traveled with a cat from Florida to Iowa so a long trip. I jambed her carrier on the back seat between the two front seats and was able to set her water and food bowls wedged between the carrier and front seats. She was able to lay on top of her carrier to see out the window and/or come up to the front passenger seat to get petted. It was my first time with this cat and she was no problem. Her litter box was way in the back of the SUV but where she could get to it and I didn't have to smell it. I drove straight thru so about 27-29 hrs in the car with her. I let her out at a rest stop to stretch her legs and that was a mistake as there was a stray cat on the other side of the fence. I had to coached the stray to come thru for some food to get mine to come back over to me. Didn't try that again.