Most people begin their trips in Mexico, where car camping is easier because many North Americans winter there, usually in recreational vehicles (RVs).

BBC: Camping through Mexico and Central America

"Camping can range from setting up a tent in the backyard to car camping to a light hike into a meadow off a trail, " says Michele Orr, REI's director of merchandising, whose company sells all the gear and gadgets a camper could desire.

CNN: Camping: Horror or bliss?

Some camping options will be purely functional one-night layovers, such as at gas station truck stops or car parks.

BBC: Camping through Mexico and Central America