My Camping Set Up

One of the big questions people ask is what do you take with you on a camping trip? It is important to think about a few things when packing and about to head away. The first is where are you going and for how long? Also, think about the weather, is it going to be freezing in the middle of winter or a hot summers night and is it going to rain? These questions will always get you started to packing the right gear when you want to explore the great outdoors.

What is in my set up every time?

No matter what time of year it is or what the conditions will be, there are a few things that always come with me. Obviously, you need bedding, and for that, I take with me a Weisshorn double swag that I got from Rays Outdoors a couple of years ago for about $150 as they were shutting down. As well as the swag, there are things like a pillow, clothes and a sleeping bag that always need to get packed. However, I don't grab any sleeping bag I can find. This is where I begin to think on the questions I mentioned earlier. At the moment I would take with me either a winter (up to -24°C) or a summer (up to 2°C) sleeping bag from Aldi. If it is going to be really cold, extra blankets are always thrown in. You can never be too warm when camping. I usually will have my swag underneath my side awning to keep the sun/frost off.

June Long Weekend at Wyangala

Other things I always take with me are a folding table and camp chairs. I also take with a picnic bag that has all my cutlery, plates and cups inside. Recently (In the last 3 months or so) I have got myself a Companion Black Ice 65l dual-zone fridge/freezer which I run off a Kings 115ah battery in the rear of the Dmax. I rate this bit of kit highly, but for a weekender, it is far from a necessity. Growing up my family and I would go away for up to a week with only an esky and ice. As long as you have a decent enough esky to keep your food and drinks (most importantly the beers) nice and cold, you will be fine.

To cook, I use a single burner butane stove and a Ridge Ryder butane fry pan. With these easy, compact cookers, you can have anything you'd like from a BBQ to pasta dishes. Camping doesn't have to mean roughing it, and I'll explain a few other ways to cook better meals when camping later on. I usually will take with me a 10l bottle of water that you buy from Woolworths for cooking, drinking and cleaning with.

Other things that should always come away with you are lights, something to wash your dishes with and garbage bags. That's a big one, and no one should ever leave the house without garbage bags. Any rubbish that you take with you when camping must come home with you. The biggest reason that campgrounds get closed is that people leave their food lying around, throw bottles in fires and simply don't clean up after themselves. I will always try to fill an extra bag of rubbish that I find around the camp from before I got there. If we all do our part, camping will always be apart of our lives.

What if I am camping in a caravan park?

Camping in a caravan park usually means a few more creature comforts. A shower, clean toilets, a laundry room and sometimes more recreational activities like a pool or other activities for the family. When camping at caravan parks, usually there are BBQ facilities and even a camp kitchen with an oven, sink, etc.

A lesson I learnt the hard way, is have a jar of coins that come with you in your camping set up. This way you can use the washing machines if need be, but most importantly have a hot shower. Some caravan parks allow for hot water to be used for free, while others charge around 20 cents a minute, so that's why I always have a jar of coins. I was staying once up at Lake Lyell, near Lithgow in the middle of winter, and had to have a cold shower after a day of four-wheeling in the mud because I didn't have my coins.

What if I'm in the bush?

A few snags cooked over a fire at Lake Lyell

When camping in the bush, there isn't really much more to take other than the basics. It's important to bring with you some toilet paper and a shovel for when nature calls. If you are going to bury your business, please don't just cover it up. Dig a hole at least 60cm or so deep and cover it all up. Also walk away from the camp and do it a little further away because there is nothing worse than pulling into a camp and finding toilet paper scattered everywhere.

If it is winter, and you are in an area that allows campfires (always check beforehand), bring some matches, firelighters or paper. Some places you will be required to bring your own firewood, so have this if needed, if not, bring an axe (or chainsaw if you have the room) but only cut what you need. Always follow the rules of the park you are camping in.

If fires are permitted, I will bring with me the cast iron Potjie Pot from Aldi. Once you've got a fire going with good coals, you can have a roast cook on the fire. Pair that with some potatoes wrapped in foil and thrown in the coals, you've got yourself a roast dinner.

So what is in your camping set up?

I'd love to hear what you include in your camping setups, things I may have missed or tips that you have for what is a must-have in any camping setup.