The Camping Thread

[thefargo]

Originally Posted by prydey

Kind of glad the Mrs said no to camping in winter. Cold inside my house, let alone outside in a tent. Brrrr.

same here, we were going camping for a week, but it has been so cold, we decided to hide in the warmth of home.
I agree there is not a lot of fun to be had when you are cold and wet.

also gives me a chance to do some of the home stuff I have been avoiding.

I think we will head off next school holidays (october I think)

[prydey]

Originally Posted by thefargo

I think we will head off next school holidays (october I think)

same.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by prydey

same.

You'll be safe Rob, I'm not out there anymore

[NTF6]

Originally Posted by Junkyard-Dog

Well I like the Darche traditional double swag. It is great quality but relatively heavy and quite large. It isn't very good for backpacking/hiking use so I got one of these for when I'm alone/want to go on foot.

http://oztrail.com.au/product-range/...een-by-oztrail

picked it up for $200 new somehow.

Mitchell swags are great, if it's you and the missus then this is the go:

http://www.campingcentral.com.au/ozt...ub-floor-base/

[sgt_doofey]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but one problem with food in eskies is keeping it dry. We found some large snap lock bags solved this problem. Just put the food inside it's packaging inside the snap lock bags and it stays nice and dry.
If using an air mattress on the ground, simply put a blanket underneath it to stop the cold from coming up.
Also for the tent, invest in a few different size tent pegs. You never know what sort of soil/surface you might encounter.

I've camped up at Bathurst a couple of times (and going again this year!) and you need bigger tent pegs to break through the rocky top layer. Our tent survived 90km/h wind gusts one year. We had no problems. Was funny watching everyone else struggling with their camp setups though.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

[sgt_doofey]

This was our setup for Bathurst. You have to fit it all on an 8x8m plot.
That tarp was a good $2 investment. It absolutely bucketed down that year (2011) so the three of us were huddled under that shelter whilst it absolutely bucketed down.

Those round BBQ's don't pack down too well, so unless you have heaps of room to transport them, I wouldn't recommend using them. Our eskies were inside the front of the tent to keep them out of the sun. (When it was sunny!)

This year, we'll be glamping with taking a mate's camper trailer, so we'll be able to fit a lot of useless gear in there!

For power, I've got one of these: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/50000mAh-...item235236d3c1
Picked it up for $18. Should get about 3 phone charges out of it so hopefully that might last the trip. Also planning on taking my old Nokia N95 that lasts a week for general use. Will swap to my smartphone when I need internet to talk to the family back home at night.

[Junkyard-Dog]

Good to have an update on how the swag went XB. I know what you mean about the high density foam mattresses included with most swags, some of them are just a tad too thin but a self-inflating mat is a good remedy anyway - albeit a bit pricey for a decent one.

I'm actually planning on rolling out my Oz-trail king single dome swag sometime this week, maybe next week at worst. This will be the first real test for the Oz-trail swag because I've only set it up at home so far. I don't know when I'll get to field test the Darche double though, I still haven't had the chance to get away thus far. The camp sites I'm planning on going to are accessible by foot only and I don't feel like carrying the heavier double swag, especially considering I am forever alone anyway

Happy camping.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

My swag is definitely not a walk in swag ie a swag used to hike with etc ??

I think a ute or a 4x4 with roof racks or trailer are more appropriate it's quite large.

[Junkyard-Dog]

If I was planning on backpacking everywhere and doing the hike-in thing all the time, there's no way I would have bought a canvas tent at all but I can handle it for the occasional walking trip. The Oz-trail "only weighs" about 8kg without mattress and 14kg or something like that with the mattress included whereas the Darche is almost 20kg with mattress (and it's much wider). Neither one is particularly light but the Oz-trail shouldn't bother me too much. Time will tell.

I figure I pay a gym membership so that I can lift heavy and carry stuff, so whats the difference right?

[Junkyard-Dog]

Well boys, I finally. Finally. FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY!!! Got my time off work planned next week. I have spent a lot of time planning a nice coastal backpacking trip which will give me the opportunity to properly try out a lot of equipment I have purchased over the last few months. I will provide a detailed report for anyone interested and hopefully I will get some decent photos.

I've got so many different things to trial so it should be interesting to see what fails and what prevails. It will be even more interesting because none of this equipment was cheap, so if anything lets go in this relatively short trip (7 days) it will be a clear sign that it wasn't made to last. When I say I'm trying new equipment I mean that I essentially bought an entire new kit over the last 3 months, so everything from rucksack to solar panel/battery charger will be challenged.

I've been filling in for my soon-to-be-ex boss until he finishes his probation at a new job and basically lets this company go. It has been stressful times for me for other reasons and filling a role I'm not really trained for has made for some very anxious days at work. At least I got a raise though. I'm looking forward to letting go for a while and getting back to nature.

[prydey]

bought one of these today
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/JUMP-YOU-...-/121437122803

caravan and camping show here in adelaide. i went along, but it was mostly caravans and campertrailers and not much in the way of camping (bush camping).

i was on the lookout for ideas of what options there were for power, keeping in mind i only really need enough to keep a few phones charged for 3-4 days. i had been looking at the small solar setups but came across a site selling these things. not sure if i've been sucked in or not, but it seemed like a good little compact unit that should do the job nicely.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by prydey

bought one of these today
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/JUMP-YOU-...-/121437122803

caravan and camping show here in adelaide. i went along, but it was mostly caravans and campertrailers and not much in the way of camping (bush camping).

i was on the lookout for ideas of what options there were for power, keeping in mind i only really need enough to keep a few phones charged for 3-4 days. i had been looking at the small solar setups but came across a site selling these things. not sure if i've been sucked in or not, but it seemed like a good little compact unit that should do the job nicely.

I have the exact same unit, but mine was bought through a local seller. As an experiment we started a car with a flat battery 50 times before we gave up haha. They're a good wee unit.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

I have the exact same unit, but mine was bought through a local seller. As an experiment we started a car with a flat battery 50 times before we gave up haha. They're a good wee unit.

wow, good to know. i bought mine at the show. just used the ebay link to show what it was i bought.

caravan and camping show wasn't that great for what we were interested in (bush camping in tents) but some of the stuff there was better than my house. actually, scratch that, MOST of the vans there were better than my house!

just for kicks had a look in a $200k+ motorhome thing. thats just not camping now is it!

the downside for my wallet is, the mrs was already keen on upgrading to a camper trailer at some point in the future, and this was an opportunity to have a look at some in the flesh. long story short, i think i might be starting to like the idea myself as well. saw some pretty decent setups at pretty good prices, around $7500 incl on roads. its a lot of coin but a lot easier to set up and much better for shorter stops. with out tent, i feel i need to stay at least 3-4 nights to make it worth it.

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by prydey

wow, good to know. i bought mine at the show. just used the ebay link to show what it was i bought.

caravan and camping show wasn't that great for what we were interested in (bush camping in tents) but some of the stuff there was better than my house. actually, scratch that, MOST of the vans there were better than my house!

just for kicks had a look in a $200k+ motorhome thing. thats just not camping now is it!

the downside for my wallet is, the mrs was already keen on upgrading to a camper trailer at some point in the future, and this was an opportunity to have a look at some in the flesh. long story short, i think i might be starting to like the idea myself as well. saw some pretty decent setups at pretty good prices, around $7500 incl on roads. its a lot of coin but a lot easier to set up and much better for shorter stops. with out tent, i feel i need to stay at least 3-4 nights to make it worth it.

My missus and I have been together for 41 years this year, we started out in a small canvas 2 man tent, moved to bigger tents when the 4 kids arrived (below is a pic of the Maverick on the way home from a Central Aus trip in the early 90's) 4 kids and all the gear (no trailer)

The last tent we had (one of our sons now has it) was a Southern Cross Minute Tents big brother, bloody great tent, we then moved onto a Southern Cross camper trailer, it was good to get into the bush, but the novely of folding up a wet tent onto the bedding wore off after about 6 years, so we bought an A'Van Cruiseliner, had it for 7 years, sold it earlier this year and we are now waiting for a horribly expensive Goldstram 'Off Road' pop top, 17' 6" with ensuite to arrive

[Trevor 57]

went camping last weekend, left Thursday night for he Buckland Valley, my sons, my son in law and 3 others go motorbike riding, while me and a mate keep the fire going

we had about 75mm of rain on Friday, made the camp site interesting



This is a photo of the last trip they did about a month ago, I couldn't make it, this was at Lake Cobbler, they slept on swags, 4 in the hut, the rest under a light awning on the snow, apparently it didn't get above -3 the whole weekend

[Trevor 57]

My biggest single ***** with camper trailers, is that when wet (i.e. raining) and you have to pack them up (fold them down) on to your bed, we bought an incontinence sheet to cover the bed and bedding when folding it up wet, it is the single biggest pain in the ****

My daughter and her husband (and 3 kids) just bought a camper trailer, bloody good value, but I reckon it takes longer to set up than a tent, yes it does have built in kitchen and everywhere to put stuff, but watching the poor bugger put it up makes me tired. They had to tow a trailer anyway so they thought the camper trailer was the better option, at least there is a place to keep everything and you are not packing all your stuff on top of everything else like you do in a 6x4 trailer

They bought a Black Series Camper (the Alpha I think), bloody good value, we paid over $7k in 2002 for a 'tent on a trailer', these things offer so much more

http://blackseriescampertrailers.com.au/

[Junkyard-Dog]

Well campers, I was "unexpectedly" called in to work Sunday night to cover for my boss this week. AGAIN. I should have left for my hiking trip on Sunday morning like I had planned but family stuff got in the way. Basically I'm 'Johnny on the spot' right now. Such is life.

I would truly rather be in 'Campsite #1' right now but I have been "promised" next week off so I will be doing those product reviews then and I will post them (whenever) I get home.

I "promise" ;)

[poppa smurf]

if you get up near quorn take a look at Warren gorge, used to be free but now there is a fee.

all good bitumen road right through now, if you head into the gorge, follow the shallow creek, up the small rise and round the bend past the loo's and through the dry creek you will be alone, watch for yellow footed rock wallabies on the rocks and scree in the mornings and evenings, plenty of wedgies and parrots, kookaburras abound.

further north you head (past the well used areas of ill repute) then more camp grounds open up to you.

if you want to know anything about these areas just ask, I live here, t's either my backyard or I've been there.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

if you want to know anything about these areas just ask, I live here, t's either my backyard or I've been there.

cheers, thats good to know. have you been to spear creek?

like i said above, not sure how much we'll get out and about. we aren't big on making plans. we just wake up each morning and see what the day brings. i find it much more relaxing that way, rather than trying to fill the day with 'doing something'...

it would be nice to know the less popular spots that still offer plenty of wildlife and scenery.

[poppa smurf]

yes we had a look at spear creek a few years ago, stayed a few days and had a ball with a mob we met from W.A. as well as a group of Vietnam vets on their way to "do big red", apparently much better now, used to be a bit rough around the edges, the owners were great folks then and from what I hear nothing has changed in that regard, the company more than made up for the down bits.

do you have a high clearance vehicle or the daily, most of the spots we used to frequent require at least reasonable ground clearance.

but I do know a lot of out of the way spots that may be a bit far up for you.

just be sure to integrate with other campers around the fire...a lot of fantastic friendships are born that way.

take a look at white cliffs just out of koolunga as well as worlds end (burra creek gorge) just out of Burra......if you get near cobdogla head in toward the caravan park, past the bridge and on your left for about 5 miles there are drive in campsites right on the river.

also across the river at morgan, coming from morgan head left immediately after you leave the ferry and there is a great campground there.

martins bend is a fantastic campground at Berri.

I could go on for hours, we love travelling and staying in the "out of the way" spots.

we did the "around the block" thing first in a home made camper trailer then again in a hi-ace camper towing a small trailer with cooking facilities and storage (which I'm selling at the moment) and now we are doing again with a caravan.

we rarely stay in caravan parks, we find the out of the way spots.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

do you have a high clearance vehicle

FG XR6 so that would be no!

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

just be sure to integrate with other campers around the fire...a lot of fantastic friendships are born that way.

apparently the bush camping area is away from the caravan park area.

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

we rarely stay in caravan parks, we find the out of the way spots.

i'm not planning on staying in any of the traditional caravan parks either, but it seems many of these more outback places cater for those who like to camp a bit more secluded. melrose caravan park also lists a bush camping area. might check it out while we are in the area for future reference.

[poppa smurf]

wilpena has bush camping well away from the caravans, Rawnsley park has miles of it out the back.

there are communal fires at spear creek where folks can gather, some like it, some don't.

the reason i asked about reasonable clearance was that there are some ripper out of the way camp spots on the development road coming in to the back of the ABC ranges off the copley/leigh creek road.

but there a couple of creek crossings that need a few extra mil of clearance.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Just ordered around $200 worth of camping gear from super cheap auto, very cheap for stuff I been wanting anyway.

Also got new chairs for all the family, as our old ones are well and truly falling apart.

$135 down to $69.99, handy for my stove and to store a few things:

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...ecommendations

$69.99 down to $28 rated at 175kg, so should be strong enough:

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...ecommendations

$46.99 down to $18 rated at 140kg, should have the missus and kids covered:

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...ecommendations

$14.99 down to $6.99, saves me taking our normal plates, bowls and cups camping and risk getting them broken:

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...ecommendations

[Junkyard-Dog]

Looks like decent stuff for a good price. I reckon you got a good deal there.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by Junkyard-Dog

Looks like decent stuff for a good price. I reckon you got a good deal there.

Yeah preordered it online, will be picking up from store on Monday.

I already have one chair that we bought to replace a broken one, and it's great quality, so now I have ordered one of the 175kg ones and two 140kg ones for the kids.

[NC1183]

Those 175kg rated Kimberly chairs are good, I have one and its lasting really well had it for over 3 years

[prydey]

i've tried just about every brand of quad fold chair on the market and yet to find one that is comfortable to sit in. i find these flat fold style chairs a million times more comfortable. seem to have much better support, esp lower back.
https://www.snowys.com.au/Camping-Fu...&sc=25&id=4739

obviously comfort is a personal thing, so each to their own. also, if space is an issue, flat fold chairs can be a bit bulky.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by prydey

i've tried just about every brand of quad fold chair on the market and yet to find one that is comfortable to sit in. i find these flat fold style chairs a million times more comfortable. seem to have much better support, esp lower back.
https://www.snowys.com.au/Camping-Fu...&sc=25&id=4739

obviously comfort is a personal thing, so each to their own. also, if space is an issue, flat fold chairs can be a bit bulky.

I'm the same, we use the quad folds and I hate them, when it's time to replace I'll be going to the flat fold ones.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Mate of mine bought the 4x4 Supercentre single dome swag, been camping in it for a week, real camping came back today and absolutely rates it, said it would be a bargain at twice the price.

Reckons it's the best swag he has used, and will be buying another double swag as well.

https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/pro...ag-escape.html

[prydey]

Bought this last Friday
http://www.snowys.com.au/Tents-Shelt...1&sc=3&id=3807

Just waiting for the weather to clear up now so we can practice setting it up in the back yard.