Travel & Holidays Camping

hi everyone,

Happy new year.

Just wondering if anyone on here likes to go camping or is everyone all about 5 star.

I personally love camping. I am looking at buying an off-road jayco outback pop up caravan and I was just wondering if anyone has one or has used one before?

 

Love camping. Would rather go off the beaten track any day vs crowded civilisation.

Just using a tent setup at the moment but the next decision will be camper trailer vs caravan vs something like this as a boat is a definite must have and the set up will also depend on boat size.

 

I like both. Having said that, I haven't camped for awhile but the kids are now getting back into it so we'll be doing more of it again

 

My son likes camping, thinks his Bear Grylls (no comment), while he sleeps rough in a tent on hard ground with mozzies buzzing him, I'm snoring away in my motor home, after having a shower, watching a bit of telly.

 

They are nice. However remember every time you want to move you need to pack everything up.
That’s the good thing with caravans and campers. You can unhook them and still have mobility.

I’m still happy to just throw a swag down. But mrs blacky wants a bit more refinement of a warm (and comfortable) bed. Plus shower.

So will be investigating our options when we move back to Perth.

Here is a pic of our ultimate luxury campsite. 60kms offshore.

Blacky

 

I could live like that for a couple of weeks

 

I love camping. I'm working on my trailer at the moment to add solar. Its just a tradies trailer that I have added a battery and fridge to - essentially just use it as an equipment trailer. I was looking at Jayco pop-tops and small vans, but my problem was being able to transport 5 bikes as well. I got the trailer custom made to have an extended drawbar for the bikes.

We are about to head away for ~10 days camping. Going to the RNP for a couple of nights, then Canberra, then up into the snowies.

I also enjoy minimalist bike-camping, and have taken my eldest daughter a couple of times. Will start taking the twins this year too.

Cheers,
Inertia.

 

Yep, that's one of the considerations for us too. And the cost to buy one. The main benefit of one would be we'd be able to tow our existing boat around as it's a good size - suits rivers and creeks but can also go offshore with it which we wouldn't be able to do with a car topper unless the water is glassed out.

The Setup by Kinnon Bell posted 3rd Jan, 2018 at 8:36 AM

Our 'bathroom' While Away by Kinnon Bell posted 3rd Jan, 2018 at 8:36 AM

View From The Campsite by Kinnon Bell posted 3rd Jan, 2018 at 8:36 AM

 

There's camping - and then there's camping.

Caravan-ing is not really camping. My ex was a mad hiker and hunter so we'd head out for weeks at a time in the back blocks of NZ. Carrying everything you need on your back, where you have to chose between and a bar of soap of a day of food.

Hard slog, freezing, hungry, exhausted, bitten to death by sandflies, filthy. Put me off any form of camping for life.

Now it's B&B or self contained all the way

 

There used to be an MTB event called Polaris Challenge - teams of 2, 2 days of orienteering in a 25x25km area. Had to carry all your own gear - similarly, it was basically a test of how much discomfort you were prepared to put up with. Fortunately after 7 hours on the bike riding up and down all sorts of silly terrain, a "comfortable" bed was essentially anything approaching horizontal.

It was may favourite event, so sad it is no longer running.

Cheers,
Inertia.

 

Before considering a camper trailer watch someone set one up then pack it away at the end of the day/weekend. That's enough to put me off. You can buy them second hand for decent prices if that's the way you want to go. There are some new ones that look great and easy to pack up, with slide out kitchens etc but not cheap. We used to camp in tents many years ago and loved it. too old for that now. Now we have a motorhome. Pull up, put the kettle on.

 

we're going to Seal Rocks (treachery camp) next week. We will sleep in 8 men tent (4 of us) and other families will be sleeping in tent. It's a lot of fun. A pity that I don't have a tow bar and trailer that we can chuck everything into it.

 

Nice.
Just need a ‘proper’ car and your sorted

Personally the boat is more important than the comfort. One of our (smaller) boats is similar size. Great for what we do, but can’t load it onto a car/camper.

I’ve seen a couple of nice set ups. One was a ‘demountable’ unit which fitted to the tray of the Ute, you could then lower legs down and remove the unit. Freeing up the car for mobility and still allowing towing. I think it was a custom made one though as I haven’t ever seen one like it since.

A guy I know picked up an old transperth bus and converted it. Including a rear door allowing him to drive a small 4x4 into the back (Suzuki vitara). And he would tow a tinny plus put a winch on the roof for other ‘stuff’. It was nice but couldn’t really go off road. He traveled around oz for about 3 years with his family. Doing school of the air and all.

Another mate spent about 60grand on a towable camper. Hot water and all. Traveled around oz with wife and 2boys. Loved it, but selling it as it’s not used enough, and is an expensive lawn ornament.

But yeah. All depends on what you are planning on doing.

Blacky

 

Ha! I won't tell my other half you said that! The BT-50 has been surprisingly good off road, particularly as it's pretty much stock. The rear diff locker and aired down tyres make a world of difference.

But, if we were nomads on a full time basis, then I would want something that is not a ute as the fine bulldust of the Cape gets in EVERYTHING.

I think I'll go about 50/50 for that one! Especially if we're doing it FT.

Yeah, I had forgotten about those.There's quite a few of those set-ups up here that I've seen. They're a good idea as well. Will have to short list that too.

Those bus set ups are cool too but we would definitely want something that can go off road, and no just a graded dirt track either.

Won't be happening for a few years yet so still plenty of time to plan and trial a few things

 

Yep!
We did this over 3 years


In this. ...


You can make camping as simple or complicated as you like (or "all the gear no idea" is often present at parks around oz )
We weren't in our van the whole time we did rent and have accom provided but it's a perfect weekender van.

 

Definitely a keen camper and have been for a while. Got the Mrs out there last year to get a feeler for it and can report she enjoyed it (not glamping) so we've got plans to do heaps more. Eventually I want to upgrade my 2 door wrangler which is setup for hardcore wheeling to a 4 door set up for touring and towing. Hopefully add in an offroad camper trailer as I'm very keen to get to the remote places in Aus, namely the Kimberley and parts of far north QLD.

 

We did 4 nights of camping between Christmas and New Year just gone.
Did 2 nights in Kosciuszko National Park and 2 nights just outside of it. The campgrounds were Buckenderra - didn't like this campground. Just unappealing. Tom Goggin.... was good, except for the flies and the nasty ants. Yarrangobilly was good (thumbs up for the caves... must attend their guided tours if you happen to be in the area), and Cotter campground (near Cotter Dam) in the ACT - was great - well equipped, great facilities. (And it happens to be a great place to practise unicycling turns and riding over bumps and on slopes too).
It rained on 2 of the 4 nights but our tent was still nice and dry, and we had some shelter. . Interestingly, the weather it was really warm, and I didn't expect it for the snowy mountains areas.

The things that make camping comfy for me are a thick sleeping mat (~8cm), foam padding squares for under the tent, level ground and just staying dry and not bring too hot or cold. Hot showers are a luxury.

We used to camp in the past but the sleeping mats we used to use a few years back were only around an inch high when inflated and I always found sleeping uncomfortable because my hips will hit the ground. But with my 8cm high mat, it really feels like luxury.

 

This is the setup that I want. It's glamping compared to what I grew up doing with my family. We used to go where there was not power or water and you go to the toilet in the bush by digging a hole.

Good times. It's good to see a few campers on here.

 

They're nice. I liked the flamingo layout

 

My inlaws have the finch