Camping must-haves

Camping is one of life’s simple pleasures—leave the rat race behind, be at one with nature, enjoy the serenity and feel the pressures of the world disappear.

Imagine heading off on your next camping trip in a brand new V8 4WD PLUS a Boston Whaler Super Sport boat! Mater Cars for Cancer lottery No. 73 is giving one lucky person the chance to drive away in a V8 4WD—the hardest part will be choosing between the Nissan Patrol and the Toyota Landcruiser Sahara!

Whether you choose to get back to basics and rough it, or if you’d like to take some creature comforts of home with you; we’ve got some hot tips to help improve your camping experience. 

Blow up tent

Heimplanet has taken the hassle out of pitching a tent by creating a fully inflatable tent designed to fit up to three people. The Cave, which weighs only 4.8kg, is easily pumped up and pitched within minutes. The star shaped weatherproof structure features multi sewn-in bags for maximum storage capability and has five ventilation points to ensure sufficient air exchange and climate inside the tent. The Cave helps save you time for the more fun things on your camping adventure.

Hammock tent

You’ll never need to find a level campsite again when you have the Hennessy Hammock. This lightweight and innovative hammock tent only takes two minutes to set up and pack up, and will give you a restful night’s sleep as you sway in the breeze, off the hard ground and away from mozzie and bugs thanks to its fully enclosed design. All Hennessy Hammocks come with a detachable rain fly, support ropes and ‘tree hugger’ webbing straps to protect the tree’s bark.

Road Shower

Going off-road is always fun, but sometimes leaving creature comforts behind can hurt. Now you don’t have to! The Road Shower is a water reserve mounted on your vehicle’s roof racks that uses solar power to heat up. It holds approximately 19 litres and by using a simple bike bump, pressurised water is available for showering, or cleaning up camping dishes.

Fire starters

Here are some alternate fire starters you may not know existed. Cotton balls with a smear of petroleum jelly/Vaseline will get your fire going, as will cotton pads dipped in wax; and lint from a clothes dryer also works. If you’ve got a packet of Doritos on hand—these tasty chips work a treat as kindling!

Swiss Army Knife

Don’t just take a Swiss Army Knife on your next expedition; get yourself the Expedition Kit. Victorinox, the original makers of the Swiss Army Knife offer a combination of a pocket knife and practical gadgets in this lightweight set. With 44 functions, including a compass, digital watch, thermometer and Phillips screwdriver;

Solar powered charger

The Eton Raptor is a camping must-have. This solar powered device not only charges your mobile phone, it also delivers broadcast emergency weather alerts and allows you to listen to AM/FM/NOAA weather band digital radio or your own tunes through the AUX-input. It also includes an altimeter, thermometer, barometer, compass and LED flashlight, plus a bottle opener. The splash-proof Raptor is on-the-go ready and can be easily clipped to your pack.

Good lighting

While there is nothing more serene than sitting by a campfire under the moon, you still want to pack a good torch as part of your camping essentials. Even a full moon isn’t going to give you enough light when you need to cook, get to the facilities or find out what’s making that noise nearby. Hot tip: strap a head lamp to a 5L plastic container of water to fill your tent with ambient light.

Mozzie repellent

Did you know that sage is a natural mosquito repellent? Smoke is also a natural repellent, so add some sage to your camp fire to help deter mozzies.

Get packing

Where ever you decide to roam on your next camping quest, make sure you are fully prepared.  Write a check list and do your research. Check out our other blogs about Going off-road and Australia’s best 4WD tracks too.

If you would like to win your choice of V8 4WD, grab tickets today to be in the draw to win a Nissan Patrol or Toyota LandCruiser Sahara.