Here’s part two of our 3 part series of the very best tricks to make your camping experience better and simpler!

DRINK LAST

As tempting as it is to get stuck into a few cold beers when you land at camp, delay the pleasure and get set up first. As an added bonus, it will that spur you on to get done quicker and more efficiently.

SHAUNO’S TIP

Duct tape! It sounds simple but keep a roll in the centre console. Fix broken tent poles and flys, position LED lights, repair chairs and tables, keep your over-talkative, Nissan-driving mate quiet, the works.

BONUS TIP

If you’re heading out in potentially wet conditions and still fancy a few beers by a roaring fire, then get yourself a plastic tub from your local hardware store and fill it with smaller bits of timber packed tightly along with some kindling. Once you reach a soggy campsite, you’ll be the camper with a roaring fire while everyone else is trying to dry twigs with a 12V hair dryer.

SIMPLE FAMILY CAMPING TIPS

Get the kids out bush more often, without causing more work for yourselves

NO MORE RUMMAGING THROUGH THE CAR LOOKING FOR BOTTLES OF SUNSCREEN AND TOWELS!

KIDS BOXES

Have a couple of kid specific boxes in the 4WD. For example, carry a ‘swimming box’ in the back seat with all the kid’s towels, sunscreen, hats and cossies packed, ready to go. If we pull up at a swimming hole, just grab the whole thing out and off you go – no more rummaging through the car looking for bottles of sunscreen and towels.

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

Think about where you set up to camp. Take into consideration the wind direction, how much protection you will have from the morning sun before your campsite becomes a hot-house, and what position you personally like or prefer. For example, face your vehicle against the wind, and setup your Adventure Kings Awning on the Lee side of the breeze. Get this right and you’ll feel like you are in the best campsite in Australia and the kids will be much more comfortable and relaxed.

QUICK CLEANUP

Invest in a whole stack of takeaway containers and prepare more complex snacks and roadside lunches in these. Once the kids have had their fill, it’s as easy as lobbing the whole thing in the trash – no cleanup, no mess, no worries.

HAVE AN ITINERARY

Have a plan on what you want to do before you arrive at your destination. Whether it’s for the kids or the entire family, occupying them from the start means that you can enjoy yourself and stop looking over your shoulder every 5 seconds to find out what they are doing.

PRIOR PLANNING

If you’re facing a big day in the driver’s seat with the kids in the back, then it’s a wise idea to spend a few extra minutes at camp the night before prepping the kid’s lunches and snacks. This means you can haul into a rest stop for lunch and actually have a break yourself rather than prepping meals and dealing with clean-ups.

FIRE SAFETY

Although we all love a big roaring fire, if you’ve got especially young kids you might be a little apprehensive about letting them get too close – rightfully so. You don’t want to can the fire all together, so why not take along an Adventure Kings Camp Oven/ Stove Add some sticks, marshmallows and just a little bit of adult assistance and the kids will be over the moon.

MAKE THE MEMORIES LAST

Camping with our parents is one of the fondest memories most of us have so make camping special by having family oriented games that revolve around the camping experience, and leave the electronic gear at home! Better still, create a family tradition; have a meal that’s cooked only when camping – you’ll be amazed how they’ll remember that for life.

GET ‘EM INVOLVED

Kids love to get involved, just as much as any other family member. Have the kids and the better half sort all of the light and easy stuff, allowing you to come along and tackle the canvas quickly and without delays. By having the kids help around the campsite, you’re actually teaching them to become proficient campers themselves – skills that they will one day pass on.

KEEP IT CLEAN

Add an Adventure Kings Mesh Floor to your setup, as this will allow sand and water to fall off before getting all through your setup, plus it’s nice to walk on.

KID’S GEAR

Let’s face it; kids require a lot of extra gear, so plan exactly what it is that they’ll need depending on where you’re heading. Don’t take their bikes if there’s not really anywhere to ride or if there are other activities that will occupy them. Give the kids a headlamp and a few little bits of camping gear each, this not only entertains them but helps them be more independent and get accustomed to camping as adults.

DAY-TRIP PACK

Pre-pack a backpack with a few basics so you’re always ready for a day trip. Toilet paper/tissues, matches, a water bottle, muesli bars and sunscreen are always handy. When you pull up at your destination, throw in your handheld GPS (if you’re doing a hike), grab the extra water bottles and you’re set to go.

At the end of the day, nothing is more important than making sure your family is safe when out in the bush. Spend the short amount of time to get a first aid certificate and invest in a high quality first aid kit like a Rescue Swag. It’ll be worth it in the peace of mind you gain.

BONUS TIP

Just as you would do at home, have all of the kid’s toys packed into a snap lock crate. This’ll ensure everything is in it’s place and there are no tantrums from lost toys!

PACKING UP MADE EASY

It’s the end of the trip, and it’s time to head home. Here’s how to ensure it’s a 20 minute job, not an hour

TEAM WORK

Packing up after a big few days can be a drag, so do it progressively over a longer period rather than leaving it to the last minute. Aim to have dedicated storage solutions so things can be packed away once finished with avoiding double handling. Allocate a person to a packing “zone” which is an area that is the responsibility of that person to pack only. It’s important that before leaving your campsite, take a good look around the campsite for a final check to ensure all jobs have been completed and you and your vehicle are ready to go.

BBQ WIPES

Sensational! Buy ‘em from the hardware store where they’re typically $3 for 12 instead of the supermarket where they’re $5 for 8. One wipe can wash up an entire night’s cooking – start with the cleanest items first like cutlery, then finish with the pots and pans. You’ll not only save a stack of time, but your water will last you a heck of a lot longer.

LOSE THE RUBBISH

Make an effort to get rid of your trash in a garbage bin before you get home. Just in case you end up getting in late, you’re not left with stacks of rubbish in your Adventure Kings Dirty Gear Bag at home. Most major campsites have rubbish dump points, however if not then haul into the first roadhouse and see if there are some dumpsters out the back – ask first.

WATERPROOF TUCKER BOX

Get one! Keep all your cooking gear in it and it’s ten seconds to get it out of the vehicle instead of rummaging through your drawers. Another cracking use here is to throw all your dirty cutlery into one and soak in some soapy water to make for an easier clean up.

RECOVERY GEAR STORAGE

Grab yourself a couple of sand bags from a hardware store – the hessian type with a plastic liner. Throw any filthy recovery gear, clothes and shoes into these bags and throw them up on the roof with the bag securely closed.

MESH FLOOR

Carry an Adventure Kings Mesh Floor to use as a ground tarp under your Swag. Keep it somewhere handy so you can bung it down on the ground before you roll your swag out. The cleaner the swag stays, the easier it’ll pack up

DIRTY GEAR

Carry two heavy duty plastic bags in my truck, and bring them out when it’s time to go. In one, throw all the dirty clothes, beach towels, and anything else that needs washing. Don’t separate the muddy socks from last night’s bog hole and the sandy beach towel – just throw them all in together and let a machine ‘heavy duty’ wash sort them out later. Then collect anything and everything else from around camp that got dirty during the trip, and throw it in the second bag. Plates, cups, cutlery, gas cookers, chopping boards – the lot. Put all that in the other bag and seal it so it won’t smell.

BONUS TIP
WINE CASK BAG

We’re not advocating that you go out and deliberately drink a cask of wine purely for this tip, however it’d be rude to waste good wine so take that as you will. A humble wine cask bag is one of the greatest multi-use items you can carry. They can function as an emergency pillow, driver’s lumbar support in the seat and even be used when packing the 4WD. Jam the bag down the side of a storage container and lightly inflate it till it compresses the rest of the gear in there. It’ll stop rattles and provide some much welcome padding.

BONUS TIP

If you’re planning a big – and we mean big – trip like a Simpson crossing, or the Cape, then consider going away for a weekend, packed exactly as you would for the bigger trip. This dress rehearsal will let you spot any planning issues or packing problems before you hit the road on your dream adventure.