If you’re like me then one of the best parts of camping is camping with your dog! We’ve got two – a golden retriever and a staffie cross kelpie, and they both love getting out bush and going camping. However, hunting dogs they are definitely NOT, and while some of you reading this will laugh at the following tips for camping with your dogs, there are plenty of us whose four-legged best mates aren’t used to sleeping under the back of a ute. I’m here to tell you that one of the best ever investments I’ve made in my camping gear to help when I take the dogs camping, is the mighty 4WD awning!

Just like an Akubra hat, a driz-a-bone or a meat pie at the footy, a dog on the back of a ute is as Australian as they come. But many owners fear taking their pets away with them on trips because of behaviour, dangers and government regulations. Having somewhere to keep your dogs safe and secure at night is vital, and that’s where the 4×4 side awning comes in.

See, one of the best things about fitting a camping awning to your adventure rig is that it can be customised in a heap of different ways. Many of us are already well versed in the benefits of mesh floors and awning walls as a way of keeping the weather at bay – whether it’s sun, wind or rain. But When you take your 4WD awning and add a fully-enclosed awning tent, you get the perfect protected area to keep your dogs safe during the night.

Adventure Kings Awnings are available in multiple sizes and styles so there’s something to suit every camping style and every setup. They’re the are the perfect way to keep you and your dogs out of the elements when you’re camping – waterproof and with the highest available UPF50+ rating they’re easy and fast to setup meaning you’ll use them almost every day whether you’re pulling up for lunch on the side of the track (or the jobsite) or setting up camp for the night.

Available in a 1.4x2m size perfect as a rear awning, or as a side awning for smaller vehicles there are also a 2×2.5m, 2x3m and 2.5×2.5m size which you can choose with or without an integrated LED strip light.

The 270˚ King Wing is the next step up, offering a huge 11m2 of shade and shelter and a wrap-around design that keeps you covered along one side of your vehicle and over the rear too. You can rely on it to keep you comfortable at camp with its tough integrated frame and the same waterproof and UPF50+ rating as the rest of the Adventure Kings Awning range. Top of the range is the 270° King Wing Deluxe wrap-around awning  that adds an extra 3 square metres for a total of 14 square metres of protected shelter!

If you’ve got a 4WD awning on the side of your vehicle, then you’re already halfway towards having one of the biggest, easiest to setup and most practical tents on the market – the Adventure Kings awning tent!

This cracking bit of gear uses your Adventure Kings awning as the frame of the tent, and lets you easily setup a massive, fully-enclosed tent in just a few extra minutes. It slots into the sail-track in the frame of the awning, then attaches at the sides with Velcro loops. Then you just peg the corners down and you’re ready to camp!

Perfect for throwing a swag or two in when the weather’s a bit average, or for camping on stretchers or inflatable mattresses without being exposed to the elements. And one of the best parts is that you can stand fully upright within the awning tent to get changed – no more rolling around trying to get dressed in bed! There’s even a vehicle-side access door that allows you to still retain access into your vehicle while the awning tent is setup. A heavy-duty PVC floor stops the cold and damp from rising up into the tent during the night.

There’s so much space inside these tents that you add to your Kings awning that you could easily lay down a stretcher, a camping mattress or a swag for your own bedding, and still have heaps of room for your pups. They’ll sleep better knowing that you’re near them at night and you’ll sleep better knowing they can’t get out and go off wandering in the middle of the night!

Setting up your camping awning couldn’t be easier – even with just one person! First, unzip the heavy-duty PVC transit bag and flip it out of the way, then undo the three hook and loop straps that hold your awning in place while you’re travelling.

Unroll the camping side awning enough to let you sit it up on top of your roofracks for the moment, and then fold out the two horizontal support poles a little past 90 degrees, and extend them to their approximate length.

Now, unroll the awning all the way out, and drop the vertical legs when it is fully unrolled. Add one horizontal leg, extend it to about the right length and then do the same with the other leg. Your 4×4 awning’s able to free stand, and you can finish setting it up by adjusting horizontal leg tension and vertical leg height, then adding the hook and loop straps and finally by pegging it down.

Packing away is just as easy – it’s just the reverse of the same procedure. Throw the guy ropes up on top of the awning and undo the hook and loop straps. Undo the horizontal legs one at a time and open them up past 90 degrees. Then raise the vertical legs, fit them back into the alloy frame and roll the awning up. Sit it on top of your roofrack when it’s almost rolled the whole way up, tuck the horizontal legs away and then finish rolling and secure the awning with the securing straps.

Then just zip the transit cover up and you’re done!