If you’re thinking of heading outdoors for some family time at your favourite campsite, be mindful that Winter is well and truly on its way, and if you haven’t been out for a while, some of your gear may be starting to deteriorate and you may come across small areas of worn material in sleeping bags, swags, tents, awnings, or storage equipment. Even the smallest amount of wear can cause you major grief when camping out in the cold, it could let the internal temperature fall, or allow moisture and liquid to make its way inside, may even provide an opportunity for bugs, insects, or animals to do the same. These are all things that can somewhat rain on your parade during camping and cause unwanted tension on what should be valuable family time spent enjoying outback Australia. There are somethings you can do to check over your camping gear and campsite, and make sure that your family creates memories while out there, not recurring nightmares that make them not want to give up the internet and iPad on a regular basis. No doubt if you are camping in the colder months, you are going to come across some wet and woolly weather and you need to make sure you have the essentials on board to make sure it doesn’t result in soggy regret.

Whether your tent or swag is new or old, and boast waterproof qualities or not, you can certainly add to the arsenal by running some waterproofing substances over either the whole thing, or areas that may cause you trouble, like the most upside, near flaps or zips, or any worn areas that you come across with your pre-camping inspection. If you come across worn areas in the canvas and you don’t think it is going to withstand cold and wet weather, then it may be time to head into to your local camping store and grab some new shelters. Same goes with your sleeping bag if you find points of wear, as this will have a huge impact on its capacity to keep you warm and dry should the weather make its way inside your camping shelter. The market availability for roof top tents, swags and sleeping bags is huge and everyone will find something that caters to their wants and needs, and pricing is not an issue because you will find a varying range of quality products at great low prices making it easy for almost anyone to go on an adventure and stay dry.

Some of the quality modern-day swags  have  waterproof PVC surrounds at the base to keep even pools of water from making their way through the canvas close to the ground, meaning if your campsite encounters a flood and has a high level of water in, you can have piece of mind knowing that you’re extra protected from the ground up, and have a better chance of staying dry that older style and less quality camping options. 

Once you have gone through your pre-inspections and decided whether or not you have the right materials to keep you dry and warm, with a shelter over your head, be sure to check out the other essentials that you may wish to pack to ensure your camping trip is enjoyable, no matter the weather.

When camping in the cold, you’re definitely going to want to have a camp fire to keep you all warm, and to cook up a feast like a hot stew, damper, or boil up some water for hot chocolate to warm your hearts on the coldest of nights. If you’re expecting rain you will want to ensure you have the ability to create heat in alternative ways in case your fire will not stay lit. This can come in the form of gas heaters, or even solar powered heaters provided you can keep electrical cords free from water and moisture. If you do have the ability to keep the fire going, then be sure to break out marshmallows on a stick for that gooey melted goodness or drop a couple straight into the hot choccy for some extra zing. You may also want to pack a thermos to keep water or soups hot long after the fire has gone out to keep you going throughout the night (Especially with young ones that may require hot bottles throughout the night)

Don’t forget to pack some decent cooking utensils including tongs, fire poker, knives, forks, and spoons so that no matter what the meal is or how you are cooking it, you will be able to safely do so, and also eat it with ease. Stews, soups, hot chocolates, curries, or the good old-fashioned BBQ will not go wrong no matter what the weather has in store for you.

Ensure that you have power if you desire with either a 12 volt setup or a quality generator and make sure all of your cords and leads are in good shape to reduce the risk of malfunction or injury. If you have Solar, be sure to set it up in a safe location and if you can, use the solar to charge up any batteries you have while the sun in shining at any point during the day. LED lanterns are also a great addition in case you have a lack of solar capability for your night time camp site.

All in all, be sure to check everything before you pack, and if there is anything you need don’t hesitate to grab it from your local camping store and cross the necessities off the list as you go, that way you won’t come home wet and disappointed, but rather a cracking good story of a quality adventure.