With spring just around the corner, if you are anything like us, that means you are eager to start hitting the beach and getting your summer campsite dialed right in, ready for the action this summer season!

There are so many bases to cover, and you may be puzzled on where to start – but have no fear, we are going to go over all the things you need to check before heading out this spring on your weekend get aways!

PERMITS

When planning a trip away on the beach, you should make sure your vehicle has permission to drive on the sand, it is important to respect the rules and regulations of your chosen destination to make sure that you don’t give 4WDers a bad name.

Whilst all the beaches around the major populations have restrictions over access, typically 4WD beaches will have the option of weekly monthly and yearly access passes to give you the ability to get away as often as you like!

VEHICLE CONDITION

Your vehicles condition will determine whether or not you are going to have a good time when you get to the beach, it is important you have everything running mechanically A-OK and if you are not sure it could even pay to have a mechanic give it a once over to make sure you wont run into any unexpected hiccups on the tracks!

Sand driving can be hard on vehicles and ensuring your engine oil is up to the right level and your radiator has had a flush and fresh coolant to help prevent overheating on the sand!  By chucking some spare parts like fan belts and extra fluids in your Titan Rear Drawers you’ll be prepared for anything that might slow you down!

RECOVERY GEAR

It’s been echoed for decades, the best offense is a good defense, from an inexperienced view point when looking at driving on beaches you could be convinced that it mustn’t be that hard! You’d be wrong if you’ve made this assumption, sand driving is some of the most difficult and changing terrain you can drive on, and it can take its toll on not only the 4WD but also the driver.

It pays to prepare your vehicle for driving on the soft surfaces by reducing your tyre pressures to a suitable level for the soft stuff, we find this is best done with a Kwiky Tyre Deflator, and by bringing a reliable 12v compressor with you as well you will be equipped to re-inflate your doughnuts when you get back to the asphalt.

Even the best laid plans can fail, so even if you have let your tyres down to a good beach driving pressure (approximately half highway pressures) you can hit soft sand that has a talcum powder like consistency that effectively acts as quick sand. This talc quick sand has been known to swallow lead footed drivers up to the chassis leaving only one option. RECOVERY!

To recover a 4WD on the beach there are a handful of options starting with something as simple as a folding shovel, by clearing a path for your wheels you may be able to simply drive it out, however more often than not a helping pull by a passing 4WD is required, this is where a snatch strap kit like the Hercules Snatch Kit can save the day, including an 8000Kg rated snatch strap and a pair of heavy duty 4.7T rated shackles, to simply bungee your 4WD out of trouble!

CAMPSITE SETUP!

The Adventure Kings range of gear offers campers a massive range of equipment options suitable for any weather conditions, and much of the gear is suitable for just about any weather conditions you may find yourself in!

Depending on what your current setup looks like, an Adventure Kings Awning offers a 100% waterproof UPF50+ Shelter for keeping the sun and rain off your setup, combined with an Awning wall you can block out the wind and add privacy to busier campsite locations.

Underneath your awning you cannot look past an Adventure Kings Mesh Floor this cleverly woven material allows sand and dirt to fall through whilst also staying cool underfoot. The ability to camp right on the sand and not drag sand all through your 4WD and Big Daddy Deluxe Swag is an unbeatable accessory!

You’ll probably also want a place to kick back and relax, this is where the Adventure Kings Reclining camp chairs are our choice for kicking back, fitted with 50mm thick foam you can also recline them a HUGE 150°.

COOKING GEAR
Everyone has a master chef deep inside them, by being able to cook up a storm how you like makes camping that much more enjoyable, this is why Adventure Kings has a range of cooking gear suitable for campfire cooking, such as the BBQ Hotplate and even the Camp Oven/Stove, which allows you to setup a small campfire up off the sand with the ability to contain all the left over ash inside and with a 2.4m high chimney it will lift the smoke up and away from your campsite meaning warmth at night with no more smoky eyes!

If you like instant heat, then an LPG powered system is probably right up your ally! With the Gasmate Voyager Portable BBQ being able to roast, bake fry and grill all your campsite favorites.

RECREATION
If you love heading to the beach you should definitely check out the Adventure Kings Inflatable Stand Up Paddleboard – extremely compact this 10’ 6” inflates to a full-sized paddleboard, including a folding adjustable 2 piece paddle.

We’ve heard hundreds of rave reviews about how much fun the Adventure Kings inflatable Stand Up Paddleboard is for the whole family and how affordable they are compared to similar units available on the market!

For an awesome springtime beach camping experience, you cannot look past the massive range of Adventure Kings gear, with just about everything you need on offer 4WD Supacentre are truly a one stop for all your beach camping needs!