All The Gear And No Idea
I think we have all had that moment when you are out and about and you come across an amazing drool-worthy camp setup. You know the ones we are talking about - beautiful, neat, practical, easy to set up and set down... and usually really expensive.
Its true you can go to a camping store and feel inspired to buy everything, like a kid at a candy store. Or alternatively you can leave feeling totally confused. “Do I really need to spend the best part of a return trip to Europe to go camping down the road?” The answer is no way.
Disclaimer: Our setups are pretty rad but we have been doing it for years and we go camping at every opportunity. We are constantly changing and improving our setups and over the years the way we camp has changed A LOT. You might be a once a year camper or a once a month camper or just wanting to find out if camping is something you are into. So what works for one person won’t work for another.
If you are starting out and think you would love to start exploring the great outdoors but don’t know where to start, here our our top tips to get you out under the stars for less than you would think:
Think about the bare necessities, things you can’t live without ie. water, food, somewhere to lay your head, something to keep warm with (a jumper or jacket, blankets) and loo paper (throw in a first aid kit just to be safe)
Starting out borrow some mates' gear. Everyone knows someone with some camp gear gathering dust in a garage (just make sure you return it in the condition it was leant to you)
Barter. Op shops and garage sales are absolute goldmines for camping gear. Grab a plastic storage box and fill it with kitchen essentials. The quality to begin with isn't important - you will soon learn what you actually use in the bush and you can always upgrade later if need be.
Basic trips - for your first trip (or five), plan short trips to spots that are easy to get to and out of. This means if there's a disaster along the way (like forgetting to pack enough water... or wine...), you can easily bail out and get supplies. Short trips also mean that if you forget something useful but not essential, like a head torch, you can live without it and just pack it next time.
Bush BBQ. Don't over-complicate it, keep it simple like you would for a BBQ at the park with your mates. Remember something that can play some camp tunes and bring simple food to prepare on the fire or burner (if you want some motivation for camp recipes and cooking, check out our brother site: www.firetofork.net). Pack light and figure it out as you go along.
What is the worst that could happen? You end up eating cold baked beans out of the tin with your keyring ahh worse things have happened. The key to the perfect trip is the company you keep and always having a laugh when nothing goes to plan. We even went on a last minute overnight with fire to fork a few years ago and no one brought any food… there was beer though… and it’s one of our favourite memories, we still look back on it and laugh. We woke up a little dusty but looking out over one of the prettiest beaches in Australia. I’d say that was worth it.
If you have any hot tips let us know in the comments below.