It may be best to outline numbers and locations....
the list could be extensive......
I travel the world so I use specialist gear from Macpac myself but have camped and worked all over the outback so I can provide some advise.
Here is a basic overview and depending on your camping destination I can happily expand.
Tent obviuosly and I recommend quality. Work on the prinicipal of "less water inside less kids complain" etc. Plenty of brands so shop for your budget. But specifically look at easy of installation, internal strenght of poles (never good when wind/storm hits and drops the tent with all inside scared shitless.....and stability of flooring; remember not all sites are flat, and the ground varies......pegging into sand is easy but easy to pull out under stain....rocky ground is hard on pegs etc. nothing is 100 % water proof so you will need to proof it. Just ask were you purchase it from. Plenty of applications these days. need to apply at first use.
There are good portable inflatable mattress but some standouts I have seen latey are the ones designed for 4W drives....seem stronger than genaral run of the mill camping gear.
I'm a swag man and plenty of quality around at $$.
Ground sheet is valuable. Makes things so much esier....not as wet and stops excess dirt/soil entering tent and can cool the area down.....if you are in sand then get a good sheet of shadecloth as this allows sand to filter through.
Get a good quality cooker. I use kookaburra 2 stove burner setup. didn't cost much and it has been real bullet proof for years. Also portable and easy maintenance. there is huge variation but buy for your needs. obviously you will need a gas bottle and connection. you can also add a gas lantern to this set up.
You will need a camp oven.....nothing else compares and easy to use/clean and bullet proof again. Best curry ever.........
Not sure what your plan is nor your car accessories but esky/fridge are good. if you don't have a dual battery then portable solar and great resale if you are concerned. aside from this some plastic storage bins are always handy to have for storage.
sleeping gear is a must. if you are a beginner then i would recommend synthetic over down (goose) as synthetic is warm when wet and far less maitenance. easy to wash also. Roman is decent gear but plenty of others around. look specifically at the rating of the bag. this is the temperature rating. remember it does get cold at night even in the summer. Living in Alice Springs when I hikked the central desert country it would get to minus 8 at night......never underestimate the temp and as you know sleep is crucial to good health.
remember if you use gear outbush then pack it up during the day.....don't want any nasty surprises from a snake or spider. Likewise always keep your camp clean for obviuos reasons...
ALWAYS take home what you bring with you, and leave only footprints.
Thanks for that. I will do more research, but are there particular brands to buy? Figured that I might as well get it right from the start.
We are a family of 4, the kids are pre teen at the moment. Suspect that most trips will only be short weekend trips, though if they really get into it (especially the kids) then we might try a longer trip.
What brand of tent?
Ground sheet? Take it this is put at the entrance of the tent?
Camp oven? How does that work? Don't think I have seen one of those.
The 4x4 is stock standard at the moment.
18 Outrage, Johnson 140hp 4stroke and 190 Outrage, 150 Mercury Verado
Will the kids be getting their own tents? Things that always come in handy, a tarp, small kitchen accessories kit, matches, gas stove/bottle, a good re-chargable lantern and a car charger/kick starter is good to have incase you are remote and get a flat battery - then atleast you can get yourself out of trouble without having to wait around. I'm sure theres heaps more I'm forgetting at the moment, will have a think and see what I can come up with.
A camp oven is a heavy cast iron pot with a lid with a rim on it .you place the camp oven in the coals with your food in it and put coals on top ,thats what the rim is for.You can make damper, caseroles ,stews pretty much any thing. My favourite is lamb roast with spuds and onions.the thicker the iron the more even the temp less likley to burn things.I got mine from the freo foundry years ago their not there any more . And dont use detergent on them as cast iron is porous so every thing will taste like morning fresh or curry.
Do some research first mate and them people can recommend what brands. Persoanally I use my stuff extensively so I go top range; but I go into extreme environments. My stuff is specifically designed for certain evironments and for example when I am hikking I have at least $5000 on my back.....
Personally I avoid american products but thats just my opinion. Always good to buy Aussie.
For Tent brand look at your budget. No use advising quality if you aren't hardcore. As people suggest, work out sleeping arangements as there is good variety for all occassions/requirements. You may even pick up a good one second hand. Canvas is sound material but heavy......Just remember the tent should meet your expected functions will camping. Like adam said the kids may want a seperate tent or you can get one with seperate rooms which adds privacy etc.
some tent brand names to look at include black wolf, kookaburra, Roman and colemen for a few. The usual price equals quality principal. Either go oline or visit some local shops.
The main consideration with the tent is strenght!! Get inside one (shops should have some set or get them to, then you can also see how involved the process is cause you will be putting it up....) and assess how it would ahndle strong wind and rain. look for number of poles and peg attachment points. give the seams a good look to see quality and thus strenght. Basically give a good going over from top to bottem.
Adam has listed accessories and this is entirely dependent on your needs but good advice on battery recharger as I have rescued cars out bush with stuffed batteries. if you plan to use vehcile battery power get a daul battery system....for there price they are worth it.
The ground sheet is simply a flat sheet you place on the ground then place your tent over it. I suggest a sheet that covers the ground under and out front of the tent. the ground sheet adds protection for your floor due to moisture (extended stays in one place) pointy rocks/wood etc. My top of the range tent recommends to move the tent every 7 days if stationary to avoid moisture eating your material for example, and this is the best brand for extreme tents.
Paul N
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 09/11/06
Depends
Where are you thinking of going Alfred ?
And for how long
Paul
Any day fishing is a great day !!
damo6230
Posts: 2029
Date Joined: 07/06/08
the saga
It may be best to outline numbers and locations....
the list could be extensive......
I travel the world so I use specialist gear from Macpac myself but have camped and worked all over the outback so I can provide some advise.
Here is a basic overview and depending on your camping destination I can happily expand.
Tent obviuosly and I recommend quality. Work on the prinicipal of "less water inside less kids complain" etc. Plenty of brands so shop for your budget. But specifically look at easy of installation, internal strenght of poles (never good when wind/storm hits and drops the tent with all inside scared shitless.....and stability of flooring; remember not all sites are flat, and the ground varies......pegging into sand is easy but easy to pull out under stain....rocky ground is hard on pegs etc. nothing is 100 % water proof so you will need to proof it. Just ask were you purchase it from. Plenty of applications these days. need to apply at first use.
There are good portable inflatable mattress but some standouts I have seen latey are the ones designed for 4W drives....seem stronger than genaral run of the mill camping gear.
I'm a swag man and plenty of quality around at $$.
Ground sheet is valuable. Makes things so much esier....not as wet and stops excess dirt/soil entering tent and can cool the area down.....if you are in sand then get a good sheet of shadecloth as this allows sand to filter through.
Get a good quality cooker. I use kookaburra 2 stove burner setup. didn't cost much and it has been real bullet proof for years. Also portable and easy maintenance. there is huge variation but buy for your needs. obviously you will need a gas bottle and connection. you can also add a gas lantern to this set up.
You will need a camp oven.....nothing else compares and easy to use/clean and bullet proof again. Best curry ever.........
Not sure what your plan is nor your car accessories but esky/fridge are good. if you don't have a dual battery then portable solar and great resale if you are concerned. aside from this some plastic storage bins are always handy to have for storage.
sleeping gear is a must. if you are a beginner then i would recommend synthetic over down (goose) as synthetic is warm when wet and far less maitenance. easy to wash also. Roman is decent gear but plenty of others around. look specifically at the rating of the bag. this is the temperature rating. remember it does get cold at night even in the summer. Living in Alice Springs when I hikked the central desert country it would get to minus 8 at night......never underestimate the temp and as you know sleep is crucial to good health.
remember if you use gear outbush then pack it up during the day.....don't want any nasty surprises from a snake or spider. Likewise always keep your camp clean for obviuos reasons...
ALWAYS take home what you bring with you, and leave only footprints.
Regards
RECFISHWEST Member
alfred
Posts: 3097
Date Joined: 12/01/07
Thanks for that. I will do
Thanks for that. I will do more research, but are there particular brands to buy? Figured that I might as well get it right from the start.
We are a family of 4, the kids are pre teen at the moment. Suspect that most trips will only be short weekend trips, though if they really get into it (especially the kids) then we might try a longer trip.
What brand of tent?
Ground sheet? Take it this is put at the entrance of the tent?
Camp oven? How does that work? Don't think I have seen one of those.
The 4x4 is stock standard at the moment.
18 Outrage, Johnson 140hp 4stroke and 190 Outrage, 150 Mercury Verado
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15652
Date Joined: 29/11/05
Tent
Will the kids be getting their own tents? Things that always come in handy, a tarp, small kitchen accessories kit, matches, gas stove/bottle, a good re-chargable lantern and a car charger/kick starter is good to have incase you are remote and get a flat battery - then atleast you can get yourself out of trouble without having to wait around. I'm sure theres heaps more I'm forgetting at the moment, will have a think and see what I can come up with.
Site Admin - Just ask if you need assistance
UncleStu
Posts: 313
Date Joined: 18/05/08
CAMP OVEN
A camp oven is a heavy cast iron pot with a lid with a rim on it .you place the camp oven in the coals with your food in it and put coals on top ,thats what the rim is for.You can make damper, caseroles ,stews pretty much any thing. My favourite is lamb roast with spuds and onions.the thicker the iron the more even the temp less likley to burn things.I got mine from the freo foundry years ago their not there any more . And dont use detergent on them as cast iron is porous so every thing will taste like morning fresh or curry.
Cheers Uncle Stu
damo6230
Posts: 2029
Date Joined: 07/06/08
Alfred
Do some research first mate and them people can recommend what brands. Persoanally I use my stuff extensively so I go top range; but I go into extreme environments. My stuff is specifically designed for certain evironments and for example when I am hikking I have at least $5000 on my back.....
Personally I avoid american products but thats just my opinion. Always good to buy Aussie.
For Tent brand look at your budget. No use advising quality if you aren't hardcore. As people suggest, work out sleeping arangements as there is good variety for all occassions/requirements. You may even pick up a good one second hand. Canvas is sound material but heavy......Just remember the tent should meet your expected functions will camping. Like adam said the kids may want a seperate tent or you can get one with seperate rooms which adds privacy etc.
some tent brand names to look at include black wolf, kookaburra, Roman and colemen for a few. The usual price equals quality principal. Either go oline or visit some local shops.
The main consideration with the tent is strenght!! Get inside one (shops should have some set or get them to, then you can also see how involved the process is cause you will be putting it up....) and assess how it would ahndle strong wind and rain. look for number of poles and peg attachment points. give the seams a good look to see quality and thus strenght. Basically give a good going over from top to bottem.
Adam has listed accessories and this is entirely dependent on your needs but good advice on battery recharger as I have rescued cars out bush with stuffed batteries. if you plan to use vehcile battery power get a daul battery system....for there price they are worth it.
The ground sheet is simply a flat sheet you place on the ground then place your tent over it. I suggest a sheet that covers the ground under and out front of the tent. the ground sheet adds protection for your floor due to moisture (extended stays in one place) pointy rocks/wood etc. My top of the range tent recommends to move the tent every 7 days if stationary to avoid moisture eating your material for example, and this is the best brand for extreme tents.
Happy to recieve PMs if you wish
cheers
RECFISHWEST Member