Planning for your trip
Trip planning is very important to make sure your trip is safe and enjoyable. Following are some of the more important items you need to think about to help things run smoothly.
Car Service – Make sure you give your car a full service before you leave. Ensure that you carry spare oils and parts with you, what you need to carry will depend on the length of your trip. If you can arm yourself with a little mechanical knowledge, this will be very helpful should something happen when you are stuck in the middle of the bush! Even the smallest amount of knowledge and know-how could get you out of trouble. Tyres - No matter how new your tyres are, you can still get a puncture so you need to carry spares with you. Easiest option is to carry a spare wheel and tyre, but if space/weight is an issue, you can carry a tyre only. Just remember that you must know how to fit the tyre yourself (or hope you are close to a mechanic who can do so for you!). Remember to take the right tools needed to remove your wheel nuts and ensure you have a jack that is suitable for your vehicle. |
Maps - Make sure you have maps of the areas you are visiting. Remember a normal road GPS will not necessarily help you off the beaten track. There are numerous off-road GPS systems on the market, but paper maps are essential as well.
Tourist Information - Collect information on places you intend to visit. Ring or write to the tourist information centres in the areas you intend to visit, read books, search the internet, get as much information as you can before you leave home. Talk to the national parks you intend to visit, check if there are any permits required for the places you will be travelling through. Are the any other things to be aware of, eg barge charges, travelling through 'dry zones' (alcohol free areas), road conditions .....
Bedding- Inflatable airbeds are OK in summer, but can be cold in winter. In winter, use a woollen blanket or similar underneath the air mattress. What happens if they go down? You must carry an air pump and a repair kit with you. Self inflating mattresses are a good alternative. Quick and easy to use, but they are bigger and take up a lot more room to store. Another alternative is the stretcher bed, these are comfortable and keep you off the ground. They do have some weight to them though and take up more space than an inflatable airbed.
Tents – Your choice of tent may depend on where you are going, the length of your stay, size and storage (and also price). We did our first outback trip in a 2 person dome tent and had no problems. We have since upgraded to a 2 minute tent and love it! They come with a big price tag though, but well worth the money in our opinion, especially if you are moving camp sites each day. When choosing your tent, keep in mind that you won’t always be camping in perfect conditions, can your tent handle a storm, wind, rain?
Tourist Information - Collect information on places you intend to visit. Ring or write to the tourist information centres in the areas you intend to visit, read books, search the internet, get as much information as you can before you leave home. Talk to the national parks you intend to visit, check if there are any permits required for the places you will be travelling through. Are the any other things to be aware of, eg barge charges, travelling through 'dry zones' (alcohol free areas), road conditions .....
Bedding- Inflatable airbeds are OK in summer, but can be cold in winter. In winter, use a woollen blanket or similar underneath the air mattress. What happens if they go down? You must carry an air pump and a repair kit with you. Self inflating mattresses are a good alternative. Quick and easy to use, but they are bigger and take up a lot more room to store. Another alternative is the stretcher bed, these are comfortable and keep you off the ground. They do have some weight to them though and take up more space than an inflatable airbed.
Tents – Your choice of tent may depend on where you are going, the length of your stay, size and storage (and also price). We did our first outback trip in a 2 person dome tent and had no problems. We have since upgraded to a 2 minute tent and love it! They come with a big price tag though, but well worth the money in our opinion, especially if you are moving camp sites each day. When choosing your tent, keep in mind that you won’t always be camping in perfect conditions, can your tent handle a storm, wind, rain?
Helpful Hints
AC/DC Power Inverter - Allows you to run/charge small appliances like phones, coffee makers, lights etc. Plugs into the car’s cigarette lighter or 12V outlet.
Baby Wipes - Always carry these with you, they can provide a nice clean ’shower’ when there are none available. Can also be used to wipe hands, wipe down tables etc. Essential to carry these!
Batteries - Always carry spare batteries with you for any lights or appliances that may take batteries. Ensure you have the right size/s of batteries with you, and even better, buy rechargeable batteries and a charger.
Brush & Pan - Handy to clean out the floor of your tent on a regular basis - or before packing your tent away each time.
Coins - Take a pile of $1 & $2 coins with you in a separate coin purse. These come in handy for showers, washing machines, public phones etc.
Cords & Cables - Label all of your cords and cables before you leave home so that it is easy to work out which charger or cord belongs to each appliance. Do a check before you leave home to ensure that all cords and chargers are packed and in working order.
Extension Lead - Handy for campsites where you may want power to charge up appliances or give your car battery a break from running the fridge. Sometimes the power isn't right next to your tent/camping area and an extension lead can come in handy.
Fruit & Vegetables - Wrap individually in paper towel and newspaper and store in a cool dark place. Note that you can vacuum seal salad vegetables.
Games - Carry a deck of playing cards /games with you for those lazy nights around the campfire or those rainy days stuck at camp.
Gloves - Always carry gloves with you, needed when collecting fire wood, vehicle recovery etc.
Hair - Leave-in conditioner or dry shampoo are handy for campers when a lack of showers can be common.
Heat Beads - Heat beads are a safe and long burning fuel and can be very handy to take with you camping. They also come in handy for camp oven cooking as they help distribute heat evenly. Note that heat beads that have been open for a period of time will not burn as well as fresh ones. Always store opened heat beads in an air tight container.
Insects - Avon Skin So Soft works well for insects (if you are lucky enough to still be able to grab some). Citronella candles and oil works for mosquitoes. Coconut soap and coconut oil is also said to repel mosquitoes.
Mat - Take a Bath mat or rubber matting with you to use at the front of your tent. This will save some of the sand/dirt making it’s way into your tent.
Meat – Where possible, cryovac or vacuum pack all your meat for easy storage and longer shelf life. Purchasing your own machine is the best option, but many butchers will do this for you. If you marinate meat, wrap it in 2 layers of foil and store in sealed freezer bag (frozen) in the fridge and it will last for days. Alternatively, cryovac it.
Scentsy Go - We never travel without our Scentsy Go. There are many fragrances to choose from, but the Coconut Lemongrass works as a natural mosquito repellent, so this is what we use. Click here to view.
Tarp - Can be used under your tent, as an entry mat for your tent, cover if it’s raining, table cloth, makeshift bra for water crossings etc. There are so many uses for a tarp, this is a must have.
Tent Pegs & Ropes - Always carry extra tent pegs and ropes with you. Handy in case you lose or break some, can be used with your tarp to make a shelter over cooking/seating area or even over your tent. Always carry sand pegs with you, just in case.
Tweezers - Handy to have these easily accessible in your first aid kit for removal of splinters or ticks.
Thongs - Always wear thongs in the shower, these are not always the cleanest and it stops the spread of any diseases that may be hiding in there!
Toiletry Bag - Good idea to use one with handles so that you can hang it up. Some campsites (even the ones with showers) aren’t the cleanest and you may want to keep your toiletry bag clean and dry by handing it up. I always carry a handbag hook with me so I can hang it over a door, even if there is no hook on the back of the door
Umbrella - Use a large umbrella for rain or as a portable toilet shelter when no shelter or trees are available to squat behind!
Water - Obviously it’s very important to have sufficient water on board for your needs, as water is not only required for drinking, but also for cooking, washing, washing teeth, washing up etc. A handy tip is to have a smaller container of water that you use for cooking and teeth washing etc - simply fill up from your main water supply as required. Never store ALL of your water in the one container (just in case you spring a leak).
Baby Wipes - Always carry these with you, they can provide a nice clean ’shower’ when there are none available. Can also be used to wipe hands, wipe down tables etc. Essential to carry these!
Batteries - Always carry spare batteries with you for any lights or appliances that may take batteries. Ensure you have the right size/s of batteries with you, and even better, buy rechargeable batteries and a charger.
Brush & Pan - Handy to clean out the floor of your tent on a regular basis - or before packing your tent away each time.
Coins - Take a pile of $1 & $2 coins with you in a separate coin purse. These come in handy for showers, washing machines, public phones etc.
Cords & Cables - Label all of your cords and cables before you leave home so that it is easy to work out which charger or cord belongs to each appliance. Do a check before you leave home to ensure that all cords and chargers are packed and in working order.
Extension Lead - Handy for campsites where you may want power to charge up appliances or give your car battery a break from running the fridge. Sometimes the power isn't right next to your tent/camping area and an extension lead can come in handy.
Fruit & Vegetables - Wrap individually in paper towel and newspaper and store in a cool dark place. Note that you can vacuum seal salad vegetables.
Games - Carry a deck of playing cards /games with you for those lazy nights around the campfire or those rainy days stuck at camp.
Gloves - Always carry gloves with you, needed when collecting fire wood, vehicle recovery etc.
Hair - Leave-in conditioner or dry shampoo are handy for campers when a lack of showers can be common.
Heat Beads - Heat beads are a safe and long burning fuel and can be very handy to take with you camping. They also come in handy for camp oven cooking as they help distribute heat evenly. Note that heat beads that have been open for a period of time will not burn as well as fresh ones. Always store opened heat beads in an air tight container.
Insects - Avon Skin So Soft works well for insects (if you are lucky enough to still be able to grab some). Citronella candles and oil works for mosquitoes. Coconut soap and coconut oil is also said to repel mosquitoes.
Mat - Take a Bath mat or rubber matting with you to use at the front of your tent. This will save some of the sand/dirt making it’s way into your tent.
Meat – Where possible, cryovac or vacuum pack all your meat for easy storage and longer shelf life. Purchasing your own machine is the best option, but many butchers will do this for you. If you marinate meat, wrap it in 2 layers of foil and store in sealed freezer bag (frozen) in the fridge and it will last for days. Alternatively, cryovac it.
Scentsy Go - We never travel without our Scentsy Go. There are many fragrances to choose from, but the Coconut Lemongrass works as a natural mosquito repellent, so this is what we use. Click here to view.
Tarp - Can be used under your tent, as an entry mat for your tent, cover if it’s raining, table cloth, makeshift bra for water crossings etc. There are so many uses for a tarp, this is a must have.
Tent Pegs & Ropes - Always carry extra tent pegs and ropes with you. Handy in case you lose or break some, can be used with your tarp to make a shelter over cooking/seating area or even over your tent. Always carry sand pegs with you, just in case.
Tweezers - Handy to have these easily accessible in your first aid kit for removal of splinters or ticks.
Thongs - Always wear thongs in the shower, these are not always the cleanest and it stops the spread of any diseases that may be hiding in there!
Toiletry Bag - Good idea to use one with handles so that you can hang it up. Some campsites (even the ones with showers) aren’t the cleanest and you may want to keep your toiletry bag clean and dry by handing it up. I always carry a handbag hook with me so I can hang it over a door, even if there is no hook on the back of the door
Umbrella - Use a large umbrella for rain or as a portable toilet shelter when no shelter or trees are available to squat behind!
Water - Obviously it’s very important to have sufficient water on board for your needs, as water is not only required for drinking, but also for cooking, washing, washing teeth, washing up etc. A handy tip is to have a smaller container of water that you use for cooking and teeth washing etc - simply fill up from your main water supply as required. Never store ALL of your water in the one container (just in case you spring a leak).