The Camping Thread

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Please don't get me wrong Trev, I'm not complaining about my lot or envious of what you or anyone else has achieved, I'm happy for people who've worked hard and spent/saved/invested wisely to reap the rewards and hope to get there myself one day, but right now it's not my reality so you have to make do with what life presents even if that's camping in less desirable locations in the immediate future.

At the minute I'm sitting in the emergency dept. of my local hospital with a suspected perforated bowel from a severe bout of Diverticulitis, ive got the old man health issues down pat, just need the nest egg to compliment..

I didn't read it like that at all, I was showing some empathy for your position as I said in my opening statement - we have been there as well

Originally Posted by Sox

Our holidays are dirt cheap.
We bush camp 90% of the time, whether that's a council provided freebie on the side of the highway, or an isolated spot we find in some remote location hidden from everyone.

I don't like caravan parks, they cost too much, they cram you in like 5 Maoris in a Ford Fiesta, and the facilities are all too often sub standard.
However, sometimes we have to be in them for convenience, even we slum it sometimes...

I've been camping/traveling all my life, first with tent/sleeping bag and either car or motorbike.
In the last 10 years with the caravan in the the above pics, we inherited the van off a good friend who passed away, long story...

We mostly plonk ourselves ~20km outside of the towns, or much much further away.
Haven't had any problems with people or anything else, but we do travel in pairs (mostly) and with a couple of dogs.
We've had Dingos, lizards, and cane toads drink from the doggys water bowl though...

Wifey uses 90% of her holidays for going away, and I'm semi retired.
We usually go away for a minimum of 1 week, but normally between 3 and 6 weeks.
Wifey has 12 weeks LSL approved and we're going right around the block next.

Our van is only pint sized, but it's a burger with the lot.
I've renos on top of the renos over the years, it's a different van today.
In fact, over the last week I've just made a big hole in the side of it for the little Webber to pop in and out of.

We've done around 50,000km towing the caravan in the last 10 years and wouldn't have it any other way...

Love your style, you sound like you camp and travel like us, although we prefer to travel on our own - our days of other people dictating our holidays are well and truly over

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Trevor 57

I didn't read it like that at all, I was showing some empathy for your position as I said in my opening statement - we have been there as well

And I do appreciate that, i just wanted to be clear that unlike many of mine and younger generations I don't hold a grudge against those older than us who lived through a different time, we all have challenges to overcome albeit different dependant on from where we start the journey.

Safe travels

[Sox]

Originally Posted by Trevor 57

Love your style, you sound like you camp and travel like us, although we prefer to travel on our own - our days of other people dictating our holidays are well and truly over

The other pair are my folks, they're cool.
There's a bit of friction now and again, but 90% of the time it's smooth sailing.

I'm happy to be able help them along and get them out of the house, otherwise they'd be couch potatoes in their retirement.
There's no way they'd attempt it without us, Mum's over 70 and Dad's nudging 80.

In some areas such as national parks or where we simply can't leave the dogs alone too long in the van, it's good that we can share the dog sitting.

It works...

Having said that, I'm with you in that I wouldn't want to travel the way we do with other people, at least nothing longer than a week or 2.

[sgt_doofey]

Here's a question for all us campers...

How far out from your trip do you start packing? We're still a little over 2 weeks away and I've already dragged all our gear out of the shed and started going through it.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

Here's a question for all us campers...

How far out from your trip do you start packing? We're still a little over 2 weeks away and I've already dragged all our gear out of the shed and started going through it.

Kind of depends on a few factors. Short trips, like the upcoming long weekend, probably the week prior, although we do have a box inside that we start putting snacks and stuff in from quite a few weeks out sometimes. Makes it less noticeable than one big shop for food.
I might open the van up the weekend prior.

Longer trips we probably start a bit earlier but rarely longer than 3 weeks prior. The van needs very little prep work, which was the main reason for going that route. It's just food and clothes that have to go in. Bedding generally stays in.

Once we get home from a trip we pull everything out, wash what needs washing etc, then put it back before closing it down. It's 90% ready for next trip then.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

Here's a question for all us campers...

How far out from your trip do you start packing? We're still a little over 2 weeks away and I've already dragged all our gear out of the shed and started going through it.

Day before for a 4-5 day trip.Pretty easy as pretty well everything except food is in the van full time

[Sox]

For just a weekend away, only the day before.
For a week or 2, 3 to 4 days.
For more than 4 weeks, usually at least a week and more.

Like the above dude, our van is stacked and ready to go for most stuff all the time.

It's part of the fun, knowing that you'll still forget stuff anyhow.

The dogs love it too, they sit in the caravan while we're packing...

[Trevor 57]

It all depends on where we are going and what we are doing - I am lucky we have a caravan so just about everything other than food and clothes in there ready to go at the drop of a hat.

However if we are 'bush' camping then there is other stuff we take like dunny tent, camp fire cooking stuff which I have all stored together in one place so no biggie to get out the day before

We are heading off for 2 weeks tomorrow, I did most of the stuff last night, pack clothes tonight then head off in the morning

[roKWiz]

Seeing as I spend so much time on the road between motels, cabins and the motorhome. It is packed and ready to go at a moments notice.

A bit like International Rescue. FAB.

[sgt_doofey]

For us, we only get away once a year at the moment with the kids being as young as they are, so all our gear is shoved away in the shed.

We only have a tent so we have to take everything that's associated with camping in a tent. I've pumped up the air mattresses to make sure they stay inflated

I only get weekends to check things out so I generally need a few weeks to make sure I've got what we need.

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[roKWiz]

I know this might not work for you due to space, but I bought a large plastic storage box with all the basics in it including long life food, cooking utensils, etc, a two burner camping stove. (allows us to cook outdoors at Motels)
If I'm using the panel van, I'll shove it in the back along with some stuff I keep in it. The packed box transfers between vehicles.
Biggest pain in the A**s is when I need 2 vehicles onsite, I have to do the relay, as my partner thinks she's a danger to other road users and will not drive.

[sgt_doofey]

I've got 3
One for cooking stuff, one for cleaning stuff and one for camping stuff.
Only problem is that they sit in the shed for the rest of the year and get dust in them. I pulled out all the pots, pans, plates, cups and utensils and ran them through the dishwasher to clean them up last weekend.

I've also got 2 striped hobo bags. One with sleeping bags, blankets and sheets and one with flooring stuff. (Foam squares and mesh floor and walls for the gazebo)

Chuck in the fridge, tent, chairs, 6x3 gazebo, gas bottle, clothes, pillows, food, etc and then your 6x4 trailer is nice and full! Kids bikes get chucked on top and then it all gets tied down.

The actual packing of the car and trailer won't happen until the day before but I just like to be prepared and make sure I can still find everything

I guess the other topic we haven't really covered in this thread yet is camping disasters! What's happened whilst you've been away?

For us, it was returning from Halls Gap last year and a little under an hour away from home the tread on one of the trailer tyres decided that after about 30 years that it wanted to separate. Luckily I noticed the odd vibration from the trailer and pulled over before it became worse. I changed the tyre only to have the car battery go flat whilst changing the tyre.

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[prydey]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

I've pumped up the air mattresses to make sure they stay inflated

I have a double and single darche self inflating mattresses sitting here doing nothing left over from my tent days. Also a single dune one (anaconda brand). We literally only used them two or three times, as with all our tent stuff, before moving to a van. They are for sale if you are interested.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

I guess the other topic we haven't really covered in this thread yet is camping disasters! What's happened whilst you've been away?

I wouldn't know where to start.
One memory was limping 15kms with a blown steer tyre along the Buckets Way to Nabiac.
Tried everything but just couldn't get the jack under the front axle to change. Stuffed it full of grass, amazingly was able to reuse the split ring wheel again.

[Sox]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

I guess the other topic we haven't really covered in this thread yet is camping disasters! What's happened whilst you've been away?

Can't say we've ever had a disaster, but...

Last 6 week trip we had 5 flat tyres, seized pistons in the front brake calipers so did a fairly comprehensive brake rebuild/upgrade in a very isolated camp site up near Normanton, destroyed 2 shocks, hit an Emu, and the exhaust broke on both cars.

But then you'd expect stuff to go wrong on a 12,000km trip, especially when 1 of those cars has over 400,000km...

Still had a fantastic time.

[BENT_8]

I'm heading away for the weekend this evening, got another 2hrs of work, a Drs appointment at 5.30 and then I'll start packing, should be on the road by 6.30.

[Trevor 57]

we are locked and loaded for an early start tomorrow

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

Here's a question for all us campers...

How far out from your trip do you start packing? We're still a little over 2 weeks away and I've already dragged all our gear out of the shed and started going through it.

I'm going tomorrow. Haven't started yet.
Most of my camp stuff is in one spot in the garage so I can pack it all pretty quick. The only time consuming parts is food and clothes. That doesn't take long for short trips.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Ben73

I'm going tomorrow.

Originally Posted by BENT_8

I'm heading away for the weekend this evening.

Originally Posted by Trevor 57

we are locked and loaded for an early start tomorrow

I feel like I missed the memo....

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by prydey

I feel like I missed the memo....

Chalks mate, its only an hour from you, hook up the Jayco and get cracking, weather's perfect.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Chalks mate, its only an hour from you, hook up the Jayco and get cracking, weather's perfect.

if only it were that simple. unfortunately, I have to work.

[kinksta]

Originally Posted by Ben73

I'm going tomorrow. Haven't started yet.

Most of my camp stuff is in one spot in the garage so I can pack it all pretty quick. The only time consuming parts is food and clothes. That doesn't take long for short trips.

Same as myself. I have a couple of tubs of camp gear always ready to go. Then one visit to the shops and I am on my way.

[roKWiz]

Down by the Ovens river for this week. The park is nice and quiet.



Main line crossing the Ovens at Wangaratta.

[sgt_doofey]

We did Halls Gap a couple months ago. Was a great trip with great friends, as usual.
We didn't have a disaster ourselves this time, but one of our friends had a bit of a mishap.

Started off with the wife hurting her back a couple of days before being due to leave, so they ended up staying home a couple of extra days. Rather then drive over on the Friday, they ended up coming over on the Monday.
When they arrived, they started the process of winding up the roof of their campervan only to have a cable snap and one corner fall down.
Cue three blokes scratching their heads for the next 30 minutes trying to figure out what to do to hold the heavy roof of the campervan up.
Ended up borrowing a drill from the park maintenance person, drilling holes in the uprights and putting pins (tent pegs) through them to hold it up.

Rest of the trip was great and uneventful after that!

[BENT_8]

Well, works finished for the year, the Wife has the next 8 days off to, so the camper and car are packed and we're heading away for the week.
Had a site at the Barmera caravan park booked until I saw the weeks weather forecast, they're expecting mid 40's in Adelaide and high 40's in the Riverland, so I rang up Saturday morning and transferred my booking to the Robe caravan park which is part of the same group.
Weather is high 20's and up to mid 30's, so a good 20* cooler which should be perfect.
Haven't been down the southeast since I was about 5 so it'll be an adventure, looking to see some caves, do a bit of kayaking and swimming, cast a line and might head down the Mt if time allows.

I'll be thinking of my fellow Adelaideans as they melt.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

, they started the process of winding up the roof of their campervan only to have a cable snap and one corner fall down.
Cue three blokes scratching their heads for the next 30 minutes trying to figure out what to do to hold the heavy roof of the campervan up.
Ended up borrowing a drill from the park maintenance person, drilling holes in the uprights and putting pins (tent pegs) through them to hold it up.
!

Shame about the van. If the cables are going to fail, it will almost only ever happen during wind up. Its a bit fiddly but they are reasonably easy to fix as well if you don't mind mucking about. I've not done mine but my brother has replaced some cables as has a mate.

I liked the solution. Rather ingenious and simple. Glad the rest of the stay was good for you and them.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

I'll be thinking of my fellow Adelaideans as they melt.

Perth copped the heat as well. Seems to have picked up a bit of extra heat coming across the nullabor though.

Just spent 3 weeks in bris (not camping) sweltering in mid to high 30's basically every day with the added bonus of high humidity. was looking forward to getting back to some dryer, cooler weather. Looks like i'll have to wait a few more days.

Enjoy the cool of the south east. Haven't been to Robe yet and it often comes up when discussing travel plans.

[BENT_8]

That humidity is something I can't handle Rob, would move to QLD tomorrow if not for that.

Bloody beautiful here in Robe, light breeze and high 20's.
Caravan park is nice, very clean, has a few camp kitchens, big adventure playground, indoor pool and a cool little games room and the best part, its only 150m from the waters edge of a very nice swimming beach.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Bloody beautiful here in Robe, light breeze and high 20's.
Caravan park is nice, very clean, has a few camp kitchens, big adventure playground, indoor pool and a cool little games room and the best part, its only 150m from the waters edge of a very nice swimming beach.

What's the name of it? How generous are the powered and unpowered sites? Are they all grass or do they have a slab and grass?

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by prydey

What's the name of it? How generous are the powered and unpowered sites? Are they all grass or do they have a slab and grass?

Discovery park Robe, the sites are reasonable, probably 10x8m they're very generous with space though, they gave us a double site for no extra charge.
All grass.