Off-Road Accessories for the Ideal Camping Trip

One of the most popular ways to explore Australia is by hitting the road with your 4×4. As simple as that sounds, though, travelling through the Australian outback without the right equipment can be dangerous. For that reason, seasoned off-road enthusiasts recommend getting at least the most basic of survival and camping gear and off road accessories.

But which pieces are those? Walking into an outdoors or camping store without any prior knowledge can have you leave with a bunch of unnecessary items and gadgets you may never need. And that’s why I’m here – to provide a list of the most essential camping equipment and off road accessories.

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Tents and Awnings

If your trip lasts more than a day, you’ll obviously need a place to crash. While you can sleep in your car, it’s not comfortable. That’s why most people rely on tents and awnings to provide them with shelter. Tents and awnings are available in a range of shapes and sizes, and most of them are light, compact and easy to put up. However, there are some complicated kits that will require you to deal with poles, tie-downs, tarps and stakes. When choosing an awning or tent, consider how many people you’ll need to fit inside. Furthermore, make sure the tent or awning is waterproof, and is high enough for you to comfortably stand and walk in.

Swags and Sleeping Bags

Once you’ve chosen your shelter, it’s time to choose what you’ll keep on. As much as most of us think we’d be fine with sleeping on the ground, laying on exposed, hard ground isn’t the best solution. For that reason, get a sleeping bag. Sleeping bags come in different sizes and they can be made of different materials. The most important thing to consider when shopping for one is how many seasons it’s meant for. You can expect to pay a few hundred dollars for a quality sleeping bag.

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Lighting Solutions

If you’re camping in a remote, isolated area where there’s little to no light pollution, you’ll need lighting solutions to illuminate your campsite. While a campfire can do the trick, campfires may be banned in some areas, and they aren’t portable. So, it only makes sense that you consider getting a LED torch, headlamp or a lantern. LED torches are the most advanced form of hand-held illumination. Headlamps are great if you want your hands to be free, and lanterns are ideal for use inside the awning or tent.

Portable Fridge or Esky

Depending on how long your trips will be, and where you plan on camping will determine whether you need a portable fridge or esky. camping out in the bush will probably require a fridge, as ice lasts up to 24 hours in the esky. Camping fridges and eskies come in a wide range of sizes, so consider how much food and drinks you’ll need to bring, which depends on how many people you’ll camp with.

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Portable Cooking Equipment

Cooking equipment is important if you want to make yourself feel at home. Having the right pieces of cooking equipment will increase your enjoyment of the great outdoors considerably. There are many different gadgets you can get, but the most popular and necessary one is the stove.

Stoves, even though straightforward, come in a variety of types. There are many innovative designs available today, but the most popular ones are 2-burner propane stoves. They can be used everywhere, making them the most versatile type. All you need is the widely available fuel, and you can rest assured you can enjoy a homemade meal on the road.

Furthermore, you should consider getting entirely new cookware that you’ll only use when camping. While you can take advantage of your home cookware, you don’t want to damage it. You don’t have to go overboard with buying too much, a few simple pots and pans will suffice. The pots and pans should be made of a durable material like cast iron, so that you can safely use them over your stove or a campfire. Also, consider getting a dutch oven so you can fry, boil, bake, steam and saute food.

Cooking Accessories

Campfire cooking has a lot of similarities with backyard grilling. That being said, you might want to get a portable grill and grilling accessories such as a charcoal chimney starter to make things easier when on the road. Portable grills are available in a wide range of shapes and sizes. If you’re camping in a spot that has a campfire with grates, you’ll need a portable grill suitable to place on top of the grill grate. Some grills can have their legs collapsed so you can use them as freestanding grills on public lands without grill grates. A chimney starter can be beneficial in getting your coal going in just a few minutes without having to deal with lighter fluids and the smell that comes out of them.