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| Wagga Wagga Beach Caravan Park (January 2014) |
We started camping in January 2009 and have enjoyed many splendid adventures since then. We've racked up some great experience, too. Although we don't consider ourselves experts, our ideas regarding equipment evolved and I thought a round-up of our gear (past and present) might be interesting/useful.
While in Victoria, we bought an old Millard van. You can read about it on a separate page, here. Not long after arriving in Queensland, we bought a hard-floor (D9) camper trailer - and sold the van. The D9 was upgraded in 2021, to a 2006 Cub Spacevan. Sadly that Spacevan was written-off last year and subsequently replaced with a 2015 model.
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While in Victoria, we bought an old Millard van. You can read about it on a separate page, here. Not long after arriving in Queensland, we bought a hard-floor (D9) camper trailer - and sold the van. The D9 was upgraded in 2021, to a 2006 Cub Spacevan. Sadly that Spacevan was written-off last year and subsequently replaced with a 2015 model.
Our first trip of 2024 was in the "new" Spacevan and our new car. We departed home on our 18th wedding anniversary and after consulting the archives we realised it was our 28th camping adventure, in just over 15 years.
As I write this, we are planning for a two-month touring adventure, with departure set for later in the year. We've already upgraded a few things and will be sorting through our collection of gear to see what is still suitable for use, now that we are mainly travelling as a couple in the Spacevan (rather than family camping, in tents).
Of course, chairs, tables and lots of other equipment are used regardless of sleeping quarters but there have been advances over the years, things wear out - and we're not as young as we used to be, so are looking for lighter, easy options.
These are recent posts, discussing various equipment upgrades. I'll update the list as we make further changes.
I should note we research the best-possible price, often buy via eBay (and more recently Gumtree/FaceBook marketplace), are quite happy with our many Aldi purchases - and wait for sales if buying retail.
We've done many DIY camping projects over the years. There's a list of those on the right-hand sidebar. Our cooking equipment, methods and recipes are discussed separately, on our Camp Cooking page.
Our camping equipment history ...
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We were a family of four, sometimes five when we started out. On our earliest trips we made-do. We used a (back-breaking) card table for meal prep and sat on basic chairs that I'd bought for $5.00 each, quite a few years previously. We also had a couple of other chairs salvaged from the side of the road. It was wonderful to have proper chairs, adjustable tables and a gazebo for our second year of camping! Luxury!
Good chairs aren't cheap, so we were very disappointed when we lost one of those blue beauties en route to Lithgow, a few months after purchase.
It was replaced with a different style chair (on the left of the pic at the top of this page) which was more compact but not nearly so comfy, nor supportive.
We took advantage of Rays Outdoors sale prices to buy four grey camping chairs in late 2013 (also shown in the top pic) that were slightly smaller, lighter and folded flatter. All important considerations when packing! (The remaining blue chairs were retired from camping but were in use at home till around 2021).
The grey chairs used to fit with the tables in the box at the front of our trailer, so were accessible on-the-road, if necessary - and could be used right to the last moments during pack-up. Bliss!
For our D9 trips the chairs and a small table travelled in a similar wooden box mounted on the front of the camper trailer. Extra three-height tables travelled inside the metal storage box.
Our plastic blow mould tables were brilliant. One of their best features was their three-height adjustment - so they could be used as a coffee table, dining table or bench. Equally nifty was the fact that each end can be set to a different height, which is great on uneven ground and/or sloping sites.
Given advances in technology, we've just bought a smaller, lighter height-adjustable table for use in the 2015 Spacevan - and will look to culling some of it's predecessors!
In the days when we had our original camping trailer, we also used a large table that Nick made. It was used on the roof of the trailer while traveling and then as a bench at camp. We didn't take it to Wagga, so had less surface space but we certainly didn't miss hoisting it up and down from the trailer! A light ladder also traveled on the trailer also to assist with packing. It doubled as a very useful skinny bench, which you can see in the Warrumbungles photo above.
In the days when we had our original camping trailer, we also used a large table that Nick made. It was used on the roof of the trailer while traveling and then as a bench at camp. We didn't take it to Wagga, so had less surface space but we certainly didn't miss hoisting it up and down from the trailer! A light ladder also traveled on the trailer also to assist with packing. It doubled as a very useful skinny bench, which you can see in the Warrumbungles photo above.
We had bought the basics only in January 2009 - so there was no shelter other than tree-shade and the small tent awnings (or the tents themselves).
Can you picture us huddled together under there?! We gifted ourselves various camping equipment for Christmas 2009, including our first gazebo. What an improvement! Over time we went on to buy a second gazebo and then a third, when one of the others was broken due to heavy rain (and our inexperience).
Can you picture us huddled together under there?! We gifted ourselves various camping equipment for Christmas 2009, including our first gazebo. What an improvement! Over time we went on to buy a second gazebo and then a third, when one of the others was broken due to heavy rain (and our inexperience).
The broken one was kept for spare parts as you could only buy replacement awnings, not posts or other fastenings. At some stage we also bought a couple of gazebo walls. They are not always used but are handy on occasion. (We also used one at home as an improvised movie screen)!
In 2013 we upgraded our tents to an Oztrail Tourer 9 and Oztrail Tourer 10-plus. You can see them set up for the first time at Wagga in the pic at the top of this page. We particularly wanted touring style tents and found both via eBay. Several manufacturers make a size similar to our smaller tent and we would have been happy with any of those (at the right price). Only Oztrail make the 10-plus and though we hadn't set out to buy a matched pair, they did look good together!
Our smaller tent was sold in February 2023 but at this stage we've kept the larger one, just in case we fancy some backyard camping - or a more basic trip!
For quite a while prior to our touring tent upgrades, one gazebo was used over Erin's leaky tent. We used both gazebos on our Wagga trip and their shade was very welcome in the 40+ temperatures! (We also parked Elmer in such a way that his awning could be used as extra shade for the smaller tent against the morning sun).
Sleep is important! As well as updating our tents, we also updated our beds.
Erin had always used a stretcher but was very impressed with the addition of a 4WD mat for extra comfort. We liked the new format too. The stretchers and mats were probably a bit bulkier in transit but seem quicker to set up. In the early days Vaughan and Nissa had a set of stretcher bunks that were very painful to organise. We replaced them with airbeds. Nissa used an airbed for our Wagga trip but all three airbeds were sold-off in the Great Cull of 2015, so she was on a stretcher for our Nambucca camping. Of course, our upgrade to camper trailer and Erin's to a swag meant there were four stretchers available. We don't plan to cull them or the 4WD mats at this stage.
Camping mats are something we purchased over time. As noted in the link, if we had been smarter we would have bought them all from the same retailer! Some packs come with edging and other styles have edges available for separate purchase. We have a large bundle of edges that we don't use. Our other advice? Don't pay extra for edges!
When we had just a few mats, we used them in front of the tents as doormats to stop some of the dirt and muck being tracked inside. As our collection grew, we could create very comfortable floored areas beneath our gazebos. Although we generally use the mats outside they are proved great insulation inside for cold-weather camping. (When Vaughan wasmuch younger he used to take off with some during set-up, to make a box for himself)!
We used similar mats to revamp the floor of the old caravan and believe they helped insulation when we lived in it full-time for around 18 months - before *finally* relocating to Queensland!
Erin had always used a stretcher but was very impressed with the addition of a 4WD mat for extra comfort. We liked the new format too. The stretchers and mats were probably a bit bulkier in transit but seem quicker to set up. In the early days Vaughan and Nissa had a set of stretcher bunks that were very painful to organise. We replaced them with airbeds. Nissa used an airbed for our Wagga trip but all three airbeds were sold-off in the Great Cull of 2015, so she was on a stretcher for our Nambucca camping. Of course, our upgrade to camper trailer and Erin's to a swag meant there were four stretchers available. We don't plan to cull them or the 4WD mats at this stage.
Camping mats are something we purchased over time. As noted in the link, if we had been smarter we would have bought them all from the same retailer! Some packs come with edging and other styles have edges available for separate purchase. We have a large bundle of edges that we don't use. Our other advice? Don't pay extra for edges!
When we had just a few mats, we used them in front of the tents as doormats to stop some of the dirt and muck being tracked inside. As our collection grew, we could create very comfortable floored areas beneath our gazebos. Although we generally use the mats outside they are proved great insulation inside for cold-weather camping. (When Vaughan wasmuch younger he used to take off with some during set-up, to make a box for himself)!
We used similar mats to revamp the floor of the old caravan and believe they helped insulation when we lived in it full-time for around 18 months - before *finally* relocating to Queensland!
Updated: February 2024
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