Camping: Adventure on a Shoestring Budget

Let’s be totally honest, camping has a lot to offer the traveler and while you have a considerable initial investment to kit yourself out for some serious time in the wilderness, once you’re good to go, camping costs next to nothing. If you spend wisely, your camping gear should last a few decades and with some TLC and the odd addition here and there, your gear is always ready for action.

Camping: Adventure on a Shoestring Budget

Kitting yourself out

There are a few core items that you will need and with online suppliers with a wide range of camping tents for sale, you can choose a unit that best meets your needs. Your tent is a one-time purchase and there should be no compromise on quality, preferably choosing an Australian manufacturer with a good reputation.

Here is a list of essentials for your first camping expedition:

• Vehicle – The very core of your camping experience; a UTE is fine or you could invest in a campervan.
• Tent – UTE tents are popular, or a stand-alone tent with a separate awning.
• Awning – fitted to a vehicle.
• Stove
• Sleeping bag (one per person).
• Pots, pans and containers for water and fuel.
• LED lighting
• Solar blanket & lithium-iron battery

Of course, the list of camping accessories is long and if you have disposable income, you can quickly acquire everything you need for a comfortable camping experience.

Campsite Bookings

If you’re not so adventurous as to pitch your tent in some remote location, there are 24/7 campsites that you can book online. The Internet helps us in many ways; Google Earth allows you to zero in on a specific area and choose your campsite in advance, plus you can scout out all the local trails and save the data to access when on the hike. So, whether you want to go for Malibu camping or any other place, Google will be there for your help. Here are a few must-have gadgets to take on your next epic adventure.

YouTube Videos

Aspiring campers can spend hours following epic hikers and explorers, who all offer valuable tips for living off the land and this is a great foundation for your first real camping experience. Jim Baird is a resourceful Canadian explorer and he has millions of followers who love his ‘no nonsense’ approach to living in the wilderness.

Safety

While there’s nothing stopping you heading off for a few days without informing anyone, we don’t recommend that course of action. When you are 500km from the nearest settlement and something serious occurred, you are in trouble, therefore, you should tell certain people of your plans, asking them to contact emergency services if a certain protocol has been compromised. Signing up for an annual subscription with a GPS service will ensure that you can get instant assistance, should the need ever arise. Make sure you have a comprehensive first-aid kit packed away, which is an essential part of any camping inventory.

If you are planning a trip in NSW, here is some camping information that should be useful. The cost of such a holiday is minimal, even with campsite bookings and by investing in the right camping gear, you will always be ready when a few days of downtime arrives.