my camp gear

Popcorn maker - small, cheap, disposable

dion — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:07:36 +0000

Haven't tried this but looks like it would work. Check out the video for a cheap, easy, disposable popcorn maker out of a coke can.

Camping chairs attract Labor's super profits tax

dion — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:59:53 +0000

Wondering past a camping shop today. Out front a row of camping chairs from $30 up to over $100.

For a camping chair? It seems that this once humble item has become a luxury item. The super profits tax should be applied to chair manufacturers.

$100 for a camping chair?

A long time ago we made the decision that a chair was an essential item for a camping trip. It's a no brainer.

But $100? Is any camping chair worth that much?

But never fear - you can still buy the cheap ones for seven bucks at Bunnings or BIG W or other such places.

Coledale Camping Reserve - nice for a quick get away from Sydney

dion — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:24:34 +0000

We ended up at Coledale Camping Reserve just south of Sydney on the weekend. Great little spot and one of the rare places you can set your tent up with an actual view of the waves. On Saturday we had a terrific lightning storm out to sea and good rain. We were able to sit under our awning and watch the light show.

Pros - on patrolled beach, close to Sydney, plenty of grass, good amenities

Cons - can be crowded (go in bad weather - that thins them out), not that many sites, street lighting, only the northern sites have beach views, it's not really away from it all

Well worth a look if you just want to get away for an overnighter. Probably less crowded during the week.

Stop switches being accidentally being turned on - save your batteries

dion — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:33:50 +0000

Designers should know better...

But they continue to produce equipment that have stupid switches, the sort that come on when you shove your head lamp in your gear bag. You pull it out to use and thanks to an idiot in the design department, something has pressed against the raised switch, turned it on and now the batteries are dead.

To fix this on a recent head lamp I bought (I should've known better than to buy it in the first place - I partnered in the designer's idiocy) I used some Shoegoo to build the area up around the switch so that instead of the switch being a raised knob, it is now level with the Shoegoo. A silastic of some variety would do a similar job.

So now I can shove it in my gear bag and it won't get knocked on and flatten my batteries before the first night of my next camping trip.

Multigrips - your best friend in the camp kitchen

dion — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:21:02 +0000

Malcolm Douglas is a legend in Australia and this is one his useful tips when it comes to cooking around the camp fire - a pair of multi grips. They'll be your new best friend when camping.

Get your hands on a fire bucket - better than a Cobb!

dion — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 01:28:09 +0000

The fire bucket has become a favourite of ours - simple, cheap, efficient and a bit of fun to use and make. But if you can't get around to making one, I'll do it for you. See ebay for a bargain.

Historic Camper Trailer - to a good home

dion — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:13:50 +0000

Bit of a deviation from our normal posts this one...

We've found ourselves in the possession of a 1966 Cargill Caravanette. It was just too cute to pass up but we have realised that we just don't have to time to give it the restore that it meeds. Not that it needs that much. It's in pretty tidy condition, the framework for the canvas is complete and working, although the canvas is gone. It has been under cover for much of it's life so while there is some surface rust nothing is too major. Check out the pic and shoot me an email if you are interested. We'd be happy to see it go to a good home.

Camp fire seriously injures seven people

dion — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:02:54 +0000

This story is a reminder - BE CAREFUL out there when using gas and fire.

This story reports seven people seriously injured when a gas bottle connected to a light feel into a fire and exploded sending fire balls to surrounding tents.

The embedded video here shows some stupid behaviour but also the danger if a gas bottle were to fall into a fire accidently.

Why you should never get a family dome tent - RANT

geoff — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:36:34 +0000

Shelter is one of the most basic of human needs but I still see people everywhere thinking that you can buy a cheap family sized dome tent and think it will work as adequate shelter. Instead what you get is a big sail that's not waterproof and likes to fold flat with any level of wind.

I've also noticed a disturbing trend in the last number of years with family campers in Australia during summer. They cover their tent in at least 1, usually more tarps to keep them waterproof. Not only adding to the set up time, but putting extra pressure on that already stressed out cheap fibreglass tent poles.

These so called shelters also take forever to set up compared to most other tents. You need to feed poles through loops, hooks and guy out every conceivable pole intersection and use 18 or more pegs.

If you want to camp, buy a decent tent. A good hiking tent, or a family size canvas tent. Forget those budget large family dome tents unless you want to end up like this photo in the middle of the night. Which isn't a great way to get your family convinced that camping is good fun.

The poor people in this photo were having their very first camping experience and bought this tent. No doubt some expert from an large family camping store suggested it would have great space and be easy to set up!

Time to Review Headlights

annette — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 11:06:36 +0000

Standing in line at a popular camping store on sale day for approx half and hour, I got to know the people beside me and could tell they were newbies to the outdoor life. What to do? Give advice? Let them learn by doing? Or hand them a business card?

Their eyes were wandering as they waited, their purchases were growing, when the lady spied a headlight, $24 reduced to $5. "No! heavy, 3 AA batteries, plastic housing that pops open and gummy switch". I think to myself. A shop assistant waved another model past their noses. $25 reduced to $10, 5 LEDs simple, sounded better (hands free to use the ad claimed!).

They were puzzled, so what else could I do, I leaned forward clutching my purchase of three $5 3LEDs using only 1AAA battery, lightweight, hardy headlights and said "these were the last three on the shelf but I can see another under the counter, I can recommend it, you should buy it." And they did.

This brings to me to an incident in NZ last month where a young lady was accidentally shot dead when mistaken for a deer while out camping. I am thinking we need to do some reviews on headlights, we have tried enough of them but I am also wishing I had advised the couple to get a headlight with anti deer markings.