There is a variety of utensils available you may use when cooking on a campfire like a frypan, large saucepan, camp oven, kettle, a tripod or trivet with an adjustable chain to hang your cooking pot over the coals, tongs, large spoon, long hook for shifting pots and a small shovel is handy for moving coals around.

How To Cook Over An Open Camp Fire

There are a few tricks to cooking on the campfire here is a few that will help you get it right

• If you place a pan on red hot coals the food will most likely burn
• If the coals are too cool not much is going to happen and if you hang the pot too far above the heat nothing is going to cook, adjust until food is at least simmering
• Cooking over a roaring ball of flames won’t work very well either, wait until the flames have settled down and cook over the hot coals. Experiment to work out what heat is right for what you are cooking. Thermometers can be purchased to check the temperature of a camp oven
• If you are cooking for an hour or more, the coals will need to be replaced that are under your pot, either move the pot or use your shovel and move the coals around. The best place to cook on the edge of the fire as you can keep a bit of flame going to keep some coals hot.
• A very handy tool for cooking on the campfire is a hook to be able to shift the pots around. If you happen to have forgotten to bring a hook. You can easily make one with a sturdy tent peg, a straight stick and some strong tape. Place the straight end of the peg next to the end of the stick overlapping about 15cm or 6” and tape around tightly and you will have a very useful hook. Make the length to the size that suits you, around 40 cm – 50cm is a good length.

When the food has finished cooking, throw some more wood on and to keep warm and be mesmerised by the flickering flames.

The post Tips For Cooking Over An Open Fire When Camping appeared first on Family Friendly Camping Australia.

Colour

Tent colours generally are either bright or natural tones that blend in with the environment, which usually  is the most popular. Maybe if you are hiking or backpacking in the bush or mountains a bright tent will stand out in case of an emergency and somebody is trying to locate you.

Easy Set Up

An easy to use and set up tent is much better especially after a long day on the road, try to avoid getting one just about needs an instruction manual to set it up. Can be very frustrating when tired.

Types of Material

Tents are generally made of cotton canvas or nylon polyester. They both have their advantages and disadvantages:

Canvas Tents:

• The canvas tents are more upright and you can stand up anywhere inside,
• Canvas is a much more sturdy material than nylon.
• If something is touching the canvas like a pillow then water will seep through.
• They withstand all weather conditions very well.
• Depending on the size they pack up bigger and heavier than a nylon dome tent.
• There is some very easy to setup canvas tents like touring tents excellent for stopping for a night and moving on often
• If a canvas tent has to be packed when wet, it must be unpacked and dried out when you get home or as soon as possible

Dome Nylon/Polyester Tents

• The Dome nylon polyester tents can be time consuming to setup as they have the two parts and the poles need to be joined together.
• The big advantage with ‘domeys’ is they pack into a smaller light pack, which will suit some people if they have limited space in their vehicle.
• Dome tents are made with a light material that does not block any noise and makes a rustling noise when touched and in the wind.
• Usually you can only stand in the centre if the tent as the dome shape is limiting.

Quick Set Up Tents
Quick set up tents have been around a few years now, like the Oztent and Backwolf also make a similar tent. The are made of good quality treated poly-cotton material which is strong, light and waterproof. They do pack up into a long heavy pack about 2m long, which may only fit on a roof-rack or in a trailer. Well worth considering when you are looking around.

Types of Material

Tents come in all sizes from the very small – comfortable for one person to the 3 or 4 family sized. Every tent is rated with by how many can fit in the tent without allowing for luggage etc.  So a 3 person will suit 2 people, a 6 person tent suits 3 or 4 people.

A suggestion is to work out how much room you need then get the next size so you will be comfortable. This all depends on your situation, how much room do you have in your vehicle and are you going to be touring or setting up the tent for several days or weeks and staying put.

In Summary

A few things to check for when buying a tent is does it have plenty of ventilation, strong zips and avoid buying the cheapest tent. Look for a quality tent in the medium price range, you don’t have to buy the most expensive tent unless you want too of course. Also check around for different prices at your local camp shop or online you maybe surprised at the different prices for the same tent. It’s worth going to camping shows as they will show you all your options in the one place and a huge range of camping equipment will be displayed.

Your choice is affected by several factors

• how much you can afford
•  how much space and weight matters to you – canvas weighs more and takes more space
• whether you tend to camp in one spot for a while or keep moving – if the latter, ease of set-up really matters
• the risk of camping in extreme conditions e.g. much better to be in a canvas tent in a big storm

Happy camping – What sort of tent do you use – what do you like or dislike about it?

The post How To Choose A Tent That Is Going To Suit Your Camping Trips appeared first on Family Friendly Camping Australia.

Plan your trip with the ability of your vehicle in mind, if you are driving a conventional car or station wagon stay mostly on bitumen roads and if you own a 4WD, then you will be able to be a bit more adventurous and travel on the more remote and rougher roads.

• Before you leave make sure your vehicle is reliable, has been serviced regularly and has safety things like brakes, tyres checked and a good quality battery etc.
• Spares should be carried especially if you have an older vehicle. These include things like hoses, fan belts, points, spark plugs and leads, spare oil and water.  Ask your mechanic what he would recommend for your vehicle.
• It is worth considering joining an auto club that has roadside assistance like RACV or NRMA just in case you have vehicle trouble, this generally does not cost much per year and would be well worth the investment,
• Make sure you carry a spare wheel and check it is in good condition and inflated ready to be used, as a puncture can happen anytime. If you are going 4WDriving on gravel or rough roads be prepared with spare tubes and puncture repair kit, tools and know how to repair and change wheels.
• If you are new to 4WDriving there are training courses so that you can have a better understanding of your vehicle and how to drive it as a 4WD. There is also 4×4 clubs you can join and meet some fellow 4WDrivers.

With your vehicle properly prepared, driving experience, spare parts, tools, recovery and safety gear and equipment on board you will be ready for a great driving ad.

The post Don’t Forget Vehicle Preparation Before You Leave appeared first on Family Friendly Camping Australia.

Equipment

• Tent including poles, pegs, guy ropes & pegs, fly.
• Plastic pegs for sand, metal pegs (Tents usually come with lightweight pegs that bend in hard conditions, consider buying the heavyweight metal pegs.
• Ground sheet – cut slightly smaller than base of tent)
• Extra tarp and rope to make shade or rain protection cover

Cooking

• Fridge/cooler
• Stove & stand, gas hose & fittings
• Gas bottles – check full
• Cooking plate
• Fry pans & saucepans
• Camping or Dutch oven
• Toasting fork
• Plates & bowls – paper or plastic
• Cups or glasses
• Cutlery
• Utensils- tongs, sharp knife, vegie peeler, mixing spoon, egg rings,
• Cooking tools, spatula, bottle/can opener
• Tea towels, detergent, sponge, pot scrubber
• Cutting board, grater, sieve for pasta or rice, mixing bowl
• Roll of foil, cling wrap, freezer bags, zip lock bags,
• Small containers for leftover food to go in
• Paper towel

Sleeping Gear

• Mattress
• Sleeping bags or sheets, blankets, doona
• Pillow & pillow case

Tables & Chairs

• Camp table – for preparing food
• Extra table to sit around or play games
• Chairs – foldable and comfortable

Miscellaneous

• Fishing boat & safety equipment
• Bicycles
• Floor mat for entrance of tent
• Flashlight, rechargeable lantern, gas, 12 volt light
• Rope for clothesline etc.
• Clothes pegs
• Battery radio
• Large water bottles 10 or 20 litre
• Personal water bottles
• Matches or lighter
• Pocket knife
• Compass
• Binoculars
• Watch or clock
• Mobile phone & recharger, CB radio
• Axe or hatchet & small shovel
• Buckets
• Back pack
• First aid kit
• Sewing kit
• Garbage bags
• Fishing gear, rods line bait tackle
• Hammer for tent pegs
• Floor brush
• Repair kit – large rubber bands, tie wire, strong needle and nylon thread,
  cable/zip ties, nylon rope, spare shoelaces

Personal Items

• Prescribed medication
• Hair brush/comb/clips/shampoo/conditioner
• Toothbrush & paste
• Soap, Deodorant
• Towels – some for swimming & showering
• Shaving razor/cream
• Lip balm
• Sunscreen & Insect repellent
• Toilet paper
• Anti bacterial hand cleaner & Hand towel
• Mobile phone & recharger
• Wallet, money, credit cards, etc.
• Sunglasses
• Note paper & pen
• Watch
• Identification
• Itinerary
• Camera, film, batteries, video camera
• Map books, tourist info
• Contact phone numbers
• Envelopes, stamps, address book

Medical

• First Aid kit
• Panadol or similar pain relief
• Cold & flu tablets
• Prescription medication
• Asthma & allergy relief
• Nose spray
• Eye drops
• Antiseptic cream
• Tweezers
• Bandages & band aids
• Sunburn soothing cream
• Moisturiser
• ‘Sting goes’ type spray or cream
• Tissues
• Scissors
• Vitamins
• Water purifying tablets

Clothing

• Take enough to be clean, dry & warm.
• Depends on conditions cold/warm/hot/wet allow for the number of days you will be camping.
• Hand or machine washing can be done.
• Mornings and evenings can be cool.
• Layers of clothing usually work well.
• Long/short pants or jeans
• Long/short sleeve shirts
• Jumpers/windcheaters
• Sun hat or warm hat
• Wet weather gear
• Thick/thin socks
• Old pair of shoes for walking creeks or mud
• Gloves/mittens
• Sunglasses
• Hiking boots, runners, walking shoes

Kids

• Soft & play toys
• Card & ball games
• Reading & colouring book/pencils
• Book suitable for diary
• Scissors, colour paper, glue stick
• Life jackets/flotation device
• Glow sticks/torch
• Bicycle & helmet
• Baby & toddler requirements

Food

• Basic foods (add other foods required)
• Drinks milk, fresh or long life
• Soft drink, cordial etc
• Hot drinks, coffee, tea, Milo etc.
• Sugar
• Salt & pepper
• Sauce
• Cooking oil
• Bread/toast spreads
• Breakfast cereal
• Snacks
• Meat, Packaged & tinned food
• Fruit, vegetables & cheese
• Bread, rice & pasta

The post Comprehensive Camping Checklist For Travelling In Australia appeared first on Family Friendly Camping Australia.

There are many other things that you don’t want to forget because it will be an inconvenience or a child will be very upset when a favourite toy or book has been left at home.

Here are a few  ideas for next time you are going camping or on a holiday.

The ‘Must Do List Before Leaving’ should set out all the things you must do before leaving home, depending on how long you are going away for. If you are going for a weekend there may only be a few things to do, while for a longer holiday you may need someone to collect the mail and look after pets etc.

The ’Must Have List’ will be a list of everything you require or want to take. You can start collecting items a week or two before packing.

A good way to get these things together is to have a box that these get placed into as you collect them. Place the box somewhere it can be easily seen. As you add items to the box, cross them off the list. Keep the list attached to the box itself or on the fridge or notice board.

Kids can add their special items as well, they may find it fun to have their own list and cross off items as they are placed inside the box.

The last minute ‘Reminder List’ is for just before you are leaving. Maybe you are leaving very early in the morning and you need a reminder to grab your pillow, torch, food and drinks for in the car, toiletries, check your animals and turn everything off in the house etc.

To make that last minute packing a little easier, it will help you if you can pack most of the usual last minute things earlier. To do this, pack as much as you can and use spare or alternate items. For your toiletries, have a spare toothbrush and small containers of shampoo, soap, toothpaste etc.

Usually the ‘Must Have’ things are necessary or comfort items, having a list may help remind you to take these necessary items with you, it may be the difference between having a great holiday or one of inconvenience or discomfort.

The post Make a Checklist For The ‘Must Have’ Things To Take On Holidays Or Camping appeared first on Family Friendly Camping Australia.