Do we carry too much gear to go camping !!

[johnyd]

We take more than needed on the fishing trip, but don't have anything overloaded.  We spread the gear across 3-4 utes, with light crates (one man can put them on without trouble) and don't quite pack them to the top. 

I'm now starting to see that we actually camp quite lightly compared to some of the people around here though

The only over-packing we really do is on the fishing and cooking gear. We have around 3x the amount of billies that get used and with the new rules around 40x too many lines (all without hooks). 

[Hairs]

We are currently trying to find a balance in between luxurious camping and reasonable camping.

It's a fine Line.

[lilstookie]

We are in our 2nd week living on the road and have culled the gear a fair bit.
My spare electrical bits got raped for the essentials.
The wife culled her cast iron cooking gear. The kids ate not best interested in their box of toys so it might be going too.
We brought our 40kg ridgeback for security and the wife tells it to shut up every time it barks , which is the whole reason we brought the dog I thought.
So we may have to get rid of her !

Actually no we can't cos she does great cooking and helps look after the kids

We have a 160kg motorbike on the back of trailer and it may have to go as towing up hills is hard sometimes.

Other than the essentials we have already in kitchen we use everything else.
I think we pack pretty light for living on the road.



Sent from my brain using my fingers.

[jeeps]

I don't carry anything in the jeep, maybe some pillows, bag or 2 of clothes or kids toys or some fruit & food we buy on the way. Everything goes into the camper trailer and even with the 250cc motorcycle on the front my camper is usually about 700kg's. It's taken 15 years of camping experience to get it down this much. You've really got to get away on plenty of trips to work out what you need and what you can change to save weight.

The major weight savers were getting rid of cast iron gear, swapping steel storage for aluminium or canvas bags, aluminium tent poles, only carrying food and water required etc.  The motorcycle weighs 68kg's.




cheers

[Kit_e_kat9]

So we may have to get rid of her !
Sent from my brain using my fingers.

Poor Lil ... will you miss her?    Do NOT get rid of your furry family member because it barks ... once it gets used to things she will settle down.  Big move for the family ... ALL the family.  Some just take a little longer to adjust. 

I have a story about how good a dog can be when travelling ... Picutre Me ... a single girl travelling with her dog.  Past the '5 ways' few hundred k's south of Katherine NT.  Aborigines all lined up across road ... forcing single girl with dog to stop.  Aborigine approached car ... went to lean in window asking "U give lift to pub" (I'm guess meaning all 6 or 8 of his brothers) ... dog objected loudly across single girls lap and had to grab before dog went out window ... I said "Dog says No" ... line of aborigines parted ... girl drove away.

Sent from my brain using my fingers.

Classic ... might steal that!  Thanks for the laugh.

Kit_e

[awbeattie381]

x2, but if i didnt use it i have a good hard think about it after every trip. Plus it helps when you only have a small short wheel base 4wd with no cargo space behind the rear seat and probably the worst towing capacity on the market... you HAVE to get good at packing for camping...

Cheers

I found out the fun you can have when you take a small car on a camping trip. This was us for our 2 week honeymoon in Tassie last November. Took the wife's work car as we didnt have to pay for fuel. Took me about 3 days to sort the packing/unpacking, but once everything found a home it was very good. We took almost everything with us we would normally pack in the Paj, including the engel, the awning and our self inflating mattress (which fitted peferctly between my headrest and the rear window).

The only things left behind were spare pajero parts (didnt need them), stove stand and camping spares/backups (plates/bowls/mugs, second gas stove, trangia etc).

If you have the space you use it. If you dont have the space you start becoming very clever with how you use it (like getting the wineries to send your cases home because you cant fit them in the car lol.

[UIZ733]

YES!

[Hefty]

I agree with the status quo here. Yes, generally we take too much.
I'm always torn between "It's gonna take more fuel to tow that" and "Better looking at it than looking for it". It's a real problem for me because my camper is a converted slide-on unit on top of a high side trailer. Around about double the usual storage volume as a "standard" side fold camper
At the same time, there's camping: "a relaxing break sitting around in beautiful places eating, drinking and being merry" where you know you're going to want a few mod cons.
And then there's camping: "roughing it in mother nature with a swag, a billy and a little food and water" where it's not so much about the campsite as the adventures/activities of camping.
Well, that's JMHO.

Cheers!
Jono.

[rkwpjv]

Yes, we definately take too much, but why not camp in style. The Nespresso machine is a must, add one to your list!!

[Robertsons]

Not any more. Over all the stuff a family of 5 manage to cram in. I stand there looking at all the camping gear we have gathered over the years on the racks taking up room. We either caravan or swag it now. Thinking about selling porta pot, coleman water heater. Two tents.............

[Nomad]

YEah we take way too much..........but I seem to use some of it when I dont think I will and others stuff I dont when I think I will have to...........

[lilstookie]

Don't worry Kit_e, Boo ain't going anywhere!!! It's just the growling all the time at other dogs gets wearing. She's a wicked dog to take away...loves being in the car, lives swimming, runs beside either bike (pedal or motor), great with the kids, well behaved, entertaining...

As for me, I know I won't be shoved out just yet...my first crack at camp oven brownies were pretty popular

Lil


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jb1]

I have been reading this thread with a smile, we take far too much stuff camping or glamping, but every time i have managed to sneak something back to the shed, you know what we need it, and im in the dog house. I try and it is only try, but everything has to have two uses. Sometimes it works, others......
Cheers Justin

[cheif carlos]

You need to get out of town if you only have 3 star camping!

I will only camp in the million star camp ground!

[Bird]

Nespresso machine is a must

no its not.

[Fridge Magnet]

no its not.

haha classic understatement 

[Paul (SA)]

I was thinking about this while I was cleaning my shed today......similarly to the post, I couldn't believe how much junk was in my shed and stuff that I might 'one day use'. Well I ended up clearing out the whole shed bare. I then only put back things that I need or use regularly. I was amazed at how much crap was left on the lawn that did not 'make the cut'. In the name of sanity - this is all in the trailer now ready to go to the local salvage yard and rubbish tip tomorrow.

Paul

[Hoyks]

I used to camping with what I carried.
Then I got a girlfriend and a car, so then it became what I could fit in the car
Then I got married and a fridge, so it was what I could fit in the Suzuki Sierra with the wife, fridge and 2 dogs stacked on top of it all.
The along came kids and the Sierra morphed into a wagon for a while, which was stacked to the roof, minus the dogs.

Now I take the 2 kids camping, the wife* and the dog stay at home and the gear I have takes up most of the back of the ute

Dad always said that Fred's 1st law of housekeeping; Junk expands to fit the space available. With that in mind I can go for a week happily with what I can fit on the bike. (Personal hygiene may suffer though.)

God help us if I ever get a truck!


*she would contemplate camping if I could fit in the coffee machine.

[Mallory Black]

Ha ha Paul you're gona regret that decision
I know I always do when I have a cleanout

[briann532]

To answer the original post................NO.

We have a glamper (jayco hawk) so everything has a home and jeez it fits a lot in there.
However, I don't take anything that I don't use.
Over the years we have culled and worked out what we need and what is just excess.
We have had the camper for three years and spent more weekends in it than we have at home, so its getting a workout.
If we didn't have our comforts and pleasures, we would simply stay home.
So No we don't take more than we need because what we take is getting us out there.

Perspective plays a big part too.
I hear all too often "we never had a nintendo ds as a kid, we looked out the window"
Yeah sure thats great, but when I was a kid we only got away every now and then. I take my kids at least every second weekend.
So yes I let them play their DS when we travel. Only so many times spotting a roo is exciting even to me.
And OK I agree we didnt have inner spring mattresses growing up camping, we had a floor. No DVD's or ipods either.
My kids have pretty much everything, but before you mock me...........................

Consider how you are reading this thread.
My dad didnt have the internet. There were no forums. There was no online banter. If you wanted to fight someone you had to go down to the pub and insult his sister, not ask a question in the electrical section.............

Times change as does life.
Yes we take a lot. Yes we have a lot. Yes we expect a lot.
But I'm stting by a fire on weekends, my kids are asleep from exploring wombat holes and walking, riding, swimming and collected firewood.
Tales are told and life is enjoyed.
Did I take too much gear? No way. It was what got me here and will get me here next weekend.

Brian

[Robertsons]

Consider how you are reading this thread.
My dad didnt have the internet. There were no forums. There was no online banter. If you wanted to fight someone you had to go down to the pub and insult his sister, not ask a question in the electrical section............

Am i missing something?

[mystq]

I always take the Gen

Honda Eu2000i to run,
Kettle,
Toaster,
Heater
TV,
Laptop,
Ctek,
Bread machine.

I find being comfortable when camping is great, it makes the missus want to do it more often.

[rkwpjv]

I always take the Gen

Honda Eu2000i to run,
Kettle,
Toaster,
Heater
TV,
Laptop,
Ctek,
Bread machine.

I find being comfortable when camping is great, it makes the missus want to do it more often.

And they coughed at me taking the Nespresso.... way to camp mystq! Do it in style

[Kit_e_kat9]

I always take the Gen

Honda Eu2000i to run,
Kettle,
Toaster,
Heater
TV,
Laptop,
Ctek,
Bread machine.

I find being comfortable when camping is great, it makes the missus want to do it more often.

And they coughed at me taking the Nespresso.... way to camp mystq! Do it in style

That comment just cracked me up. 

I think we've taken a heater once because we had a powered site included in the $5pppd at a scout camp in the boonies and we remembered to throw in an extention cord. 

I can't say we've ever been uncomfortable without the entire house & contents though.  We don't pitch house in one place long enough ... and I reckon this is the whole reason people take so much stuff ... in one place for one week or more. 

I'd be interested to know:
Can anyone admit to taking all this gear for an overnight stop or weekender? 
Or is the house & contents for a longer stay?

Kit_e

[mystq]

I'd be interested to know:
Can anyone admit to taking all this gear for an overnight stop or weekender? 
Kit_e

Yep I take all of this gear even for a overnight stay, it all stays in the van