Preparing for adventure as a beginner

Central Queensland is a magnificent place to live, work and raise a family. If exploration is on your plan and you love four-wheel-driving and camping or want to develop a love for it, there is nothing more magnificent than living within arm’s reach of adventure. The Rockhampton Region and beyond offers many experiences ranging from national parks, farm stays, off-grid bush camping, holiday park camping, beach trips and cultural experiences. 

Of course, it is essential to have a well-equipped vehicle with communication and recovery equipment onboard to ensure a safe adventure. Balance this with a car equipped to tackle your bucket list, and it means where you want to go and what you want to do can be catered for. There is no ‘one size fits all solution for 4WD vehicles. Understanding your needs and your vehicle’s capability is vital and means you can accommodate and change what you need to be prepared and have confidence.   

Suppose you’re a camping beginner and do not quite know where to start. In that case, the following suggestions may assist in enabling a fun-filled activity for yourself, your mates and your family. 

Getting outdoors and seeing the beautiful surroundings available in our backyard is nothing short of amazing. We’re lucky and privileged to live in such a gorgeous country which means there are ample opportunities for fun and adventure within an hour or so from home in Central QLD. 

Sleeping under the stars, whether under canvas or open, is a blissful feeling. With the proper preparations, it is comfortable, relaxing, and addictive. 

As you begin your adventure preparations and initial explorations, you’ll find out what works for you and your family. Every set-up is different and unique, and you’ll find some innovative inventions along the way which may or may not serve you. 

Food Storage 

To cater for our immediate family of five, our camp food storage consists of 2 x 60L plastic containers, a 75L camp fridge/freezer and a 40L camp fridge. Camping is not meant to have the full kitchen pantry and fridge on board. A meal plan, including snacks, is essential to ensure you take exactly what you need and have minimal wastage. 

One 60L container stores snack food, coffee, tea, sugar, cereal, sandwich spreads etc. The other is used for meal preparation ingredients such as dinner bases, sauces, salt, pepper etc. 

The larger fridge is, of course, self-explanatory—milk, butter, fruit, sandwich meats, other meats, eggs and other cold foods. The second smaller fridge is for storing beverages. 

In the absence of a fridge, eskies work a treat; however, you’ll need to monitor the ice and plan to replenish if planning a more extended trip.   

Food Preparation, Cooking & Eating 

This list will depend heavily on what your meal plan is; however, a basic kit with a little bit of everything could include: 

• Cast iron camp oven and gloves (brilliant for campfire cooking) 

• Gas burner stove 

• Fry pan or wok 

• Saucepan (for boiling water as well as cooking) 

• Tongs 

• Ladle 

• Spatula 

• Cutting boards 

• Sharp knives 

• Cutlery, plates and cups 

• Washing up tub or bucket 

• Fold-out table to prepare food, cook and wash up 

Hygiene & Health 

• Hand wash or sanitiser 

• Baby wipes 

• Chux cloth 

• Dishwashing liquid 

• Body soap (if showers are available, do not use soap in waterways) 

• Towels (if showers are available) 

• Sunscreen 

• Insect repellent 

• Toilet paper 

• Camp toilet and pop up en-suite (if there are no bathrooms where you are going and you are not prepared to toilet in the bush)* 

*Ensure your bush toilet is away from the campsite and waterways (100m). Ensure the hole dug is 15-30cm deep and covered once complete. 

Campfires 

It is essential to do your research before arriving at a campsite to ensure campfires are permitted, especially if your meal plan relies on this cooking method. Sometimes there are fire restrictions or bans, and it’s good to know this in advance. 

Water 

The season you are camping in will determine the amount of water you need to take. For example, in summer, you may drink 3-4L a day; however, in winter, it could be 1-2L. However, if you’re winter camping and planning an extensive hike, this needs to be accounted for. A simple formula to work out how much drinking water to take is: 

(Number of people x average litres per day per person) x number of days camping 

For example: if our family of five is camping in winter for two days, this is what we’d take: 

(5 people x 2L each per day) x 2 days = 20L 

Once your drinking water is considered, if where you’re going has no water for dishwashing or cleaning, it’s essential to take additional non-drinking water. 

Sleeping Arrangements  

• Pillow 

• Sleeping bag (weather appropriate for the season you are in) 

• Swag or tent 

• Mattress  

Shade 

It is handy to have a 3 x 3m or 3 x 6m gazebo to ensure shade during the day and shelter from the rain, especially if you are in swags and there is no awning off a tent for you to seek cover under. 

Chairs 

Camp chairs are ideal as they’re compact to pack up and take up minimal room. 

Other Items 

• Torch 

• Rubbish bags 

• Personal clothing, shoes, and toiletries   

• First aid kit   

• Camp shovel 

• Matches 

• UHF 

Rubbish 

You must leave the campsite with all rubbish removed and, if possible, in better condition than what you found it. Avoid glass as well because it can be challenging to locate all the broken pieces in the dirt and grass when it breaks. This may result in injury to an animal or another person, which is not worth the risk. 

Everyone’s camping experiences are different. We hope that with a bit of help and advice, you can have exciting adventures camping with your friends and family. 

Plan out your camp trip, do your research regarding the amenities, time of year and weather, and have enough resources to make your first camp trip and every one after it memorable for a lifetime.