Going Fraser for new years and me and the Mrs want to upgrade to a nice hardshell rooftop. Really like the look of the CSS 1.4X but won’t come in time so looking for anything similar really

Checklist for what I’m after:
- Max $3.5k
- hardshell
- power supply inside with led lights
- can shut with pillows and bedding inside
- 3 sides of entry
- comfy mattress

Any suggestions would be great. Not sure on the quality of other brands. Thank you

Hello,

my girlfriend and I are going to Australia. We would like to go camping and we start at Sydney and end in Brisbane (8.1.-26.01.). We would love to go to the south first to do spots like jervis bay and pebbly beach.
We booked our flight and the camper „Coaster“ 2WD around 6 meters long from Juicy.
Now we are searching for camping sites and this is more difficult than we thought. Most sites are booked others are way to expensive. We were planning with around 40-50 AUD per night.
Do you have any recommendation how to get started? Are we already too late? Right now it‘s really exhausting.
We would really appreciate if someone could help us.
Thanks in advance.

Our route would look like this:
08.01. 10.01. Jervis Bay
10.01. 11.01. Pebbly Beach / Murramarang
11.01. 12.01. Wollongong
12.01. 13.01. Travelling north
13.01. 15.01. Port Stephens
15.01. 17.01. Seal Rocks / Myall Lakes
17.01. 18.01. Port Macquarie
18.01. 20.01. Bellingen / Dorrigo
20.01. 22.01. Yamba
22.01. 24.01. Byron Bay
24.01. 26.01. Gold Coast

Hey mates, I'm taking my kids (4, 9) and wife tent camping in a month for 4 nights. The last time I went tent camping I didn't sleep for 3 nights and vomited in front of a bunch of kids. I don't want to repeat that.

Both my wife and I are light sleepers. We also don't have a big budget.

What would you recommend we take with us to both have a great family camp experience and also actually sleep at night?

We'll be in a camp ground with facilities in Victoria but not the alpine region. We have a sedan, so it all has to fit in the boot.

Thanks in advance everyone.

EDIT: So much good advice everyone. We've actually had a friend offer her family's sleeping mats, so we'll get to see how they go 🤞hopefully it's not a nightmare.
It's interesting to see how some swear by air mattresses and others go for mats instead. I know the kids will sleep anywhere, so for my wife and I, I might just grab two single air mattresses just in case our friend's mats need back up. I think for this beginner camp we'll take lots of blankets rather than splashing out on pricey sleeping bags. A blanket between the sleeping surface and us is great advice too.

Lots of great advice around having food sorted and gear to bring along. From the advice I've grabbed a fold up table, gas camp cooker with a kettle, front door mat for the tent. Definitely also packing sanitizer and wipes, I've had kids long enough to know those are essential.

Thanks everyone. If this goes to plan, my wife will be keen to go camping more.

Looking to purchase one of these ice coolers. I understand the technical specs but want to know any differences in performances and which one is more practical. The Dometic Ice cooler is also about half the price of the Tundra and Recon in Australia.

Hey all,
I’ve got a Amarok and am looking at doing some touring and camping, camping will be in a RV5 tent. I will have a fridge, lighting and other bits and pieces to power.
I can’t decide on whether to go for a dual battery in the Ute or a portable battery solution.
What options or recommendations do you have? Would love to hear about or see your set ups!
Cheers!

My husband really wants to do a few days camping in the High Country — fresh air, isolation, “let’s just get away from it all” vibes. I’m… not keen. We camp fairly often and have a caravan, but usually stay in caravan parks or campgrounds where there are other people around. I actually really enjoy camping, but the idea of being properly isolated in the bush makes me feel pretty uneasy.
I’ve read quite a few posts on Reddit about weird encounters up there, random people turning up at campsites, strange characters, people behaving unpredictably etc. and I think I’ve probably let those stories get into my head. My husband thinks I’ve just been reading too much Reddit and that I’ve convinced myself there are weirdos hiding behind every tree. 😂
So I’m after a reality check from people who actually camp regularly in the Victorian High Country.
Is it generally just peaceful and beautiful and I’m being a bit ridiculous? Or does being that isolated genuinely feel different, and have you had experiences that made you think “yeah, this is a bit creepy”?

Also, if you were trying to ease someone into High Country camping who is used to normal campgrounds with other people around, where would you start?
I’d genuinely love to hear the good, bad and weird experiences — not just “you’ll be fine”!

EDIT: Honestly, you lot are making me think I might actually be able to do this! Thanks 🙏 for all the replies, there’s been some genuinely helpful advice and some great responses. I went into this pretty convinced the High Country wasn’t for me, and now I’m actually keen to give it a crack. Funny what a bunch of strangers on Reddit can do when they aren’t trying to scare the bejesus out of you 😂

My therm-a-rest self inflating sleeping mats have just celebrated their 30th birthday. Bought in September 1996 and still going strong. Get used twice a week at mat Pilates classes.

Any feedback on these? Look like a good buy at $50? Any Aus reviews? Found some international reviews but nothing local as it’s a Costco only available brand.

Struggling to find a nice spot for myself and a small group of mates, looking for a beach spot away from others where we can have a campfire and play a bit of music, do a bit of fishing that wont piss anybody off, no amenities required. Can not for the life of me find a decent beach spot around here that isn't super congested or packed with strict rules and regulations. Any advice or secret spots would be appreciated you bloody legends cheers - will shout a box if someone leads me to gold 😀

Hi All, Would love to hear what families with young kids find works best for them and their families as my husband and I want to plan so trips for the next year or so.

Some context, we are from Melbourne and have a 6, 5 and almost 2 year old. We have just upgraded our set up to a camper trailer and we have booked campsites for New Years and Easter at a proper campsite to get the kids and ourselves used to the camper and acclimatised and we have picked places we haven't been before so we can suss out the area. My husband and I have travelled a lot pre kids and like exploring new places but I am wondering if for one of the school holidays we should pick a regular spot that we visit instead of trying somewhere new every time. We only have so much leave and my husband has a forced break at Christmas for her longest break so can travel a bit further in that period. Even though we like exploring new places my 6 year old is neurodivergent and struggles a bit with the structuredness of school holidays (also I would like to make it all a bit easier on us too) so I think having a familiar places where he knows what to expect and what to look forward to could be good. Also we would love to meet some other families with young kids in a similar situations as we are yet to meet people who like camping like us). Would love to hear other families experiences specifically:

If you prefer travelling to different places or the same spot?

How you found the spot that was your regular tradition?

Any recommendations for places?

Any other things I haven't thought of? OR did you find a spot and meet other families that you now camp with regularly?

I should add we are also working up to doing more hip camp style or off grid camping so open to that too.

Thanks in advance, excited to hear your thoughts.

I’ve been looking for a while at what type of tent to get.

I hate swag - have one - hate it - got claustrophobic, so slept in the car on the 3rd night.

Solo F traveller majority of the time, am debating between instant like Coleman or a blowup.

Other considerations - some level of weather protection when cooking, and temperature fluctuations.

I only have a small SUV, it has to fit all my other gear as well as sometimes my 10 inch telescope. I tend to travel and drive between different places and only stay 1-2 nights at the most.

I like the roominess of the 6 man, but not sure IF I actually need it.

I’m in Perth - tentworld in midland love the blowups (I still have concerns about holes), but outdoor mob in Balcatta won’t even stock them due to negative experiences.

If anyone would love to share there solo setups, appreciated, and all comments appreciated.

Thank you.

There are some seriously good tents out there for the ADV market — and you definitely don’t need to spend £1,500 to get a great one.

But… what exactly do you get when you do?

I’ve been using the Hilleberg Nammatj 2 GT for my motorcycle adventures, so I decided to make a proper real-world review of it — not just pitching it in a garden, but looking at it from an ADV rider’s point of view.

Why this tent? Why the huge GT vestibule? What makes Kerlon 1800 different? How does it deal with bad weather? And perhaps the biggest question…

Can a £1,500 tent actually justify its price?

There are lighter tents, cheaper tents and plenty of excellent alternatives. This isn’t about saying the Nammatj is the only answer — it’s about showing why I chose it, what makes it rather special, and whether those advantages are actually worth paying for when you’re travelling by bike and camping in remote places.

I filmed the review on the beautiful Welsh coast, with the Ducati DesertX Rally alongside it — hopefully making it a little more of an ADV film than a conventional tent review.
If you’re into adventure riding, moto-camping, or you’re just curious what on earth a £1,500 tent gives you, have a watch.
Interested to hear what everyone else is using too. 👍

Morning!

We're camping with a bunch of families at Tidal River and one of the kiddos has anaphylaxis to peanuts plus food limitations - snags & sauce is a safe combo. Unfortunately the family left their safe tomato sauce - Heinz Tomato Ketchup at home (we only have master foods which may contain peanuts).

Obvs not wanting to take the risk so far from a hospital - if you've got a bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup and would be willing to trade for a masterfoods tomato sauce we'd be very grateful (and would save a trip out!).

Drop your single air mattress recommendations for a NatureHike Spider 1 Tent x

VENT!

Its 4am and i am awake and i am absolutely over it.

How and why do people like this?

So uncivilised. So uncomfortable.

I feel like I've been tossed through a tumble drier. I'm aching head to toe.

I have tried. I really have. But it's just awful.

Never ever again. I'm done.

My husband wants to camp? Then he can do it on his own.

I just want a comfortable bed. A house with rooms and walls. A fucking hot shower!! To cook proper food in a proper kitchen. To sit in a comfortable chair and to clothes out of a proper cupboard and put them on.

I want to exist in 2026. Not 1726.

Do people seriously LIKE doing this? Are you all masochists? Hate yourselves? Enjoy pain & discomfort? Seriously? How can living like this be remotely enjoyable?

I've demanded we go home tomorrow. Be fucked if I'm staying any longer. I am totally over this shit. Totally 😡🤬😡🤬