Camping Outback and Loving it!
Overnight Camp, Finke Gorge National Park Most travellers look forward to camping outback under the stars. But bush camping can be “heaven or hell” depending on how you prepare. Remember our 3 Rules? Travel Slowly. Camp Early. Don’t try to Fit Too Much in. I reckon the most important 3 parts of Camping Outback are: • Eating. Keep your meals simple unless you intend spending some time in the one place. • Shower. You have no idea how good a shower feels after a few days “out bush”. • Toilet. Carefully consider how you will cater for the ladies in your group. Privacy and cleanliness are high on their priority! Eating This is top of the list for me when I am camping outback, so I have dedicated a couple of pages to it. The Bush Shower. While you may not want to stop for a shower every day, you will need to make some provision for a “bush shower” if you spend long enough in the Outback. Our mob usually carry a “flip up” shower tent. This is a great little bit of gear. It folds down flat (with a bit of practice or help from a “smart kid”) and it pops up by itself, also after a bit of practice. Make sure you have two of those lightweight mesh style plastic door mats. Put one at the “door” to wipe your feet and the other inside to stand on. Use them as floor mats in your car when you travel. I have a small pump which runs off the Toyota battery. It is connected to a shower rose hanging from a hook built into the tent. We heat the water on the campfire, transfer it to the plastic bucket, drop the pump in and turn it on. This system has catered for up to ten people camping outback during the Finke Desert Race long weekend. The Bush Toilet. I reckon you will spoil a camping experience by not catering for the ladies while you are camping outback. Our mob usually spends a bit of time putting up a tarpaulin for privacy some distance from the camp. The boys then dig a fairly long trench and set up a fold-up seat over it. The girls start using one end of the trench and fill it in gradually as they need to. While on this delicate subject, I have a tip you won’t find in any of your fancy guide books. Beware of camping outback anywhere near camels if any of the ladies is menstruating. The odour will attract a bull camel from some distance away. Our little camp was terrorised by a bull camel one night at Charlotte waters. It wasn’t until an old bushy mentioned a similar fright that he and his wife had, that I realised the reason for the attack. There are many good books on camping outback. Find one and pick what you want from it. When you are packing, take the BARE essentials. If you find you need more, you can buy it at one of the many roadhouses or in the main cities such as Broken Hill or Alice Springs. Its easy to add to your camp gear on the way. It is not as easy to throw out something which you have found you don’t need, when you are a long way from home. After you get home, look carefully at how often you used each item. If its not the first aid kit, and you hardly used it, throw it out before your next trip. Above all if you are not enjoying your bush camping, take a break in a motel or local hotel before it spoils your trip. Remember we came on this trip to ENJOY ourselves. What did I say? Travel Slowly. Camp Early. Don’t try to fit Too Much in.
"The Kid" having a bath at Tibooburra
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