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Leaving Sydney on a Friday afternoon we travelled down to a camping area at Jervis Bay. Husband, husband’s friend and three kids, all the camping gear and the boat. We arrived as the afternoon sun was being replaced by very dark storm clouds and even though I suggested we all stay put in the car or drive into town for a counter meal, hubby insisted all was well and we should put up the tents. OOOOKKKKK!

The wind was picking up as we unloaded and by the time we were half way through the setting up it was really blowing a gale. Distant thunder could be heard and within minutes large rain drop began to pelt down. Lightning flashing, loud thunder, teeming rain and strong wind. The kids and I bolted for the car and left our heroes to complete the task they insisted on. I really didn’t mean to laugh so loudly as to be heard above the storm or maybe it was my grinning that gave it away.

It was a fast moving storm over nearly as quickly as it began, however, the tents and ground were left very wet. Luckily I had protected the bedding and food stuffs from the rain so all was not lost. The tents finally completed and our camp set up, the night past without incident except for the “boys” deciding to stir up the kids just as we were all going to sleep by continuously saying goodnight to all and sundry and declaring that “we are 30 degrees off Point Perpendicular Lighthouse and all’s well”.

Morning saw clear skies and the men, who were last night’s boys, took the boat out for an early morning fish. They had been gone about an hour when a thick fog rolled in. I mean you could not see more than 10 meters in front of you. It was quite scary really with the thought of being out in a boat giving me the shivers. The kids had a great time playing hide and seek around the tents and I made a cuppa and read a book.

Several hours later the fog lifted and weary fishermen returned with no fish but some funny tails of being LOST in the fog and some of the new acquaintances they made whilst they all sat in boats unable to go anywhere.

All in all we had a good time on that camping trip even though we got blown about, rained on and fogged in. Ah the great outdoors!!!

For other great camping ideas visit http://www.truecamping.com.au

In inclusion to finding a booking, planning your camping vacation ahead may also assist you find a nicer camping spot. What many persons do not recognise is that several camping grounds allow their campers to select which particular locations they would like to camp at. By viewing a map of the camping ground in question, you may discover that the perfect camping place is settled immediate to a lake or one that is close to a hiking trail. With that in mind, however, it is important that you know that the longer you wait to make your camping vacation reservations, the less prime, camping locations you will have to choose from.

Preparing your next camping vacation ahead will as well give you more time to prepare for it. For instance, what type of nutrients would you like to take on your following camping adventure or what type of games would you like to play? These are questions that you should ask yourself, as it may make it simpler for you to organise for your vacation. By getting your camping holiday reservations in advance, you can discover, ahead of time, whether or not the camping ground has a lake, electricity or others. This can make it much simpler to be ready for your following camping vacation, as well as ensure that you have all needed camping supplies and camping equipment pieces. For this you will need a camping checklist.
Articles Source:http://travel.ezinemark.com/camping-checklist-and-planning-guide-31b58af450c.html
           
About the Author:First make sure you study camping checklist. You can find the camping checklist essentials on A Camping Checklist site.

Creating a private campground of your own, located in a highly inconspicuous place, remaining hidden at all times and leaving no trace that you were ever their takes enormous skill and training. Those trained in military tactics should find this relativity easy. For the average person, a course from a qualified survival school may be a necessity. This is not just another day at the campground.

While stealth camping is not for everyone, those who dare to try it will find it both challenging and extremely rewarding. While this type of camping will surely take some getting used to, I personally can not think of a more challenging experience.

Having the proper gear is a must, such items as a neutral coloured or camouflaged tent, lightweight sleeping bag, pre-packaged and ready to eat meals, and lighting that is low visibility.

Red lens flashlights or compact lanterns work well for keeping oneself hidden during twilight hours.

Be sure to check local laws as this may be illegal in some areas. Your local police office should be able to guide you; a check with police can also provide you with valuable information.

After making sure you are in compliance, you need a location to do your stealth camping. Check with local campgrounds or even large farms may offer some locations for your overnight experience.

When you have a location setup, you need to know what to expect while camping in this area.

Snakes, Scorpions, or other wild or dangerous animals can cause a really bad experience.

Stealth camping is encouraged in many places around the world, illegal in others and disliked in most. But for those willing to give it a try, it’s an incredible way of spending a night in the outdoors.

Article Source: http://travel.ezinemark.com/stealth-camping-what-is-involved-16e468532e2.html

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I remember the first time we decided to camp there. We arrived late in the afternoon and set up the tents, lit the fire and got the kids organised. The guys clambered into the small boat and rowed out to set the yabby pots while we girls cooked up a meal while the kids helped by collecting branches and twigs to keep the fire going. 

The night was very clear and because we were away from town the night sky looked brilliant and we all marvelled at the vast amount of stars visible. The children were also intrigued with the sounds of the bush at night.

Everyone slept soundly only to be awakened by the sound of thousands of white cockatoo that seemed to be in every tree in the area. Thankfully the shouts from our side made them scarper with no harm done. It was a very different start to the day but by mid morning we had some yabbies in the pot.

We stayed for another night and really enjoyed “roughing it” and enjoying nature and had no further visits from our noisy characters. The kids learnt some good bush camping lessons and we vowed to return to this area again which we did.

N.B. I must add here that it was not bush fire season, our fires were set in an open area and never left unattended. Before our departure fires were doused with large amount of water and checks made to be sure they were fully extinguished. Everything that came in with us, left with us, rubbish included.

For other great camping stories visit http://www.truecamping.com.au

For their part, the owners of the sumptuous digs-on-wheels look out at the tiny tents and say, “Poor dears! It’s too bad they can’t afford to REALLY camp!” And so it goes, on and on.

Is there no middle ground? Is there such a thing as REAL camping? I’ll throw in my own ten cents’ worth.

First, I’ll recount my own camping experience so you’ll know I’m not really taking one side or the other out of ignorance. As you may know, I started camping courtesy of the United States Army. We shared two-man pup tents with air mattresses (on the ground) and individual sleeping bags. The temperature didn’t matter! The Army is a 24/365 operation.

On a personal basis, while still in the Army, I started camping with tents that were a lot nicer than the Army version. Mine actually had floors in them! Woohoo! I thought it was pretty cool when I got a cot on which to lay my sleeping bag – no more sleeping on the hard, rocky ground.

There were no nice amenities like toilets, sinks or showers. I had to rely on the campground restrooms for that. I did have a small stove and a cooler cooled by bags of ice. Man, compared to living out in the field while on manoeuvres, this was living!

I even went on a motorcycle tour once with several friends and spent the nights in campgrounds. We carried small tents, sleeping bags and camp stoves. We had a fantastic time.

Next came a pop-up tent camper. A lot of the amenities were the same but it was a lot easier to set up if you pulled in late. I still had to use the public restrooms but this trailer had lights and a table and places to sit. Wow!

My first travel trailer was not “self-contained.” That meant I had to carry the waste water and the bottom half of the Porta Potti up to the restrooms for disposal. But! This one actually had a heater, a built-in stove and a gas/12-volt refrigerator. Boy, oh boy, I was moving up into the Big Time with this one!

Since that time, I and my family have enjoyed travelling and setting up in campgrounds with a variety of trailers, vans and motorhomes. Our current rig is a diesel pickup pulling a 31-foot travel trailer which has a large slide-out and is four-season capable. Of course, it’s fully self-contained.

I have enjoyed every kind of camping I have done over the years (military bivouac excepted!). Of course, tent camping is more suited to warm weather but I have set up in cold or rainy weather, as well. If you’re well prepared, you can make yourself quite comfortable, even with minimal equipment.

I believe “camping” is a much larger concept than tents vs. motorhomes. Once I leave home, I can go, pretty much, wherever I want. There are campgrounds all across the nation – even in places where hotels are scarce. A lot of the parks and other tourist locations have campgrounds nearby.

For one or more nights, I can rent my own, private campsite. Normal campground etiquette is that you don’t make noise that disturbs your fellow campers between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. It’s just normal consideration of others that is expected of everyone.

Most campgrounds are located in areas away from noisy traffic and city pollution. If you’re looking to relax in peaceful surroundings, a lot of campgrounds and very few hotels can meet that expectation.

Of course, one of the grandest things about camping is the camaraderie between campers. You can walk around the campground and people will greet you as you go by. If you see an interesting piece of equipment, you can stop and ask the owner about it. They’ll most likely invite you to sit down and have a cup of coffee. Try that in a hotel! They’ll be calling security on you in a heartbeat.

These things all apply no matter what kind of camping you do, no matter what kind of equipment you’re using. Campers love being around other campers. Believe me, many of the motorhome owners started out in a tent, too!

The bottom line is that it’s all camping. Enjoy whatever equipment you’re using right now and don’t worry about what you think someone else thinks about it. Don’t be afraid to try different types of camping. You just might come to enjoy something you never thought you would.

That, too, is a fun part of camping. Just get out there and enjoy yourself.

“Instead of a coastal area” he said, “we are going inland to pan for gold!”

We loaded the car with our camping gear as well as prospecting equipment which he had purchased a few days earlier, (sneaky devil) and we headed for the gold mining areas of Sofala and Hill End.

We set up camp, lit a small fire and cooked dinner on the portable BBQ. It was quite cold and as the night progressed it became much colder. We all snuggled together in the tent and spent a rather uncomfortable night. It was a pleasure to get up, stoke the fire and warm up. Warm up is exactly what we did, the day time temperature soared. We panned for gold and had a bit of fun fossicking around but did not find anything of any real value.

Heading into town we discovered a town that seemed unchanged for many years, it was like stepping back in time. We imagined what the gold prospectors of the time would have been wearing, what they ate and how they survived on the gold fields. The experience was a lot of fun and very educational for the kids.

We once again spent a cold night and decided to leave by lunchtime the next day. Morning saw us by a creek trying our luck panning again. The children explored along the banks. We broke camp and had one more look around town.

It was very hot and as we looked to the west there were visible signs of a darkening sky so we climbed in the car and headed east, all the time being seemingly chased by ever more threatening clouds, our kids thought it had eerie with the green tinge. We knew exactly what that meant.

Finally home safe and sound we had beaten the storm by minutes. Luckily the worst of it seemed to miss our area, but we did hear on the news later that the area we left that day had been hit by a very intense hail storm and there was much damage to homes and cars.

Even though we didn’t find any gold we consider we were very lucky. 

For other great camping stories visit http://www.truecamping.com.au .

On arrival we pitched our tents and unpacked the cars and trailer whilst the children set about collecting twigs and branches for the fire. It wasn’t long till we were all ready to think about a cup of tea. As the afternoon turned to evening the temperature started to drop and we all pulled out the warm jackets and lit the fire. Several drops of rain were felt but luckily they didn’t amount to much.

Everyone turned in early ready for the next day’s adventures with a few of us getting up before dawn to try for some fishing in the nearby lake which was known for some good catches. We arrived back at camp in brilliant sunlight with fresh fish for breakfast, along with a large eel which was promptly put in the smoker.

Good weather prevailed for the rest of our camping holiday and with warmer temperatures we all enjoyed not only fishing, but fun days at the beach and nearby parks.  These kinds of holidays become addictive and we were planning the next one before we left to return home.

Check out http://www.truecamping.com.au for more great camping stories and fantastic campsites around Australia.

I on the other hand, tend to like to rough it a bit more with a roll up mattress, sleeping bag, round gas BBQ, kettle, a saucepan, camp oven for the times when an open fire is permitted. Usually use paper plates and plastic cutlery except for a knife for cutting meat etc. and of course a wire coat hanger bent and shaped as a fork for toasting bread. All food and utensils are either stored in a cardboard box or large plastic container.

To each his own and I guess what we decide we need can be dependent on how long we are staying and if we are moving to another location.  Thankfully we are all different. Once you have the camping bug it doesn’t really matter what gear you take, you love the whole experience. Check out http://www.truecamping.com.au for more great camping stories and fantastic campsites around Australia.