Tarps provide great weather protection while camping, whether from the rain or sun. Following are some tarpaulin set ups ranging from small and simple, to massive! Looking at other people’s camping set up always inspires me to make my own set up better. I have ordered the photos in terms of size and complexity. The larger set ups on this page take some time to erect, so should only be considered if you are … more »
A quick-erect sun and rain awning is a very handy addition to any four wheel drive vehicle. Rather than purchasing an of-the-shelf awning, I have developed my own from some surplus gear in my camping kit. There are numerous different awnings available on the market that bolt semi-permanently to roof racks — examples include those available from ARB, TJM, Bushranger, and OZtrail. While I could have easily purchased an off-the-shelf awning, I have … more »
I have updated my camping gear checklist to reflect changes in my camping kit as a result of losing a lot of gear in the Queensland 2011 flood, but also changing my preference for gear based on our camping experience. The biggest changes are away from gas stoves/lanterns to Coleman dual fuel appliances, and away from a huge tarp that covers our tent, to a smaller tarp for eating under. I like to pack … more »
I am always looking for faster, better ways of doing my camp setup. In the past, I have used an OZtrail UltraRig 20′ x 24′ poly tarpaulin over my camp site. This has been fantastic for providing shade and shelter from rain, but the ridge pole is time consuming and awkward to put up — particularly for one person. But who says that you even need to use a ridge pole? Most people set up … more »
I have worked out a set-up for my Darche camp shelter. I have set up my canvas touring tent standard, but without the awning poled out. On the Darche camp shelter, I have used two double guy ropes with springs from my camping kit on the pole ends of the camp shelter. I have also run a 4 mm rope as the ridge of the shelter. The poles and ridge rope will stand on … more »
I recently purchased a Darche Outdoor Gear camp shelter from Swags & Camping Direct. Price was $129 delivered. On receiving the camp shelter, I was surprised at how small the package was. I measured it at approximately 82 cm x 8 cm x 11 cm and the packaging says that it weighs 3.5 kg. I was a little concerned that the camp shelter poles would not be high enough to clear my tent. … more »
Many first time campers seem to baulk at setting up a tarpaulin over their camp site because they think that it is too complicated. All those poles, ropes and pegs. And no instructions either! I was in that category … until I tried it. Even my wife agreed that putting up a 12’ x 16’ tarp was easier than erecting our similarly sized 10-person Jackaroo dome tent. Following are a couple of photos … more »