Camping Tips from the Pros: March

SAND FLAG

Scott Heiman, ACT, signposts his camp with a hi-vis vest that’s cable-tied to a fishing rod, so his mates can find their way back amongst the scrub. Not one to steal the glory, Heiman admits he was inspired and amused by a man who’d done the same with similar garb he’d found on the side of the road. “He attached it to an old telescopic fishing rod rattling around the toolbox. It was the funniest thing.”

The flag doubles as a safety vest for when you’re changing a tyre and the pole can of course be used for its original intended purpose – fishing!

BED-END TABLE

Colin Tidey and Sharon Small from Denman, NSW, built a bed-end bench for their Jayco Penguin from a carpeted free-standing table, left over from the couple’s days camping in a softfloor. Like all camping tables worth their salt, the bed-end bench folds flat for travel and stores safely on the bed.

STABLE CAMPING

Anna Matejka of Hurstville Grove, NSW, stores her favourite camping staple – the ever faithful Stable Table – in an old cloth shopping bag, modified to hang at the back of her camping chair.

WINDER ADAPTOR

Dennis Perry from Kidman Park, SA, raises the roof of his Jayco Flite camper trailer with ease using a homemade bit and cordless drill. The bit replaces Jayco’s square roof winder, saving space at camp and can be teamed with the corner hex jack handle when power supplies are low.

The hole in the bit fits the shaft of the cordless drill and is secured with a 12mm hose clamp, keeping the essentials together.

Dennis admits she’s a roughie, having lovingly fashioned her from 40x3mm scrap mild steel strap with a hacksaw, file, G clamp and cordless drill. “I apologise to all perfectionists in advance.”

EXTENDABLE LIGHTPOLE

David Miff (via email) illuminates his campsite with an LED floodlight rigged to a spare camp-light extension pole. David welded the pole to his camper trailer and hooked the LED to a 12V setup, for light at the flick of a switch. “It works a treat and rotates 360°,” David reveals.

A TRUE TEA LIGHT

Mickael Burkitt from McLean, NSW, built a lightweight, portable firepit from an old tea urn, simply by raising the base and drilling some holes in it so the fire can breathe.

Check out the full feature in issue #82 November 2014 of Camper Trailer Australia magazine.