Thread: We have too much gear!

Unless you go for a swag (bulky anyway) and cook what you kill its a bit difficult. We went out for 6 weeks a couple of years ago and took the same gear (similar to yours) that we would for a weekend. All we tried to do was go for efficiency so that pitching and striking camp was a quick as possible. We graduated to a trailer once we started camping with kids - there seemed no other way!

An 80L cooler for 2 nights seems pretty extravagant to me, my family of 4 could get by with our 40L Chescold OR 39L engel on trips a week or longer with meat/dairy/soft drinks and my dad's medication in it.
You've got your post-hole shovel, so why the toilet tent and porta-potty?

Maybe slowly rationalise your gear, going for 1 table instead of 2, not taking the portable BBQ, forgetting the gazebo... and your fellow campers will pick up the slack when they start to miss it? Or, you may find its not missed anyway

You need to eat, sleep and sit in some comfort. Even for one night there's a certain amount of gear you need. However you can cut down but it would require you buying stuff again to serve the same purpose. Here's a few ideas.

The tent, I trade bulk for speed of set-up. My Oztent sits on the roof.
Mats, those 4WD mats are massive. Exped mats are fantastic and small Exped
Kitchen stuff, Look at the Drifta kitchens, good stuff and very practical, will hold all the kitchen required gear required DRIFTA Camping Kitchens - Camping Trailer Kitchens
1 x 20L box for camping tools, hammer, shifter etc
Change all gas required stuff to Coleman dual fuel to remove the need for a gas cylinder.
Get a fridge so you don't need to carry ice.
Get camp chairs that fold flat.
Store water in 20L jerries as they are quite slim and easier to pack.

It doesn't sound overly excessive for a comfortable camp - I've seen a lot worse.

Our mantra for minimalist camping is "every item taken should have at least two uses"

Maybe ditch the gas for dual fuel stove. Less space and safer.
Huge esky - that would take a lot of space. A compressor fridge about 40 or 50l and dual batteries would be a better set up.
A well thought out storage system in the back helps a lot. It's surprising how much you can fit in a Disco with efficient use of space.

Originally Posted by waynep

It doesn't sound overly excessive for a comfortable camp - I've seen a lot worse.

Our mantra for minimalist camping is "every item taken should have at least two uses"

Maybe ditch the gas for dual fuel stove. Less space and safer.
Huge esky - that would take a lot of space. A compressor fridge about 40 or 50l and dual batteries would be a better set up.
A well thought out storage system in the back helps a lot. It's surprising how much you can fit in a Disco with efficient use of space.

I disagree here, as most stoves (gas or fuel) are around the same size. Safer? No more or less I reckon. Fuel still has to be carried in some kind of container and I carry 2 x 2kg gas cylinders in the back corners of the Defender, where they travel well and out of the way.

Camping gear is very subjective, but what you take for a weekend is virtually the same as for a long trip. A 40 litre Engel is perfect for 2 or 3 people for extended trips.

[QUOTE=inside;1253346]Exped mats are fantastic and small Exped

Sorry, not meaning to hijack thread, just a question.

These look really good, what $$$ are they? Been keeping a lookout for self inflating beds, but seeing as I live in Hobart these one may be the ones that suit my requirements.

Cheers

go two up caming on a motorbike, if it cannot fit in a pannier, it doesn't go.
My honey soon found a way to take a hairdryer (see below) and can wear the same socks for 4 days.

we have done a fair few trips all quite successfuly. sure we dont ahve an esky, but warm water or cold water, its still teh same, and after a few days, a cold beer or coke tastes even better.

we have an MSR single burner cooker with a 600ml bottle of shellite that lasts 5 days, maybe 6. we cook part of the dinner on that, set it asside, cocoke the next part, put the first dish on to heat up again, put them in to one pot, mix up and then divide by two.

when we have gone away in our disco, we open the rear door and there is hardly anything in there except for three bags :-
1 bag with tent sleeping mats and sleeping bags and mozzie net if needed. also a ground sheet that doubles as a shade cloth
my bag of stuff
honey's bag of stuff
cooking bag

after a while you wont miss that stuff

the hairdryer.
when the motorbike (BMW1150GS) arrived it came with panniers. I told her she would have the right hand side one, because its larger. she asked if she can take a hairdryer, I said that if it fits you can. well the first few trips the hairdryer didnt go, but after a while, it fitted, it was more of a challange than a nessecity. but now it doesnt always go becaue then there is more space for food and water etc.

lastly, there is only two of us, no dogs, no kids

Hay Ewe

We've got three kids and we generally travel with a stack of kayaks on the roof as well. Our approach is basically to use backpacking gear now with the exception of a decent esky and block ice, mattresses are all thermarests, tents are lightweight backpacking jobs, cooking gear is a Snowpeak Gigapower white gas (shellite) stove and a trangia. Kayak style compression drybags are used to pack clothes and one is kept as a rubbish bag. camp chairs are a bit of a challenge but we found some coleman items that pack down to about 50cm x 15 cm cyclinders.
We use a foxwing as the main, cooking, sitting, shelter area.
All fits in the back with a bit of spare room for beer, maxtrax etc.
Cargo barriers are crucial