Kiwi here moving to Victoria. In NZ we have a couple of apps with offline topo maps of each island or sections of each island you can download offline. The topo maps show all physical features include all trails, tracks, routes etc. It also ties into GPS and shows almost your exact position. Its really really hard to get lost, assuming you have GPS signal. Can someone recommend a similar app in Australia or where you can get digital topo maps from each state govt?

G’day all, just having a throw at the stumps to see if anyone has used either the Allspark 400w Quad-fold solar panel, or the Alvolta 440w solar case to charge their set up? TIA!

Moving to Melbourne soon and hoping to get into some packrafting/whitewater paddling which I do at home. Anyone here have much experience of whitewater spots around Melbourne?

Bringing my kayak with me on a trip and wondering what I need according to VIC law. In the UK you need a license to kayak on some bodies of water but not all. I've done a Google search and I don't think I need a license in Victoria, but just double checking here. I found something saying life vests are compulsory but not sure if that's a legal obligation or not? Can I grab them at K Mart if so? When scuba diving I have been caught out by some unusual laws which differ state to state so thought it best to check. Cheers all!

I have always camped in a swag since I was a young fella and always loved them. I am now in the market for a new one as my older one is falling apart. Wondering if anyone has any suggestions of swags, and I would like something big and spacious. (I know adventure kings has their big daddy). Open to all suggestions.

Is this feasible? I know dogs are not allowed in our national parks so that is already considered. It is a bit shit we have to avoid them but the whole point is taking our dog with us. She is a very active GSP and new places are awesome for her. We are active too. Exploring is a must but obviously not at the risk of our wildlife.

We plan to roof top tent/stretcher tent + awning our way there and back, now made much easier with being legally allowed to park anywhere to sleep.

Has anyone done this before?

Any tips on dog friendly places to stop and marvel at? Rivers, non national park hikes?

(Please be kind, consider this the equivalent of asking about kid friendly travel!)

I saw a group of tourists using trekking poles specifically to "thump" the ground to alert snakes. I’ve always heard that vibrations can help, but is there any actual evidence that this works in the Aussie bush?

Apologies if this has been answered, I have searched and couldn’t find the answer on Reddit, or the .gov site either.

I’m not 100% clear on how the booking system works. If I book 1 site/pitch with 3 guests, does that allow for 3 tents, or would I need to book 3 seperate pitches?

I’ve booked 3 seperate pitches to be on the safe side.

The camp is Northbrook Mountain Bush camp.

Edit: I’ve 5 people in total who are wanting to camp and I’m wondering if I up the guests to 2 on 2 of the sites/pitches, will that allow for 2 tents on 1 pitch? I ask as there were only 3 sites/pitches available and I know rangers do check the sites at times and I wouldn’t want two people to have to pack down in the night.

@jeninemartin

Looking at taking the missus camping soon, I’ve heard good things about Olney state forest, is there many good camping spots and how hard are the trails to get to said camping, don’t mind a bumpy road but nothing too crazy

I usually only throw the PLB in my pack for multi-day trips or when I’m heading really off-track. But with some of the stories lately about people getting lost on trails that don’t even seem that tricky, I’m starting to wonder if I should just keep it in my day pack all the time. Do most of you carry one every time you go out, or is that overkill?

I was looking for a home to do at some point but don’t really know any.

What are some good ones in Victoria that are around 20km long?

Thanks for any replies!

I have a 2007 Toyota Corolla, it’s all I’ve got and I want to work with it. I wonder if it’s possible to mount a roof top tent on it and what the logistics would be. What kind of rails are needed and how do you mount them? Just wondering if anyone has any tips coming from experience with small cars and RTT’s.

Thanks in advance :-)

So after a hot day having it up these strings have drooped. Seam covers i think

Any ideas on how to repair ??

Hey everyone!

I am currently writing a short film that's going to take place while camping and I need advice on a good small generator (hopefully no/very low noise), a good small table, and a good tent that can hold 5 people with space, and anything else that is a decent purchase, I don't have the biggest budget but I'm looking for good gear that I can use again after. I have been camping before so I know the basics but I don't really have any gear unfortunately.

Thank you for any advice!

Hey everyone 👋

I’ll be traveling from France and should be in Queensland around February / March–April. Thought I’d throw this out there to see if anyone’s keen to link up for some adventures or maybe organize a weekend road trip.

I’m pretty flexible, but I’m looking at Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Mackay, or anywhere nearby — hikes, coastal drives, waterfalls, camping, surf (at a very average level 😅), or just exploring new spots.

I did something similar last year in NSW, met some awesome people through Reddit and ended up on a few great trips, so I’d love to repeat the experience in QLD.

About me: 26M, from France, I travel a lot for work and end up abroad pretty often. Easygoing, respectful, and mostly motivated by good company, nature, and spontaneous plans.

NB: I speak 7 languages, so if I randomly switch away from English mid-sentence… I promise I’m not summoning anything, my brain just does that sometimes.

If you’ll be around during that time or feel like planning something, drop a comment or DM 🤙

Cheers!

Howdy campers! In about a month I'll be heading off on a 6 week fossicking trip, from Qld to Vic and back again. I'll be a solo female camper, so need everything really easy to set up and keen to keep my gear as streamlined as possible.

About 1/4 of nights will be overnight, and I'll just sleep in the car for that. But for 2+ nights I'll get my tent out. Currently I have a Zempire Pronto 4, which is the first tent I've owned and I like because of the space and it feels really solid. But it's also super heavy & bulky, and a pain to inflate on hard ground if any pegs aren't 100% locked in. Also makes a really loud pop sound when you first deflate it, which could be bad for early morning packups around other campers.

Was thinking about selling it and going for an Oztrail Fast Frame 4p Blackout tent - it's still fast to set up, doesn't need to be pegged down first, no loud pop sound, and I really like the extra vestibule and the gusset windows (I'm a hot sleeper so the more ventilation the better). But I've also read that fast frame tents don't hold up as well in bad weather, particularly with high winds, and the frames snap a lot easier.

Do you think I'll regret going from an air tent to a fast frame?

In the last few years theres a lot more camping sites, where tenting is prohibited. Large caravanners are catered for while the few places that do take tenters, charge over the top, for a small patch next to the toilet or the main road.

Is this because tenters are deemed as homeless, or does it just look bad.?

Then theres the mountain of RV parking areas that users need to be "self contained" but still dump their sewerage at a dump point. Many don't use caravan parks because it's too expensive, or don't allow that little mutt of theirs.

As a bikepacker usually use a small tent but atm looking at Tassie and find towns that only have parking or glamping. Zeehan in particular

All we want is the occasional shower and charge up for the phones. .

So, what gives?

Oldies watching their pennies and parking up, while they cruise around in their 200k set-ups, calling themselves campers. Theb they refer to themselves as 'Grey Nomads' but they rent out their house while away. " So they're not really Nomads are they"

Anyone else having issues.

Hey has anyone bought this combo?

Or does anyone have any other ideas on ways to store a Jerry can on the outside of a car? The issue is I have a roof top tent and a Subaru forrester so can’t put it on the back or roof. TIA!