The Ultimate Aussie Camping Checklist

Boasting everything from stunning mountain landscapes and sweeping valleys to lush rainforests and golden beaches, Australia’s great outdoors is as diverse as it is beautiful. With so much to see and do, it’s easy to understand how this sunburnt country has become a top destination for avid campers across the globe.

Whether you’re planning a camping adventure to the beach or bush, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got everything you need before you set off on your trip. After all, it’s a beautiful country, but it’s a big one, too. If you notice you’ve forgotten something after you’ve arrived at your destination, chances are you won’t be able to just “nip back home” to go and retrieve it!

At Custom Offroad, we’ve been on countless camping trips all across the country, so we know exactly what to bring for a safe and comfortable adventure. That’s why we decided to create the ultimate Aussie camping checklist to help you pack for your trip so you can enjoy your time away to the fullest.

Check out our complete camping packing list below and start planning your next outdoor adventure with Custom Offroad today!

The Basic Camping Essentials

The first things we’d recommend ticking off your list are the bare necessities required for any camp, regardless of whether you’re after a super simple setup or an elaborate glamping experience. Basically, we’re talking about all the items that are absolutely essential for you to sleep comfortably, stay hydrated, and contact the outside world whenever necessary.

As long as you’ve packed all the camping essentials on the list below, you can relax knowing your most important gear has been taken care of:

Ground tent, rooftop tent, or swag
Waterproof tarp
Sleeping bag, pillow, and bed sheets
Camp bed or air mattress and air pump
Flashlight and/or headlamp
Spare batteries
Phone and portable charger
Watch or battery-powered alarm clock
Enough bottled drinking water to last the trip

Comfy Campsite Must-Haves

The next items on our Aussie camping list are all the things you’ll need to make the great outdoors feel a little more like home. These are the creature comforts we’d suggest putting outside your tent to elevate your campsite and create a much cosier vibe:

Camping lights (outdoor LED strip lights/fairy lights, lanterns, bug lamps, etc.)
Portable hammock
Outdoor rug
Comfy camp chairs and side tables
Warm blankets and outdoor cushions
Mosquito coils/citronella candles to keep bugs away
Dustpan and brush to keep your campsite clean

Camp Kitchen Equipment

It’s funny… You never consider just how many kitchen utensils are required to cook even the most basic meals until you don’t have them on hand. Then, you suddenly find yourself standing over your campfire wondering whether or not a stick would make a good substitute for a spatula (it wouldn’t, by the way…).

If you want to avoid such a sticky situation (pun intended), we’d recommend adding the following kitchen and dining essentials to your camping checklist:

Plenty of treated water for cooking and washing up with
Esky, ice blocks, and stubbie coolers
Camping stove and/or grill
Pots and pans
Camp kettle and/or coffee pot
Fire starters for campfire cooking
Lighter and/or matches
Thermos and reusable water bottle
Camping mugs, cups, plates, bowls, and cutlery
Oven mitts/pot holders
Cooking utensils (spatula, wooden spoon, fish slice, tongs, carving fork, etc.)
Secure food storage boxes to deter wildlife
Rubbish bags
Can opener/bottle opener
Foldable camp table and/or trays
Paper towel rolls and dish towels
Dish soap, sponge, and scrubbing brush
Food prep items (chopping boards, mixing bowl, scissors, peeler, chef knife, etc.)

Camping Food, Drinks, and Condiments

If you’re planning to fill your camping trip with outdoor activities like hiking, bushwalking, boating, and swimming, you’ll need to pack plenty of food to stay energised.

Of course, it’s best to prioritise non-perishables to avoid any of your food spoiling in the Aussie heat. However, that doesn’t mean you have to confine yourself to a diet of canned goods and Two-minute noodles. Used correctly, a good esky can keep things chilled for days, and you can make a surprising number of hearty meals using just a few ingredients from your pantry.

To fuel your appetite and keep your meals tasty and interesting throughout your trip, we’d suggest adding the following foods to your camping essentials list:

Bread
Breakfast oats and cereal
Bacon and eggs
Powdered or long-life milk
Tea, coffee, and/or hot chocolate
On-the-go snacks for day trips (trail mix, protein bars, dried fruit, etc.)
Hard cheeses (can be safely stored at room temperature)
Dried pasta and rice
Crackers and chips
Potatoes
Fresh fruit and veg
Two-minute noodles and packet soups
Sugar and seasonings (salt, spices, etc.)
Spreads (margarine, honey, jam, peanut butter, etc.)
Sauces (tomato, BBQ, HP, mayonnaise, etc.)
Your favourite beer, cider, or wine
Plenty of fireside treats (marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate, popcorn, etc.)

Clothing and Footwear

Australia’s weather can be glorious, but it can also be pretty wild, with extra hot summers, surprisingly cold nights, and heavy rains regularly dominating our weekly forecasts. Such extremes can make your camping trips pretty interesting, to say the least.

However, we believe there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing! With that in mind, we’d recommend grabbing the following items out of your wardrobe when you’re packing up your camping essentials:

Waterproof jacket
Merino socks
Thermal pyjamas (yep… Australia can get pretty cold when the sun goes down!)
Gloves and a beanie for winter camping trips
Waterproof walking shoes/hiking boots
Outdoor slippers/UGGs
Sandals or thongs for trips to the beach and/or shower block
Swimmers and a beach towel
Wide-brimmed hat
Sunglasses
Shorts and t-shirts
Umbrella
Clothing items you can layer according to the weather
Light backpack to carry essentials on day trips

4WD Camping Essentials

Maybe we’re biased, but we don’t think any camping trip is truly complete unless you go there in a 4WD. You’ll find plenty of incredible 4×4 tracks dotted around campsites across the country, offering brand-new ways to see Australia’s breathtaking wilderness and have fun on your adventure.

If you’re planning to beat around the bush in a 4WD on your next camping trip, you’ll need to make sure you’re prepared for the road ahead. Before you set off, we’d recommend ticking the following 4WD essentials off your camping checklist:

Waterproof car awning
Shower awning tent for campsites without on-site facilities
Roof racks and ratchet straps to transport bulky items and/or secure your rooftop tent
4WD recovery gear (Maxtrax recovery tracks, snatch straps, shovel, etc.)
Comms equipment (antenna brackets, UHF radio, etc.)
Underbody protection to keep your 4WD safe on off-road adventures
Maps of nearby 4WD tracks
Spare tyre, tyre-changing tools, and puncture repair kit
Spare fuel in a jerry can
Road flares
Fire extinguisher
LED driving lights
Tyre gauge and air compressor
Jumper cables or fully-charged jump starter

Personal Hygiene Items

Sure, spending time in nature is a great way to clear your mind and cleanse your soul, but all that outdoor adventuring can leave you looking (and smelling) far from refreshed! After all, when you go camping in Australia, its vast and beautiful wilderness is bound to rub off on you in one way or another…

Being able to scrub all the dirt away at the end of each day is the best way to keep yourself feeling revitalised both inside and out. To do that, you’ll want to make sure your camping checklist covers all your toiletries and laundry items, including:

Toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash
Loofah/body scrubber
Soap/body wash, shampoo, and conditioner
Facial cleanser and moisturiser
Deodorant/antiperspirant
Hair comb or brush
Shaving kit and razor
Body towels, face towel, and washcloths
Laundry bag and fabric soap
Laundry wash tub
Large ziploc bags to store dirty clothing items that cannot be washed by hand
Toilet paper
Tissues
Wet wipes
Travel toiletry bag for easy storage and transportation

Handy Tools and Maintenance Items

At Custom Offroad, we believe it’s always better to overprepare for any adventure than it is to find yourself missing the one thing you never thought you’d need. Sure, you might be able to get through your entire trip without requiring any of the tools listed below, but in our opinion, leaving them at home is just tempting fate.

Instead, we’d suggest packing the following handy items so you can spend more time enjoying your trip and less time problem-solving in tricky situations:

High-quality multi-tool
Hiking compass and 4WD GPS
Duct tape/electrical tape, safety pins, and cable ties for quick fixes
Standard sewing kit to easily fix any tears/snags in your clothing
Waterproof fabric glue and fabric patches to repair any rips/holes in your tent or tarp
Basic tool kit with a hammer/mallet to secure your tent pegs in the ground

Health and First-Aid Camping Essentials

No matter what kind of trip you’re going on, it’s always a good idea to bring some first-aid gear with you. However, if you’re planning a trip to Australia’s great outdoors, packing basic health and first-aid gear isn’t just a good idea, it’s an essential part of your camping checklist.

Whether it’s the strong sunlight, spiky plants, or persistent creepy crawlies, we campers always seem to be battling something when we venture into the Aussie wilderness. We’ve never let that stop us from exploring, though!

To ensure you can patch yourself up when nature takes a swing at you, we’d recommend building a care pack designed to treat the minor ailments you’re most likely to face when camping. This care pack should be filled with both personalised and generic medical supplies, including:

Basic first-aid kit
Your regular medications
Antiseptic spray and/or wipes
Compression bandages
Cotton gauze pads
Sunscreen (preferably SPF 50 to protect yourself against the harsh Aussie sun)
A note of your personal information and emergency contact details to keep on you when adventuring
After sun/aloe vera gel
Heat/cool packs
Bites and stings treatment kit
Bug spray
Tick removal tool
Tweezers to remove splinters, plant spikes, etc.
Travel mirror
Electrolyte hydration tablets/powder
Thermal emergency blanket

Recreational Gear and Personal Entertainment

Going camping is a great opportunity to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and spend your time enjoying the many wonders of the natural world instead. That said, you’re still going to want to occupy your mind somehow while you’re off-grid.

Thankfully, whether you’re spending time down by the beach or out in the countryside, there are plenty of daytime activities and relaxing hobbies you can enjoy.

To keep yourself entertained throughout the day, we’d suggest adding the following outdoor gear to your camping checklist:

Kayaks/canoes
Paddleboards, bodyboards, or surfboards
Fishing rods, bait, and tackle
Cricket set
Camera
Bicycles and helmets
Beach ball and/or frisbee
Bucket and spade set for beach camping trips with the family
Binoculars for wildlife watching

Then, after a busy day of exploring and outdoor activities, you can enjoy a relaxing evening around the campfire with any of the items below:

Travel-sized board games or card games
A good book or Kindle
Brain teaser/puzzle books (crosswords, sudoku, etc.)
A notebook, sketchbook, pens, and pencils
A portable speaker/radio

Organise Your Camping Checklist With Custom Offroad!

… And that covers everything you’ll need to achieve the ultimate camping set-up! With that, you should be ready to start planning your next trip into the Australian wilderness.

Want to tick a few things off your camping checklist right now? No problem! Whether you’re looking for reliable camping and driving lights, essential 4WD recovery gear, or stainless steel bash plates that can take on the toughest 4×4 tracks, we’ve got you covered.

Shop online with Custom Offroad today, or check out our blog for even more first-hand camping insights and 4WD tips and allow our team to help you plan the perfect Aussie adventure.