Camping........Gone full circle

A demonstration of incredible indecision.

Next Willem?

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LOL

It's interesting to plot that stuff.

I started out as a kid with my world strapped to my back. Did a bit of camping using a push bike for transport and then graduated to a motor bike before buying a Ford Escort.

I managed to get everything in the car until the kids came along, the tent got bigger and then hooked up a trailer.

I experimented with a roof rack for a while but went to a camper trailer.

Now the kids are not travelling with us we are wondering about the camper.

Couple of weeks ago my bushwalking buddy started talking about a motor bike, got me thinking and then he says we still have to finis that walk we pulled out of years ago.

I think I know where that back pack is. Best go and dust it off.

I don't call it indecision. The fact that our gear has changed over the years is testament to our ability to make decisions and adapt to changing needs. It is more a determination to stay out in the bush, whatever it takes.

Duncs

Gidday Willem

Good to see you back.

Interesting topic, which makes me wonder how much money I’ve spent on camping over the years. Needless to say I’d probably be a rich man today if it never happened.

But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Regards

Kim

Oh dear. Another "look at me post". Apart from drawing attention to yourself, is there a point to your post Willem?

Cruiser.

Hi Willem,
We are funny cattle us people!

Your story is a great example of how needs and approaches to life change.

When we are young money is short so our camping gear reflects our financial scarcity.

As we get a few dollars we buy what we yearned for when we where poor.

And with the wisdom of maturity we realise we where probably on the right track as youngsters.

I'm very pleased to see you back, keep those possum's exercised mate.

Geoff

LOL, Epic fail on both then. Nothing much of value in your post other than to draw attention to yourself. I'll give you a hand to generate something constructive for other forum users though.

So I gether that the trailer is a liability then?

Why no fridge?

How much extra weight do you intend to put in the vehicle?

I reckon you had it right the first time Willem. Should of stuck with what you started using back in the 60s.

All i take bush is, Swag, Mozzie Net, Esky, Ice, Hotplate,Torch, Dunny Roll.

But, its when the missus comes that i gotta try and pack half the house into the car.

I find this post a good reminder to us all, that if its taken Willem this long to sort himself out there aint much hope for the rest of us. LOL

Hi Willem, great to see you back.

Your thread made me think about my 'camping life', mine started as a kid (5yrs old), the Nullabor being the first trip back in 1952, tarpauline on the ground and a blanket on top was the bed for three llittle girls, no fridge just a 'tucker box' and a couple of water bags for family of five, however there were the tanks accross there at the time which back in those days were left alone and not damaged, graffitied yes but always in tack. Many trips backwards and forwards followed as we use to go back to SA to catch up with family on a regular basis always travelling the same way.

When I left home the travelling for me stopped until I met hubby in 1970 and once again we started camping, this time we slept in the car but still had the basics but no real outback camping. When the kids came along in early 70s it was the end of camping but we still had the bug so in 1976 we took the kids on their first holiday trip with a caravan in tow, the bug had bitten hard again so we spent every holiday towing that van all over WA including the then Hamersley Ranges, (weren't the roads out there rough back then).

Now the kids have grown up and we are Darby & Joan plus the dog we have a tent that we do serious camping with, we have a fridge, gas stove, table & chairs and self inflating matresses, and when we are going on the black stuff we take the caravan which has been updated since our first one.

Thanks for the thread Willem, made me sit back and reminisce my past, I lost my Mum a few months ago and remembering those trips accross the Nullabor and the way things were back then has been quite uplifting.

Cheers

Deanna

I love watching people rock into camp and set up their gear ... diff strokes for diff folks. There's so much variety in what you can use and still be comfortable.

I can go 4 days on foot with 16kg, or with the CT and about 1600!

Geez Willem!!, The way your Talking you might even end up driving a Landrover again!.......Hahahahahaha.


Cheers Axle.

Thank you for your post Willem I found it very interesting to see the evolution of different camping and travelling styles you have used over the years. Life would be pretty boring if we did the same thing the same way all the time.

But here is one style you have yet to try:

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You could always put the Nissan in the tri-axle trailer at the rear and go off into the bush as desired ...lol.


Cheers and good fortune in all your future travels. Well done...

Not quite the same journey Willem, but interestingly similar and over the same year span.
Started in 60's with Paddy Pallin souwester tent and main emphaqsis was backpacking and bushwalking. Things then kept being added. The camper trailer arrived in the late 70's along with kids. No coincidence. This then moved to an offroad trailer and 4wd and swags as well.
Kids departed and now likewise we are reverting. Serious stuff is based on 4wd only and swags. A Waeco was quite a recent addition, but that is going to stay.
Just got a much smaller, lighter camping trailer for onroad interstate trips. This is a hard floor model that can be erected/taken down very fast for sleeping while on the road.
So now we have two, simpler setups depending on the trip. Minimalist but rugged stuff for off road adventures and a softer option for interstate, relation visiting runs.

A great time line there Willem.

A friend here in our club once said to me that "your camping set-up is a Work-In-Progress" and I definitely agree with that. And by the looks of your post, i'd say the same is true for you!! LOL....


Cheers

Brian

Willem
I thoroughly enjoyed your post and envied it and why anyone would be negative towards it is hard to understand.

Everyone need to read these types of posts.

As a young person we didnt get a chance to camp much but one thing that sticks solidly in memory was whan my Uncle turned up in his 32 Ford softtop towing a trailer and we all piled in and went to Hawks Nest Beach after WW2 and put up an ex army Birkmyre tent slept on ex army stretchers and used pump up kero lights.

We went prawning in the river with carbide mining lamps and fished for darkies at the timber mill at Winda Whopa.

I dont suppose that was very basic then but to me a long term memorable experience.
Good on you Willem.
Ian

Thanks for the post Willie.....

It got me to thinking too.......

My first attempts at camping involved a nylon tent, sleeping bag and a plastic tarp about 2' wide and 6' long (which I still own to this day). My mode of transport then (ie: mid 70's), was a Kawasaki 900 motorbike and I travelled solo most of the time......I owned that bike for 13 months and did 51,000klm in that time.

Had to upgrade to a bigger tent, extra sleeping bag and inflatable mattresses once I started going camping with the fairer sex. Esky was included too!

Much later (early 90's) I lashed out for a fridge.

1999 saw the purchase of the Ultimate Off Road Camper trailer with more adventurous trips to remote places (but nothing as remote as what you have been doing over the years).

The current set-up has endured for over 10 years now (although there have been a few different tow rigs during that time).

Of course, me being MUCH MUCH MUCH younger than you (and still with 3 kids in tow as well), I haven't yet reached the point where I have started to go "backwards" .....quite the opposite in fact: There always seems to be some other "essential" item that needs to be packed (GROAN!!!!!) whenever we trek off somewhere.

It's all good fun (until something breaks, then the tears flow....hahaha)

Roachie

A good read Willem and Roachie! love what you guys have to say.. I often can learn something from you both!

Funny.... Sometimes we choose to take just the bare essentials camping other times we take some extra for a bit more 'luxury', and then you have others who see you roll in and set up and you can just imagine that they are thinking, 'wow, we are so much better off than them! look at all our camping stuff compared to what they have'.
Sometimes we chose to take the least amount possible and sometimes I chose to use the old vinyl topped, wooden fold out legged square table that is 20 years old over my 'offical looking camp table with food storage underneath'.
Just because someone might be using stuff that doesn't 'look' like it fits in to what 'camping' is suppose to be these days, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are doing it on less of a budget. We all like to have what is new but inside we always look at that stuff and often think, 'really, I don't need that, or that, or that'... Do camping your way without the influence of what the industry tries to tell us of 'you need to have that to be able to camp'.

Camping... you gotta love it!