Showcase-Sunday: Camping like a boss

I feel completely comfortable away from other people and don't generally require a lot of external input to feel like I'm having a good time. Sometimes a book and a cup of coffee is all I need and I can often be found sitting somewhere engrossed in a book and completely ignoring the rest of the world - The people in it at least. I'm fortunate that my wife feels the same way so much of our spare time is spent doing just that - Ignoring the rest of the world. We do it well too!

I love the outdoors, remote areas and the countryside and go camping, hiking, kayaking, off-roading and hunting and shooting as often as possible. I'm fortunate that Faith also loves it. (Not the hunting part, she hates that) but will come shooting with me if I'm not shooting animals. We go camping together about four or five times a year, typically for periods of between five to ten days at a time, and have a pretty decent setup; It's very comfortable. On the occasions I go hunting, or for a shorter trip with a couple of mates, comfort takes a back seat to ease of set up and minimal gear gear though. Things get quite basic on those trips however when Faith and I go we have the room to live a little better than a simple swag on the ground.

Sitting around the campfire is one of life's simple pleasures. Until you have done it, in an amazing location under a billion stars, then you won't know.

This fire is one of my better efforts although it was so hot we couldn't get too close. Those chunks of wood are railway sleepers, those things tat hold the tracks together and they burn hot! It was a particularly cold night on the occasion of this fire and so I'd thrown a few extra logs on to keep us toasty.

I know that many people have never been camping. Some could think of nothing worse than going camping preferring a hotel, and others simply because they don't know how, or don't have the opportunity. I get it. But then again, camping doesn't need to be elaborate...It's core-purpose is simply to get away from the everyday grind and take a breath, hopefully in a picturesque or relaxing area.

I thought I'd share some tips here but firstly here's a couple of benefits to a minimalistic camp set up.

• Firstly it removes some of the distance between us and the environment by focussing on being in it rather than imposing on it.
• It provides a nice counter-balance to our fast lifestyle where everything is at our fingertips 24/7.
• It allows us to slow down and be more human, focused on ourselves and the world we live in rather than the materialistic things we surround ourselves with.
• Minimalistic camping is also easier to set up and pack-down and requires less room in the vehicle, back pack or on the campsite itself.

I have purposely not made this post about my off-road camper trailer set up as, whilst it's easy to do, I wanted to make this post about how simple it is to camp out without expensive or elaborate set-ups. So, here we go...A few tips to get you started. These techniques and ideas are not strictly mine, many campers around the world do these things, and other things besides, in the pursuit of a minimalistic camp. These are just a few little hints to get you under way and out camping [hopefully].

Organise meals around a handful of basic foods

• Choose foods that travel and keep well to simplify preparation and storage requirements. Also select foods that go well together rather than planning each specific meal differently. A few well-chosen items can be made into appetising meals with the addition of a few spices. Don't make it too bland though, you'll hate that.
• Limit perishable items which need refrigeration. (I take a fridge when I go, a purpose built one that lives in the back of my truck but it's only 60L in size and space is of the essence.) If you don't have that luxury you will need to plan meals around non-perishable food.
• Calculate water requirements according to the number of people, conditions and distance from water sources. (No need to take 100kg of water if there's a tap, river or creek nearby. Just take a foldable bucket and collect your own. (Remember to purify water you collect though, tablets and boiling.)
• Portion food for each person per day where possible. Over-calculating food is one of the biggest wastes of space and food. Have some extras also, trail-mix is a good filler and you could consider dehydrated meals also - Light and nutritious. I always take MRE's with me as emergency food. (MRE: Meal Ready to Eat is a military product designed to sustain life - They are not pleasant, but are edible.]

Keeping things simple means you can travel in a more light-weight manner. This means those with vehicles that cannot carry large loads can still get out and about.

I did some motorbike camping a few times which is challenging. Getting the stuff you need on board can seem impossible but once one starts to think about the necessities over the luxuries it gets easier. For me it's about living differently and so I don't feel the need to bring everything from home...Just what's required. Bringing the kitchen sink may make it easier to wash up but it might be more prudent to determine if you really need it.

Simplify your "kitchen" and utensils

• My kitchen (on a minimalistic camp-out) is the campfire and a grill-top or my Jetboil . I have the saucepan and frypan for it and it's all I need to boil water, make or heat stews and cook bacon and eggs, steaks or a koala if I catch one. (Not really)
• My utensils include small metal tongs (hate plastic ones), a large stirring spoon, 1 knife, fork, eating spoon and a cup. I also take a paint scraper, which I have sharpened, to flip eggs, bacon, sausages and cut meat when required. (My hunting knife doubles as a sharp knife when needed.)
• I include a billy (to boil water) and a cast iron camp oven for stews or damper (bread) and I have cooked pizzas in there too! This is trip-specific though as it takes up room.
• A small chopping board (one of those very thin ones that rolls up.
• I use the tailgate of my truck as a preparation table.

Bellow you can see my billy and grill-top (Cooking some chorizo sausage there I believe). The grill-top folds down into a canvas bag so doesn't take up much room. I use the billy for boiling water not for food. That way coffee tastes like coffee...A trap for young players.

Here's my cast iron camp stove on the coals making a damper (bread) - Flour, milk water, salt, yeast, dried fruit, spices, cheese, chocolate drops...One can make it with anything. Mine is always a simple dough of flour, water, yeast and salt so I can eat it as savoury with a stew or butter and Vegemite or sweet with honey, jam, stewed apples and custard or whatever.

Here's the damper ready for cooking after being left to rise.

And the finished product. Too many coals on the top of the camp oven is why the very top is a little burned but it's all good. Slather on some butter and jam or honey and it's the best thing ever.

Limit your need for power

• Use solar-power where possible for lighting and don't overdo it. At night there's these things called stars and they look amazing when not in the city. Check it out by turning the lights off! Just saying...Don't want you to miss out on the awesomeness the galaxy has to offer.
• Leave laptops, phones, ipad, and pretty much all electronic devices home. If you cannot, then invest in a small, and suitable solar charger to recharge rather than taking loads of batteries. I use a lot of Goal Zero products.
• Invest in a headlamp for night time. They are cheap, cast a lot of light and are easily turned on and off. They are portable as well so your light goes where you go and you'll have your hands free to do other things. I use LED Lenser for all my lighting needs.

The remote Flinders Ranges in South Australia. This my back yard and somewhere I've done a lot of camping, both in a minimal format and with my camper trailer.

Use dual or multi-purpose equipment

• Doing more with less is the focus when minimalistic camping. Find items that have multiple uses and you can take less gear, it's that simple.
• I have an entrenching tool (shovel) that can be long or short handled, turns into a rake (to rake firebreaks for instance) and includes a hammer. Rope, tarpaulins and cable-ties can be put to so many uses at a campsite and who can forget the good old multi-tool. I use the Leatherman EOD but there are cheaper versions that do similar things. I always buy quality though as getting stuck in the outback with equipment that fails is not fun.
• Use collapsible buckets which pack small and have so many uses like water collection and when collecting sticks and twigs for kindling to start fires. There are all sorts of collapsible stuff these days and Sea to Summit is a good place to start.

Here's my girl taking a hike. She wouldn't turn around for the photo. Exploring around the area we're camping in is always on the to-do-list. I also practice my skills when I'm out there, map-reading and navigation, fire-starting, tracking and stalking...Keeps me sharp, and is fun too.

Ok, so there you have just a few hints on how to make minimalistic camping work. I'd suggest, for a new camper, that a designated camping spot is the best place to start. Getting out into a remote area may not go well the first time.

Camping doesn't have to be difficult or complicated and it certainly doesn't have to be minimalistic all the time but taking less provides an easier set up and less to get in the way between you and nature. If you have been camping for a long time like me you may see it as a challenge to take less and less; I do that for sure. But one bit of advice...Don't make your first few camping experiences too minimalistic. Camping is supposed to be fun and enjoyable and if your first few trips are not then you may be turned off from one of life's great pleasures.

Oh, another bit of advice...reading this post won't make you an expert. I have been camping for 30 years and have built knowledge along the way by trial and error. Don't head off into the outback without a lot of planning and the right equipment. You might die.

---

Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default

Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺

The original 1105-word post was written and posted by me on September 2017. This post comprises 1924 words and has been reworked and reposted for the @nonameslefttouse #showcase-sunday concept. See the intro post here. I suggest you read it as he set some guidelines and a simple copy-paste of an old post is probably not legit.