Before You Spring Back Into Camping: Your 5-Point Gear Check

The mornings are lighter. The afternoons are longer. And somewhere in your garage, shed or the back corner of the spare room, there's a tent that hasn't seen daylight since that last trip way back in Autumn... or was it Summer?

We think Spring is the best camping season in Australia. Warm days, cool nights, fewer crowds and nature coming alive all around us, with incredible scents and sounds.

But before you grab your gear, throw it into your vehicle and hit the road, here’s our quick checklist to ensure your gear is good to go and your first trip back is a success!

1. Get It Out and Air It Out

Do this first, because everything else depends on what you find. Set up your tent or swag and leave it open for a few hours.

What you're looking for:

Moisture and mould. Canvas that went away even slightly damp will let you know now. Maybe it’s a musty smell or dark speckling along seams or folds. Catch it early and follow these steps:

• Clean it over with a soft brush
• Kill any mould spores with a diluted white vinegar spray
• Clean the fabric using mild soapy water
• Allow it to dry thoroughly

We recommend wearing a mask and gloves whilst doing this to avoid inhaling any spores.

Next up, check the walls, floor, roof and windows for any holes or other damage.

While it's up, also sweep out the floor, shake out or vacuum any debris that might have been packed up with the tent, and check for anything that's moved in over winter. Mice and spiders are big fans of stored, folded canvas.

2. Frame, Zips, Poles and Pegs

Give the frame a once-over, and check guy ropes for fraying and that every tensioner is still attached.

Run every zip end to end. If one is sticking, clean the teeth with an old toothbrush and dry-lubricate it. A candle stub or beeswax works, as does a silicone spray.

Count your pegs. Then count them again against what the tent actually needs. It’s easy to lose pegs, especially if you’ve packed down in a hurry. Replace any lost or bent ones now.

Similarly, check you have all your poles and that none are bent or broken.

3. Sort Out Your Sleep System

Cold spring nights ruin more trips than rain does. Warm days make it easy to forget the evening temperature drop.

Air out sleeping bags. If they've been compressed in a stuff sack all winter, they may not insulate as well until the filling has had time to regain its loft. Give them a good shakeout and store them loose before your trip.

Inflate mattresses and leave them overnight to check for potential slow leaks. Wipe down stretcher frames and check the fabric for tears at any stress points.

If you're a swag camper, this is also when you check the mattress hasn't taken on moisture from underneath.

4. Check the Camp Kitchen and Living Space

The unglamorous one, and one many people skip.

Refill gas bottles. Test-run the cooker. Check use-by dates on the pantry box, chuck the sad tea bags, and restock your first aid kit and insect repellent.

Open and close each camp chair and table, checking hinges and locking mechanisms for rust or grit. Charge lanterns, head torches and power banks. Test anything that requires a battery. They are likely to have gone flat whilst packed away all winter.

5. Book Your First Trip – Get Out There and Discover!

This is the checkpoint that matters most, because gear that's ready and a weekend that's never booked is still a tent in the garage.

Don't wait for the perfect free week. Pick a weekend in the next month and lock in a site.

If you're not sure where to start, Hipcamp can head you in the right direction for a great site. It lists thousands of camping spots on private land across Australia, from working farms and vineyards to riverfront paddocks and clifftop blocks, plenty of them within a couple of hours of the capital cities.

You can filter by drive time, pet-friendliness, whether you want a toilet or genuinely nothing at all, and book on the spot.

Once you kickstart your season, you’re set.

Enjoy Discovering More this Spring!