15 Best Gadgets for your big lap of Australia
If you’re looking for a guide to the best gadgets for your big lap of Australia in a caravan, you’re in the right place! We’ve spent the last year in our caravan, and here are our top 15 items that will definitely be coming with us again! Some are fancy, some are so obvious they are often overlooked… but all essential in our eyes.
Whether you’re into full remote or if you go from caravan park to caravan park, you’ll find all the best gadgets for your big lap. (Or a weekend away!)
In no particular order, here is what we would never leave home without:
Yes, I know you’ll be towing a caravan with a fridge…. but, this is one of the best hacks we’ve found! Have a small car fridge in the back of your car for those day trips. Not only does it save money as you’ll have lunch ready, doing wonders for your budget, but it also helps to keep the food cold if you’ve done a shop in the next town from your caravan.
PS I also leave my fridge in the car when I’m home – being able to pull over for a cool drink on a hot day while in town is something else!
This is the best guide to finding free or cheap amazing campsites. Even better, get yourself the paper version because I can guarantee you won’t have phone reception everywhere.
I don’t know how many times we used our solar blanket. Too many to count! Think of your solar blanket as an extra piece of mind. Yes, we have a heap of solar panels on the roof, but on a slightly cloudy day, you’ll need to pull every drop of sunshine out of the sky to power your gadgets!
The bonus is, if you park up for a few days, plug your solar blanket onto your car. This will keep the battery topped up and your car fridge running (see above!)
A UHF in your car is invaluable, especially when traveling on the busier routes that are shared by B-doubles and bigger. Contacting the drivers for a safe pass is simple safety. However, have you considered a handheld UHF?
These aren’t just for kids running around the caravan park, these are actual marriage savers! Don’t yell at your partner as they back the car and caravan into the best spot, use a handheld UHF!
I also take one if I’m hiking alone, Tim has either the other UHF or turns the more powerful UHF on in the car.
5. Roof racks
You may not think you need roof racks, until you run out of storage! Well, have you thought about taking a shovel with you to help with anything from stoking a campfire, to digging out of soft sand? It’s easy to get to your shovel when it’s clipped to the roof racks. Likewise with your recovery tracks.
And the most important we’ve found is your awning, cue number 6!
How good is a drive on beach? or perhaps the best camp spot, but you need a little shade. awnings from your car are so handy! When we’re back home, I use ours every time I take the kids to the beach. Beats putting up an umbrella that flies away!
Lights are just a necessary piece of camping equipment. Have you considered fairy string lights for inside the caravan? We’ve found fairy lights to be the perfect way to light up inside at night time without waking the kids. It has a nice soft glow.
Who doesn’t like a good campfire? However, many places you go to ask for a ‘contained’ campfire, sometimes off the ground. These foldable fire pits store easily, make great campfires, and keep everything safe. Well, as safe as can be with a fire!
The bonus is, I’m not sure if it’s just us, but the next day the kids always want to play frisbee right where the campfire is. With a portable firepit, you can pick it up and let it cool down somewhere else. Problem solved. No sad kids!!
Space is always at a premium in a caravan. Even any additional weight, all ads up. We always try to find lightweight, collapsable saucepans and frypans. Or at least frypans that you can take the handle off for storage.
We also have a small butane burner and a collection of small pots and pans in the car, so again, on a day trip – cook up your lunch or just boil a pot of tea.
The Sea to Summit range is a brand we always tend to lean towards, some of our pans have been in our collection for years and still going strong. They might not be the cheapest, but they’re worth it.
Our tip: Go for the hiking range over the ‘4wd’ range. They tend to be lightweight and sturdy and pack down well.
Plastic cups. Not exactly high tech gadgetry, but they just never fail. Our set of plastic cups has been everywhere. Literally! You could go the fancy camping wine glasses, but even the plastic ones end up scratched and I’ve never had luck keeping them in one piece.
Plastic cups seem so obvious, yet we’ve left them behind before! If you want to increase the fanciness, see if you can grab an insulated cooler. That way your beverages stay cool for longer.
Hydration packs? Does this meet the gadgets needed for your big lap? Well in our case, yes! Part of exploring Australia is walking and hiking locations that you just can’t miss. Whether it’s a short walk or a whole day event, hydration packs are really handy.
They allow you to carry multiple litres of water comfortably, and keep your hands free. If you haven’t travelled to outback locations that get stifling hot, you may not be aware of all the signs in place that state carry multiple litres of water on certain hikes.
It gets hot. Hydration packs are simple. Even the kids don’t mind carrying their own!
Our Tip: If you don’t have a long bottlebrush, get yourself one. It makes cleaning the bladder inside the hydration pack so much easier. And never put anything apart from water in the bag. Trust me. You can never get the taste out!
Similar to the awning on the car, but this time it’s a gazebo. The biggest difference is the setup. You set up your gazebo and don’t need to take it down if you’re exploring for the day.
We highly recommend getting the inner mosquito inner screen. If you already have a gazebo, the inner screen clips onto most standard size gazebos. These are excellent when the flies get bad.
In many parts of Australia, the flies get really, really bad! Put up this gazebo, then you have a nice ‘outdoor’ area that is fly free. Put your table and chairs and eat your food in peace.
Or, like us, it keeps the kids and toys contained. If you have kids, also grab a pack of those lightweight plastic balls from Kmart. Put your kids and the balls inside the tent. Entertainment for hours!
Some would argue if a hammock is necessary. I would think it is! There is always time to put up a hammock in the nearby trees. Or get creative – between your bull bar and A frame of your van?
Remember when you’re travelling in a caravan around Australia, one of the essential gadgets that we really miss is the lounge chair at home. A hammock kind-of replaces this. It is also a nice retreat when the caravan gets too crowded.
This might not be the most exciting gadget, but when the wind picks up, you’ll be glad you have some good quality straps with you. Tie down the awnings, strap down your gazebo. Even lengthen your hammock ropes if needed.
Our Tip: Even if the wind isn’t blowing when you arrive at camp, always tie down your awnings with good quality straps. Don’t forget to secure them into the ground properly also.
A good strap is no good if the peg comes flying out of the ground! There is a peg for all different surfaces. The wide plastic pegs are made for sand and soft dirt, while the pegs that resemble long bolts are made for hard packed soil.
Hex pegs are well known around the caravan industry for the strength and ability to get into hard ground, but don’t forget to put in a battery powered drill or use your manual stay winder.
And if you don’t feel like going with the crowd, there are plenty of other quality peg brands on the market. Just look for strength so you don’t end up bending them on your first trip.
Best gadgets for your big lap around Australia
While these gadgets will make your big lap around Australia much more comfortable, there are many more items that are necessary for a comfortable and safe journey.
This is a selection of items that we used almost every day.
If you’re wondering where to start to plan your journey, then get a copy of the ultimate caravan adventure guide for your big lap here by joining our community of adventurers:
and if you’re up to budgeting and more nitty-gritty planning, check out the budget spreadsheet designed specifically for planning your big lap of Australia.
Click here for more information
PS. Don’t forget to share with those who might want to know what’s on your Christmas list! 🙂
