The Great Unpacking

The car is covered in dust. The legs are stiff. The kids (if you've got 'em) are cranky. After the long drive to the beach or the bush or the mountains or the sea or wherever you go to escape and camp, you've finally arrived.

And so begins the great unpacking.

Just as we all have our own ultra-technical methodology when it comes to packing the gear for a camping trip, we all have our own ideas and idiosyncrasies when it comes to unpacking it and setting it up camp.

Are you a dump it all on the ground and think about it later kind of person? Or do you frantically set up at pace until you're sweating and screaming at everyone else for not doing enough? Do you whack everything up wherever? Or do you assemble things in their pre-planned and perfectly precise place?

We know that none of us are ever going to change. But for what it's worth, we figured we might as well share a bit of wisdom we've gained over the years on how to best set up the essentials.

Speaking of camping mission essentials, here they are, according to Joel Hedges, founder of Feldon Shelter:

Feldon shelter
Something to cook with
Something to keep stuff cool
Surfboard
Swanndri

Seems pretty comprehensive to us.

As for setting it all up, let's start with the Feldon Shelter. Obviously, the actual process of erecting it is so simple it requires no explanation.

But what people often forget is the importance of pre-putting-it-up positioning. I.e. where to park. It's all about angles and evenness. Always park on a level surface - or as close to it as possible. If there's some incline, the most comfortable way is to make sure your head will be pointed uphill when you lie down. If it's going to be windy, park in a way that means the lower sides of the tent will be facing the wind.

All this, of course, needs to be balanced with positioning yourself for the perfect view for when you wake up in the morning and poke your head out of your Feldon Shelter.

Once you're set up, it's always worthwhile leaving a few windows open to let some air through for a bit - particularly if it's been packed away all winter. If your Feldon Shelter has a soft storage cover, we'd also recommend taking the time to roll this up nice and tight so you can still get in and out of your car easily.

Now for cooking stuff - and this is mostly common sense. Always set up your camp cooker out of the wind and away from anything that might catch on fire - loose tent flaps, hanging branches, half-wild children... Same applies if you're lighting a campfire - first check it's OK to light one. Then keep it small, keep it contained, keep an eye on it.

When it comes to your cooling infrastructure - whether you're running a camp fridge or a classic chilly bin, it always pays to keep it somewhere out of the sun and in the shade. The less you open it the longer your ice will last.

Other than the surfboard and the Swanndri, which we reckon you can figure out for yourselves, we reckon that's about it when it comes to the essentials of an epic camping setup.

Just remember the golden rule when it comes to camping: take everything out with you.

Or as Joel put it, "have fun, and leave no trace."