The best camping gadgets to keep you warm in the wild

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Gone are the days when a trip camping (or glamping) is considered roughing it. Particularly when you have some of these high-tech camping gadgets.

Quentin Long shared his favourite camping gadgets to keep you warm in the wild on a Today Show segment recently. Here, find a rundown on each of the products featured for you to invest in before you hit the road.

 

If you’re in need of some location inspiration, click here for the the best campsites to visit during winter.

Kookabox

Necessity forces creativity; new flavours come together simply because they are all you packed. The Kookabox is as close to a kitchen as you can get while camping, made of aircraft-grade aluminium for an ultra-lightweight and extreme durable experience. However, for transportation, campers use tandem trailers for extra space and safety for your family and your belongings.

 

This world-first product comes complete with all the bells and whistles of home. Fully functioning, the kit includes a saucepan, frying pan, four stainless steel plates and desert bowls, four insulated stainless steel mugs which can be used for hot or cold drinks, four drinking cups, BBQ implements including tongs, spatula, salad spoons, vegetable peeler and scissors, stainless steel cutlery for four, four stainless steel spice/condiment containers, five litre water tank with electric pump, LED lighting and a chiller/cooler box. Plus, a separate drawer to hold your oils and sauce bottles. You’ll never go without again.

 

Get it from: Kookabox

The Kookabox
The Kookabox is as close to a kitchen as you can get while camping

Fireside pop-up fire pit

This crafty invention is the first truly portable fire pit. It packs up smaller than a camp chair and weighs pretty much the same, but opens up to a 60x60cm gadget that is large enough to keep the whole party warm.

 

Lots of camping accessories these days come with more contraptions than a James Bond car. The Pop-Up Pit however sets up in just under 60 seconds, sans the use of any tools. It folds away in 90 seconds – once your fire is extinguished of course.

 

Get it from: BCF

Warm up your campsite

ALL4Adventure Swivel grill 

Camping doesn’t have to be synonymous with bad food. The Campfire Cooking Grill helps to make light work of good meals in the great outdoors. It’s constructed with sturdy steel and coated with high-temperature resistant paint for good looks and durability.

 

The four independent swivel arms hold two cooking grills and two hanging hooks, giving you plenty of room to cook up a feast for the whole campsite. No one will eat trail mix for dinner on your watch.

 

Get it from: BCF 

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Wanderer Hot Water System 

The thing we miss most when camping? Hot showers. This baby from Wanderer Hot Water goes from zero to hot in less than five seconds, is fully portable, provides three litres of hot water per minute, and has a rechargeable battery. The unit can be mounted vertically or attached to the optional shower stand (sold separately) and includes an easy to read LCD. Includes water heater, shower head, water hoses, filter and pump, power lead, gas hose and regulator that easily hooks up to your LPG gas tank for instant hot water. Hot stuff.

 

Get it from: BCF 

Oztent heated sleeping bag

The first of its kind in the world, stay warm in the wild with the Oztent non-electric heat adjustable sleeping bag.

 

We needn’t explain the benefits of a sleeping bag that heats itself. Anyone who has been camping in a colder month will recognise that braving the elements is much easier with some attention paid to detail.

 

The Oztent Redgum HotSpot Sleeping Bag is inspired by aerospace-grade sleep research to maximise your outdoor sleep comfort. Padding is specifically designed to support core muscle sections, and change temperature depending on your preferred conditions. There are five points of active heating that can be adjusted, as well as a soft and comfortable flannelette inner lining fabric.

 

Get it from: BCF 

Selk’Bag

Speaking of unique sleeping bags, have you cottoned on to the Selk’Bag trend yet?

 

In essence, it’s an insulated suit. Hard-core outdoorsy people have been wearing similar looking contraptions for years in sub-zero temperatures; the difference with the Selk’Bag being that they are designed without the inconvenient technical specs.

 

These wearable sleeping bags provide mobility, comfort and warmth for all the outdoor chaos that could be thrown at you. There’s a two-way zipper that grants easy access to pants pockets, and elastic hand enclosures which transition to gloves in a flash.

 

Get it from: Gear supply 

Selk’Bag
Have you cottoned on to the Selk’Bag trend yet?

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Primus Letch Coffee and Tea Kettle

It might not churn out your half-almond milk, half-unicorn tears, single-origin ristretto, but the LiTech Coffee & Tea Kettle does produce a decent cup of rocket fuel.

 

Made from anodised aluminium, it’s lightweight, durable and ideal for outdoor use.

 

Get it from: Primus

LiTech Coffee & Tea Kettle
LiTech Coffee & Tea Kettle produces a decent cup of rocket fuel

Anaconda Solar Mat

For the ultimate solar performance, give the KT Solar 120W Portable Folding Solar Mat a go. There’s nothing much to report about a product like this, particularly because it does exactly what it says it’s going to do.

 

With its unique and compact size, the portable mat can either lay flat or hang via corner eyelets for maximum solar positioning. Featuring six powerful monocrystalline cells in a 20W configuration, it’s the sustainable way to generate and retain energy at the campsite.

 

Get it from: Anaconda

KT Solar 120W Portable Folding Solar Mat
Give the KT Solar 120W Portable Folding Solar Mat a go
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The Gold Rush town that’s become Victoria’s best country escape for foodies

    Jocelyn Pride Jocelyn Pride
    The well-preserved Gold Rush town where an idyllic country vibe meets the best of city living.

    Cafe culture

    ‘Slow down’ is the mantra of Tortoise Espresso, and it’s apt for anyone visiting town. This local coffee hangout was the brainchild of Lloyd Meadows, who at 16 started it as a hole in the wall of an old pub. Five years on, it graces a fine shopfront with a menu of around 60 different coffees. Other one-off centrally located daytime cafes, such as Saffs, Togs, Saint Florian and Lazy Bones, are tucked into historic buildings and serve creative menus featuring local produce. A personal favourite is Origini, where chef Luca Sartori brings a taste of northern Italy to his rustic restaurant. For the best banh mi outside Vietnam head to Super Hero, and the pastries at Johnny Baker are legendary.

    the Saint Florian Cafe, Castlemaine
    Saint Florian is one of many businesses tucked away in a historic building. (Image: Griffin Simm)

    On the town’s fringe you’ll find some treasured cafes: Blackbird. Grist, Doveton Corner Store, and the cosy Aitken’s Corner. The Mill precinct also brings another dimension to Castlemaine. Located directly opposite the beautiful Botanical Gardens, this once-derelict woollen mill is a hive of creativity and collaboration. Retaining an industrial feel, it is home to a myriad of 44 unique businesses, galleries and studios that stretch over the three-hectare site.

    Brilliant brews, bars and food

    diners at The Mill, Castlemaine
    The Mill is home to many local businesses. (Image: Visit Victoria/Michelle Jarni)

    The Mill is also home to one of Castlemaine’s bespoke breweries, Shedshaker Brewing Company and Taproom. Within the sensitively restored walls of the oldest part of the building (circa 1875), small-batch, handcrafted beer features alongside fine wholesome food and live music.

    A more recent newcomer to the brewing scene is Love Shack. Starting small as a laneway pop-up in 2021, visionaries Conna Mallett and Harry Cox were armed with a Melbourne beer culture pedigree, which helped them create a great new ‘pub’ that feels as though it’s been there since the 1850s. Other atmospheric bars and restaurants are dotted around town – Grafting Cellars for local wines by the pour; buzzy Mostyn Street Cellars; Table Records plays vinyl on weekends; and the quirky Maurocco bar is not to be missed.

    food and drinks at Love Shack Public Bar & Bistro, Castlemaine
    The nostalgic Love Shack Public Bar & Bistro serves comfort food. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    For food you’ll write home about, the hatted Bar Midland serves exquisite dishes from Victorian-only produce. The freshly renovated Wild is located in the original firestation, Voor Ouker specialises in Indonesian/Dutch fusion, and the Railway Hotel oozes English pub charm.

    the Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
    Theatre Royal is the longest continually operating theatre on the mainland. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    Much-loved Teatro Regio, found in the magnificent Theatre Royal, is the go-to for pizzas with a twist. As mainland Australia’s longest continually running theatre, this grand dame is also one of more than a dozen performance spaces that add to a rich and diverse entertainment and festival scene.

    pizza at Theatre Royal
    Dine before a show at Theatre Royal. (Image: Tourism Australia/Visit Victoria)

    Quirky country stays

    Quirky, authentic and perfectly located, the Midland Hotel is a private hotel that dates back to 1879. Each of the nine rooms at the Northern Arts Hotel is different and named in honour of an Australian artist. Castlemaine Boutique Accommodation also has a range of properties to suit all types of travellers.