Camping newbies: pack your ute with these 7 essentials

Utes are one of the best vehicles to take camping, as they hold a lot of tray space and handle country roads well. Their versatility makes them perfect for taking on weekends away, with plenty of storage space to take some of the gear you might’ve otherwise left behind.

So, what camping essentials should you take once you’ve organised your cheap ute hire on the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney or beyond?

Let’s take a look below...

1. Tray Tent

Tray tents are one of the best ways to camp with a ute, as they provide an awesome place to sleep without having to set up a separate tent. There are many different tray tent options available, from the basic, frame-supported version to full rooftop canopies. Either way, they are an awesome appendage to have if you want to keep your camping comfortable and compact.

2. Sleeping bags

Because you can never be rugged up enough when camping. Sure, you may have a mattress set up with your tray tent and a couple of doonas, but if you don’t have that extra cocoon-like warmth that a proper sleeping bag offers, you might wake up with a bit of a chill - a real nuisance when you’re trying to enjoy a peaceful weekend away!

3. Camping chairs

Nobody likes a chair thief when camping. Unfortunately, people often think they don’t need to take their own and happily mooch off other people’s camping chairs! Don’t be that person - be sure to pack your ute with a couple of sturdy camping chairs and be ready to fend others away from them after you’ve gotten up for a cold one.

4. Camping table

One of the great joys of camping when the weather is fine is sitting around the table with your mates, enjoying good food, cold drinks and the best company. There are plenty of good quality options available for camping tables, and they come in a range of sizes and configurations. Just make sure you get the right table for the amount of people you plan to go regularly camping with - there’s no need to over do it!

5. Sporting goods

It doesn’t matter if you’re camping at the beach or in the country - there’s nothing better than getting out the cricket equipment and having a game on your weekend camping getaway. Of course, it doesn’t have to be cricket gear - even just taking the footy or a soccer ball to kick around is a good way to add to the weekend’s fun.

6. Eating essentials

You need all the proper cooking and eating essentials when camping - especially if you want to cook up a delicious feast for you and your friends. Furthermore, you might be camping where BBQs are in short (or no) supply, and you want to be able to cook and eat without it being a messy, unpleasant hassle. So, why not pick up a good quality portable hotplate, as well as all the essential plates, cutlery, cups and more of the things you need to enjoy an awesome feed at your campsite?

7. Tarp

This is truly essential for campers taking out their utes. Why? Because if you’re packing your ute with the other above-mentioned essentials, you might have to keep some of them out overnight in order to get a comfortable night’s sleep! For example, you probably won’t want to sleep next to your camping table and chairs, so it’s a good idea to keep them next to your ute and under the protective cover of a good quality tarp! Trust us - you will be glad you picked one up before you went away.