RV FEATURE
If you could only take five objects caravanning
or camping, what would they be? Excluding
the essentials – food, water, cutlery, etc. –
what would you pack if space was so tight, or
payload capacity so limited, that you could
only pack a small handful of items?
I asked myself this as a thought experiment
when packing for a recent overnight trip as
part of a caravan test. For a host of reasons,
reducing payload in any caravan/tow vehicle
combination is a good idea.
And so, after considerable pondering, I
decided that these were the five items that
would make the cut…
0 1
AXE OR TOMAHAWK
A strong timber handle with a lump of solid
steel on the end, one edge nicely sharpened,
has plenty of uses, from chopping firewood
and clearing tracks of low-hanging overhead
branches that would scratch the van, to
awkwardly hammering in pegs or digging a
small hole, and even stoking the coals of a
campfire.
It is not exactly a multi-purpose tool but for
jobs that require brute force, it’s hard to beat
an axe or, if space is a bit tight, a tomahawk.
0 2
ROPE
When in the bush, you’ll never know when some
extra rope will come in handy. Whether it’s for
tying down luggage, improvising some guylines
or making some running repairs, it’s essential to
pack some good lengths of the stuff.
I like non-hollow braided rope. It offers
abrasion resistance, it’s durable and can
withstand plenty of weight and tension.
Paracord is also useful. It is immensely strong
and very light, ideal for rigging up shelters,
such as a tarp for extra shelter.
0 3
GARBAGE BAGS
The key to a healthy, happy campsite is good
hygiene. This means doing your ‘business’,
when public facilities or your own onboard
bathroom are unavailable, well away from
camp, and bagging up all rubbish.
Let’s face it: only pigs leave a campsite worse
than they found it.
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