Solo trailhead camping options

[Flipper Hands]

Hi all,
I've been heading out solo on Friday nights, returning Sunday, sometimes Monday, a fair bit over the last few years. When I hit, say, anywhere but Kanangra at 11PM, knackered after a full day of work, and a lengthy drive from Sydney, the last thing I feel like is setting up camp. I also detest camping among yobbo's out for a weekend of pissing up.

I never use the trailhead as a base for day walks, I head out as far away from people as I can.

My car is too small to sleep in (6' 3" here). Bringing a tent is inconvenient, finding a good spot and clearing ground in the dark is no fun, especially in unfamiliar territory. Hammock options can be limited at trailheads as well. Hotel options often mean a lengthy drive to the trailhead. I've never cowboy camped, I'd consider it though..

My top three requirements are;

• Fast to set up and tear down (at trailhead)
• Solid protection from elements (mozzies, rain etc.)
• Sleeping comfort

I'm considering;

• Roof top tent
• Swag
• Dune 4WD Stretcher Tent (https://www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/tents/camping-tents/dune-4wd-stretcher-tent/BP90071979)

I'd love to hear what others do, and what the pro's and con's are. I almost pressed go on a roof top tent from eBay, the primary appeal being the option is the most versatile, and I can do all the camp prep at home (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Rooftop-Roof-Top-Tent-3-1x1-4M-Camper-Trailer-4WD-4X4-Camping-Car-Rack-Annex/222191388772). The "Chippo" tents (Chipping Norton) seem to have a decent rep among the 4WD community.

[ribuck]

Kanangra on a Friday night?

Surely you've slept at Dance Floor Cave, just a couple of hundred metres from the trackhead.

[Flipper Hands]

Yep, sure have, and will do it again I am sure.

So Kanangra is a bad example

[CraigVIC]

I've never used a roof top, but carting my canoe tells me you'll take a noticeable hit on your fuel economy/range. Depending on how tall your car is to begin with you might not be able to get into some underground car parks etc.

I always prefer to leave early sat rather than arrive late friday. Depends on your body clock but I'd rather get up at 4am for a 4hr drive than do it after work. Otherwise, I just sleep in the car seat. A rubbish sleep is a given, but I can catch up the next night.

[wildwanderer]

Realise you said tents are not preferred but you could consider a car camping pop up tent. Will go up in 60 seconds your done.

Be cheaper and quicker setup than a vehicle based solution.

https://www.tentworld.com.au/tents/pop-up-tents/

Disclaimer: I havent used one

EDIT... Ha! I just watched a video of one of these pop up tents.. ahhh yeah.. not sure id recommend them they look fast to setup but a chore to pack down and in wind etc..https://youtu.be/x4pJ9kZmig8?t=225

[Flipper Hands]

I've never used a roof top, but carting my canoe tells me you'll take a noticeable hit on your fuel economy/range. Depending on how tall your car is to begin with you might not be able to get into some underground car parks etc.

I always prefer to leave early sat rather than arrive late friday. Depends on your body clock but I'd rather get up at 4am for a 4hr drive than do it after work. Otherwise, I just sleep in the car seat. A rubbish sleep is a given, but I can catch up the next night.

Yeah, history tells me I sleep through my alarm and end up not going at all LOL. The vehicle is a Forester, I cant imagine height problems. i can live with a hit on 4 cylinder fuel economy.

Oh - and I am too old for sleeping in the car seat, no more of that for me.

[Flipper Hands]

Realise you said tents are not preferred but you could consider a car camping pop up tent. Will go up in 60 seconds your done.

Be cheaper and quicker setup than a vehicle based solution.

https://www.tentworld.com.au/tents/pop-up-tents/

Disclaimer: I havent used one

Eh, I've been through taking tents along, sure some of those tents go up in a couple minutes, in daylight, on a level campsite which has had all the twigs and rocks cleared. And so on.

What I am after is, roll in, set up camp super quick wherever, sleep well. Wake and be ready to hit the trail in 15min. I know this is a "first world problem", but for me it's an annoyance, and if i can remove it for a couple hundred bucks I will.

A tent and cot might do the trick though. Hmmm.

[wildwanderer]

As i said i havent used one, but have a look at the video. They might be terrible but could also work..

Looks like you would still need a few stakes but bricks or a couple of 5kg weight plates would probably work.

https://youtu.be/x4pJ9kZmig8?t=240

[Flipper Hands]

As i said i havent used one, but have a look at the video. They might be terrible but could also work..

Looks like you would still need a few stakes but bricks or a couple of 5kg weight plates would probably work.

https://youtu.be/x4pJ9kZmig8?t=240

Wow, stupid easy to set-up. And they look all right.

I've noticed others on here have a pretty strong positive opinion of the OZ Tent range. See;
https://www.oztent.com.au/Products/tent-range/touring-tents/oztent-rv-1

The set up time for these is ridiculously low, but they are expensive.

I also noticed tonight that Oz Tent just announce this;
RS-1S Stretcher - https://www.oztent.com.au/Products/Bedding/stretchers/rs1s-stretcher-shop
it pairs with
RS-1 Swag - https://www.oztent.com.au/Products/tent-range/swags/rs-1-swag-shop

These 2 together look like the holy grail of comfort and simplicity, but at a serious price. I reckon one of the other stretcher swags they have might be a better option.

[wildwanderer]

yep those oz tents look great. as you said serious $ however they look fairly robust so would last you a while.

[ribuck]

Have you considered removing a seat so that you can build a long-enough sleeping platform in your car? That's quite a common modification within the stealth camping community. You can find lots of examples with a Google search for car camping remove seat

[Neo]

All the Subaru's are slightly different. I once removed the back seat for a friend and fitted a simple timber frame and half sheet of plywood for under $50, but she was under 6".

One option may be to sleep with the back door up and clip on some mozzie net?

I have a Malamoo 3p pop up tent but it folds to a 1m disc. There is a simple trick to folding them. The smaller varieties may be too short for you unless you fit diagonally. They are super quick and easy so at around $100 wouldn't have to be too fussy about clearing a spot or even pegging it down for a short sleep.

I'm going with a tarp and basic stretcher combo this year for car camping, still using my TT Protrail just for out on the bushwalk unless the critters are bad at the car spot.

[Flipper Hands]

Have you considered removing a seat so that you can build a long-enough sleeping platform in your car? That's quite a common modification within the stealth camping community. You can find lots of examples with a Google search for car camping remove seat

Well I learned something today, stealth camping! Sounds a lot like vagrancy

I definitely don't want the hassle of regular seat removal.

A sleeping platform though... That might work.

[Moondog55]

I carry one of the old Army cots plus a US surplus Goretex bivvy bag and cheap sleeping bag plus an old cotton sheet tie dyed in a random camouflage and waterproofed with diluted silicon. I find if I carry this set-up about 10 to 20 metres from the car I become almost invisible because most people simply don't look. I too stealth camp but when I have set-up the cot alongside the car at roadside stops I feel quite safe so long as I have the car between me and the road. I had a mate who traveled around in a VW Beetle, he removed the front passenger seat and had a cot there, but he was shorter than average by a few inches

[Flipper Hands]

All the Subaru's are slightly different. I once removed the back seat for a friend and fitted a simple timber frame and half sheet of plywood for under $50, but she was under 6".

I'm going to look into this a bit more, with the passenger seat all the way forward, and a raised platform this might work.

I have a Malamoo 3p pop up tent but it folds to a 1m disc. There is a simple trick to folding them. The smaller varieties may be too short for you unless you fit diagonally. They are super quick and easy so at around $100 wouldn't have to be too fussy about clearing a spot or even pegging it down for a short sleep.

These do look appealing. Chucking a heavy tarp down first even takes care of the site prep, still, that's pretty close to what I do now, minus a ground sheet/tarp. My MSR doesn't take that long to set up/tear down.

I'm going with a tarp and basic stretcher combo this year for car camping, still using my TT Protrail just for out on the bushwalk unless the critters are bad at the car spot.

I'm thinking this may be where I land as well.

[Neo]

I went with the Kathmandu stretcher because I fancied the green colour and had a gift voucher. $100 or $60 for members. Pretty sure it is exactly the same as the $40-50 Spinifex and Dune branded ones at BCF and Anaconda!

My heels are off the end and the sides close in a bit under my weight but it is actually comfortable. There is a general photo in the no particular topic thread. Boot space is at a premium (intentionally) so chose that stretcher as it packs flat.

[potato]

I have a Malamoo 3p pop up tent but it folds to a 1m disc. There is a simple trick to folding them. The smaller varieties may be too short for you unless you fit diagonally. They are super quick and easy so at around $100 wouldn't have to be too fussy about clearing a spot or even pegging it down for a short sleep.

I have a Malamoo 3p as well. It goes everywhere with us for car based camping and was even our main tent when we drove the Canning Stock Route last year. We generally travel light when working in the field or doing car based camping. The Malamoo has been perfect being light relatively cheap. It's rather sturdy as well, having survived some good storms across the country including the Pilbara and Tasmania.

I tried sleeping in the car when we had a Forester. It was difficult to manage airflow, bugs and rain. Fly nets can be setup but I've never found it to be as good as a tent.

[Flipper Hands]

I have a Malamoo 3p as well. It goes everywhere with us for car based camping and was even our main tent when we drove the Canning Stock Route last year. We generally travel light when working in the field or doing car based camping. The Malamoo has been perfect being light relatively cheap. It's rather sturdy as well, having survived some good storms across the country including the Pilbara and Tasmania.

Good feedback, thanks.

I tried sleeping in the car when we had a Forester. It was difficult to manage airflow, bugs and rain. Fly nets can be setup but I've never found it to be as good as a tent.

Yeah, airflow in Australia is a problem. It would be espescialy uncomfortable during summer. I had a test measure of the back of my Forester, platform or no, its going to be awkward.

All this is leading me back to the roof top tent. Especially since you can leave sleeping materials in the tent while folded.

[CraigVIC]

The roof top tents have never been so popular, there must be something to it. Some days it seems like every second tradie's got one on their ute.

The bedding thing seems like a huge advantage although a swag would give you the same result in that sense.

[potato]

Yes, I'm currently looking at the RTT option as well. Looking on gumtree at the moment as I don't think they are worth the retail prices.

The bedding is a clear advantage but they are heavy and being effectively big bricks on you roof, cost a bit in fuel.

[drakkar]

Certified bogan here so can be semi useful for once.

Swag - big and heavy but quick and stupidly tough. Can abuse them badly, and they come back for more.
3second pop up tent. (My usual choice) easy, quick. Hold your tongue right and easy to pack up. Semi-disposable depending on your ethics.
Roof top tent - will add litres per hundred to your fuel economy, easy and convenient and now with cheap disposable options (kings/4wd supercentre)

My current preference is an awning to my roof rack, all of 1 minute to set up, and great for a sun shelter too. With a stargazer 'tent' from terra rosa strung from my mirror to one corner for bug protection and use hiking mat/bag to sleep in.

[Neo]

Like the awning fixed to the vehicle drakkar! If one parks to suit the weather it could also be pitched at a low slope. There are some pop up bug tent only options too.

Speaking of disposable, spotted a $39 2p pop up in Big W today. Also an email from Snowys had the Speedy 2p on sale for $79!

[drakkar]

They aren't great in strong winds.

But for an easy, portable quick shelter. They are amazing. I got a cheapie thinking it was a fad, however when touring flinders ranges by 4x4, the sun shade with kids was price less. When it dies I'll be buying a high end one. Have spent many a night under it since with it pitched low and on nothing more than a ground sheet.

The current bogan trend is to put the swag under the awning. Double shelter!

[Neo]

Yeah one of those 180+° foxwings, maybe a side curtain or two.
Won't work on a little MX5, but pretty sure I could cart a canoe!

[Flipper Hands]

Update:
I pressed the button on a cheap rooftop option. My logic being I could spend cash messing around on options that still didn't give me what i wanted.

Ill post an initial review once it arrives, and do some careful analysis on impact to fuel after the first decent trip.If I go from 8l to 10l per highway 100km, that's not the end of the world.