Summer is here and that means two things. One, the weather is now at its absolute best for you to head out and explore the outdoors and secondly, it’s the season of camping festivals. We’ve road tested and put together a list of the best OZtrail products out there that will have you camping, glamping and sleeping under the stars in comfort. Whatever your comfort threshold is, head on out and explore Australia’s bouquet of untouched and roaming National parks and beaches.
The most important factor of any camping trip is how you’re going to be sleeping. The Fast Frame Cruiser 420 Cabin Tent ($579.95AUD) will undoubtedly be the hero of your site.
Don’t fear the lengthy, strenuous set up time that haunts your memories of camping from when you were a kid because the Cruiser 420 has a permanently attached frame even when it’s folded up in its case for quick erection.
Anyone who has been camping knows that tents act as ovens pretty quickly when in the sun. The 420 Cabin has large windows on every wall that can be opened to your desired amount to allow airflow as well as a large awning to keep you out of the sun.
With years of camping expeditions and road trips to music festivals I can easily say this is one of the coolest products I’ve come across. Our initial setup took us 15 minutes as we learned how the arms maneuvered and locked in. Our next time will easily be reduced to 5 minutes now that we’ve had experience with it.
The tent is two large rooms separated by a polyester wall that can be zipped up or removed to create one large open space. It’s big enough to sleep 4 comfortably with room to sleep 6 to 8 if you’re fine being cramped.
When packed up, the tent is rather heavy so despite having a shoulder strap don’t expect to be walking super-long distances with it.
If compact is more of your style for your next trip then we recommend the Biker Expedition Single Swag ($279.95). It rolls up into a manageable bundle and can be put up in 5 minutes.
The swag is definitely a camp-anywhere option. With an inner foam mattress we were still sleeping comfortably on gravelly surfaces.
If comfort is key for you to slug it out in a tent, the Leisure Mat Self Inflating Range will be a necessity for you.
The King Single ($169.95AUD) has a high flow two-way valve that reduces inflation time and makes rolling it up super easy. The mattress self inflated in 30 minutes for us. A few extra mouth breaths were need to get it super firm.
The mattress is made of high density open cell foam with boxed side walls for extra stability and comfort. This design meant it did not feel empty like other air mattresses and a nights sleep felt just like a mattress at home.
You can style and glamp like we did with the Seljak Snygg wool blanket, or you can rely on another camping essential – the sleeping bag.
The Lawson Hooded – 5C Sleeping Bag ($89.95AUD) feels like it shouldn’t be that affordable. It’s pillow and soft thanks to its non-allergenic hollow fibre ExoTherm XR fill.
The Lawson is made with 210T Ripstop outer fabric and incorporates an Eziguide zip system to stop the fabric from getting caught when opening and closing. A chest collar and velcro closure at the top prevents loss of air and keeps you warmer.
In need of a surface to put your speaker on or play a few rounds of drinking games? The Easy Table 4 ($149.95AUD) is a compact table comprised of an easy-clean anodised slat table top.
It was impressive to see the 110x70cm table take form out of such a small bag. The square aluminium cross leg frame ensures complete stability.
When night comes around you’ll need the perfect source of light. The 1000L Rechargeable Lumoslantern ($149.95) emits 700 lumens of brightness thanks to a central columns made of a series of CREE LED bulbs. There are three brightness settings – low (11 lumens), medium (129 lumens) and high (700) which spreads light up to 17 metres in a 360 degree radius.
On low, it has a runtime of up to 275 hours.
For information on the entire OZtrail range you can head HERE.
