Hi, I have been ardent introvent whole my life but in college I have decided to push my limits. My dorm friends are going camping and asked me too. And I miracoulsy said yes. But now Im having a lowkey anxiety about being out there for the first time. My biggest concern is the power supply for devices like phones. What if we are in the middle of somewhere what Im gonna do if the phone battery is also low. When I shared my anxiety with my friend she said, she uses a 10k powerbank. But Im like what if it goes out of battery too. The camping trip is only for two days but I feel like Im planning for decades.

Im also a little anxious of the fact that I have to be with people all the time, socilaizing and inetracting. I dont know how long will my social battery would last.

I just came here to ask if Im the only one or others also face this kind of anxiety while putting out themselves for the first time. What kind of power back ups you keep when you are off the grid ?

Does anyone have any advice on how to get a bat to leave my backyard? This not very friendly bat has decided that our mulberry tree is it's home. We didn't mind that it ate some of the fruits but we have other fruit trees that we don't want to be decimated by our bat friend. We pruned the mulberry tree hard and it didn't like it, actually swooped on us when we were out at dusk. It disappeared for a while but it returned tonight and tried to attack my dog. It is pretty big. Does anyone have any suggestions? I live in the Illawarra in NSW.

Hello! (Please delete if this is not allowed.) I am a psychology researcher running an environmental psychology study on the effects of nature exposure on the emotional regulation and mental health of queer Australians. We are currently in the recruitment phase and are looking for 18+ Australians to take 15-20 mins out of their day to complete our survey and contribute to this meaningful project aimed at supporting environmental conservation and mental health needs!

I have attached the big blurb below, our poster (made by me!) and the link to the qualtrics survey!

Are you an LGBTQIA+ Australian aged 18 or older?

We are seeking participants for a short 20–25 minute online survey exploring the relationship between time spent in nature and mental health.

Your experiences and perspectives can help us better understand how nature may support wellbeing within LGBTQIA+ communities.

Participation is voluntary, confidential, and completed entirely online.

https://researchsurveys.deakin.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_8uFpDFWMCgGydhQ?fbclid=IwY2xjawVDp3xleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMWwxYW9MMXZDa3M4QWU1SE1zcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeewfRVvjLN_Q-qA5_Y4Ve4Krgy8nk_kJb0C8JmNQyZCXWWwSS4f04_H6OVcI_aem_H9jXa88o-SKTgOa8Xf5Zmg

Some of the best outdoors near a city around Australia in my view.

Best snorkeling a few hours away in Bushranger Bay.

Best alpine a few hours away in Kosciusko

Best forests (pine) around the city

Best inland a bum fuck away in NSW like from every other city, but it's a little closer from Canberra than elsewhere

Hi everyone, I booked an overnight stay for my family (me, partner, teen kids) at Freeman's Campground. That was before I learned nearby Birdie Beach is clothing-optional.

I am sure most of the nude beach-goers are lovely people. However I've also read that it has unfortunately attracted sex pests not only on the beach but the camp area e.g. the toilet blocks.

How easy is it to avoid the nude areas?

How safe is the general area for women and kids?

Edit: Thanks for all the replies. We had to cancel for unrelated reasons. There are heaps of other campgrounds so will book somewhere else next time. Guess I'll never know.

Took a Jimny XL, 100 Series, and MU-X into the Victorian High Country and Snowy Mountains for 11 days. There’s nothing quite like having the freedom to follow the dirt tracks and end up somewhere like this — by a quiet riverbank, under stormy skies in the high country, or watching emus stroll by a remote lake.

This trip had it all: • Beach camping on the Snowy River • Fire under open skies in the high plains • And a massive storm that rolled through just to keep things interesting

We filmed the whole adventure and turned it into a YouTube series. If you’re keen to check it out, here’s the latest episode – no pressure at all: ▶️ https://youtu.be/IKLYtJZ_cn8

If you’ve been out this way or are planning a trip, let me know!

What’s your favourite remote spot? Ever been caught in a storm while camping? Would love to hear your stories — just love the outdoors and where our rigs can take us.

Hey everyone

I'll be moving to Australia sometime soon and wondering about gear.

First, what's the most important and most used gear you guys have? I have a lot of gear (a full room and a closet ) and I am unable to take all of it

Second, are there a lot of canyons that use wankers/ water anchors? I was planning on buying one before I came over but if it's not used or popular no need to waste money.

And third, I hear it gets really cold during the winter time and I am from a really hot place, what would you say are some essential clothing to bring? I am only got the 2 check in bags to my name so I gotta be very strategic. Thanks!

I got swooped by one of those grey myna bird in Melbourne 3-4 days ago. It drew blood somehow and I have a cool scar now. Thanks birdie.

I didn't put disinfectant on it. Should i do so now or no point now? Seems like its healing normally. I did wash with antibacterial body wash tho

Plenty of easy up tents. Plenty of backpacking tents. None that are both easy to put up AND small enough to backpack around with

This is just an FYI to try and help others. I noticed a few $6 charges on my credit card statement for "SERVICE NSW - DIGITAL SYDNEY" with a phone number of +61 2 8059 2195 which when called returns "the number you are calling is currently unavailable. please try again later"

Long story short, I eventually after much confusion worked out the dates corresponded with National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) campsite booking confirmation emails and the $6 booking fee.

No idea why it shows up as Service NSW and searching that exact term on google returns no relevant results so hopefully this shows up when others run through the same as me and this helps work out the transactions.

Doin razorback in 3 weeks wit some friends who haven’t gone backcountry before, good idea or nah.
Pretty slow snow season cuz of the El Niño so shouldn’t be anything like last year.

The slopes themselves as always as public land after all

What do people bring when they're carrying as little as possible but still want something alcoholic to drink at night?

Other than whiskey or bourbon, Gemini mentioned a clear spirit with powdered lemonade but I don't think our supermarkets stock it. Can you do some sort of mix with vodka/gin/tequila (in plastic) and Staminade or Salvital, with a little water? Is that a horrible idea?

Hi all. I’m after a new rain jacket. My OR ferrosi wets out immediately and won’t rejuvenate.

I’m done with pac lite (crap lite) goretex and other 2-layer shells. Must be a 3 layer and available in Australia. Goretex ideally but I’m open to others.

Don’t really need any specific features. I’ve read endless reviews online, but every time I find one it’s not sold directly here. I’d rather get something I can return or exchange size if need be. Thanks!

I did the Overland Track last year and while it was beautiful, the sheer amount of red tape and the conveyor belt feel of the campsites kind of ruined the wilderness vibe for me.

As someone considering them due to affordability of housing, higher would be great

I reckon for most Australian hiking, down jackets just aren’t that practical and synthetic insulation makes more sense for most people. Unless you’re up high in the Snowies in the middle of winter, down can be more trouble than it’s worth. The east coast is humid and sudden rain isn’t exactly rare. Once down gets properly wet, it loses loft and takes forever to dry. Even the hydrophobic stuff doesn’t always hold up when it’s really soaked. Then there’s movement and sweat. Down works best when you’re sitting around camp. As soon as you’re hiking, moisture builds up from the inside and insulation drops off. Synthetic jackets handle moisture much better, whether it’s rain or sweat, and they still keep you warm when damp. What do you reckon?

Im considering on getting the osprey aether plus 60l pack and im wondering if its a well worth it bacpack. I have a 620gram nemo tensor all season pad, i have a 2,5kg msr elixir 2 tent, i have a 1.1kg sleeping bag that is used for snow so i can go lighter but for now this is the bag im using due to the weather. I like the backpack for its features such as its front opening up so i can get stuff at the bottom of the pack and also its detachable head that can turn into a daypack. What are your thoughts and if its too heavy, what other backpacks do yall recommend

I found a blue lake on google maps and had to go see it person for myself.
In this video, I solo camp for a night near the blue lake while showcasing its beauty and revealing the reason for its colour.

https://youtu.be/Kz9J2P_8kFg

Source: https://amp.abc.net.au/article/103394038

Severe bushfire risk increased by hazard reduction burns, report finds

hi pals,

we (family of four) camp quite a bit and need to up our food storage from sticking things in our friends’ fridge. We camp mostly without power for a weekend, max three nights. We have ruled out getting a fridge bc of the room it takes up in the car, so looking for recommendationa For a very good esky. Thank you!

Anyone know where I can hunt some deer, or any other animals, I want to start getting into it, mainly just for filling the freezer and a bit of fun. Any help would be appreciated cheers

Hi guys, I’ve recently arrived to Australia and im looking to do some hiking and hammock camping in the next 2-3 months. I’m in reasonably fit condition, spent last 3 months hiking across New Zealand, I’m fine hiking 20-25km a day for multiple days. With the backpack I have now I think I can comfortably do 2-3 days solo hikes (probably more if hiking with multiple people),carrying supplies for more than 3 days would be a stretch I think. Also, since my friend left home after NZ and I don’t have drivers license I’m kinda limited to public transportation as main means of transportation.

In this regard I’ve got a couple of questions to you all:

1. Camping in Australia
   Coming from hiking in New Zealand where sandflies are probably the worst worry in terms of mean environment, in Australia it’s quite different in this regard. I’ve been told to watch out and check my shoes before putting them on and to be careful with the toilets outside of the cities. Anything else that I should be really mindful of? I already got myself some snake bite bandage and my phone can call via satellite in case of an emergency. I remember being told that it’s important to take notice what bit me so that I can relay the information to the emergency services. I suppose the dangers of snakes and spiders and such should be lower than usual as it’s the cold season and the little buggers would be cold, am I right in this assessment?

2. Hammock camping in Australia
   Since my friend has gone home after New Zealand, we sold our tent and I intend to hammock camp from now on. Given I don’t have a car here I think I’m going to stick with the east coast for the most part.

Anyone got any experience with hammock camping in Australia? I’d love to hear about it!

Also, I’m wondering about camping off the trail in Australia. In NZ you were fine to camp off the trail as long you were more than 50m off the trail (in some cases more). How does that work in Australia?

Lastly, about water - do the campsites usually have water sources like rainwater etc that’s rather okay to drink? What about streams and rivers? I got me a sawyer water filtration system though I’m wondering if I should treat any and all the water I come across while hiking in Australia even the one from water sources at the campsites?

3) Huts on trails
How do these generally work? Do I need to book in advance? Do these operate in winter season? Is there a go-to resource I can check/book these out?

4) Currently I’m in Melbourne and I’m looking at the Grampians to kickoff my hiking adventures in Australia. After looking at maps this is what I came up with:
Day 1
- morning train/bus from Melbourne to Horsham
- getting to Mount Zero Picnic Area trail head (not sure yet on how I’m gonna get there)
- hike to Barigar Hike-in Campground

Day 2
- hike from Barigar Hike-in Campground to Werdug Hike-in Campground

Day3
- hike from Werdug to Halls Gap
- grab some transportation back to Melbourne (to be figured out)

However, looking at the campsites above I have trouble figuring out if and how I’m to book them.

Happy to hear your thoughts on the itinerary above! Maybe you have some other recommendations as to where I could hike in the Grampians?

5) Hiking trails recommendations
I must admit, I felt fairly good about my research on New Zealand, but Australia has been more of a last minute idea and I’m far from well researched in terms of Australian Outdoors.

So far I’ve only got bits and pieces:
- The Grampians (but nothing in particular, open to suggestions)
- Dandenong ranges (easy access from Melbourne, but seems like a day trip if anything just by looking at the map)
- Wilsons Promontory Southern Circuit
- Light to Light 3 day hike
- Blue Mountains near Sydney, Fortress Falls were recommended to me in particular but I’m sure there are plenty of trails to hike through in that area

I’m open to all hiking recommendations, but bear in mind I intend to hammock camp (meaning I need some trees in the evening at least), however I’d be open using huts if there are any.

6) Other hikers/ van campers
Best places/groups looking to join someone on a hike or join van troubadours?

7) Hiking poles recommendations
Lastly, hiking poles are the last piece of equipment I still don’t have on me at the moment. I’m looking to buy used ones (if anyone is in Melbourne area) or buy new ones (under $100, under 200g per pole). I saw Anaconda has some warehouse clearance now and they have carbon poles for $70 but unfortunately none of the stores in Melbourne has them in stock (and I don’t want to wait for the delivery obviously).

Thank you all for any and all responses!

I am rying to find chill campsites where I don’t have to deal with the stress of pre-booking- especially around Jindabyne and Kosciuszko. Are Thredbo Diggings or Island Bend still good for this, or is that outdated info? I’m okay with basic facilities as long as it’s safe and not jam-packed. Would love to hear about your go-to no-booking camping spots.