Set yourself up a bush welding kit using the list below, and you’ll never have to buy a beer again once your mates need some trackside repairs. Set of heavy duty jumper leads with sturdy …
Safety Series – Redarc Gauge System
There is a little secret that I haven’t really let many people in on. It’s funny how a car guy’s brain works – they never want to publicise any type of vehicular failure for fear …
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST VEHICLE FOR TOWING A CARAVAN
Are you in the process of buying a new caravan, or have maybe even bitten the bullet and upgraded to something a bit bigger and more luxurious? With every upgrade or new purchase comes the …
BACK TO BASICS
Clutch! Such an innocuous looking word, but when it’s used by a frowning mechanic it becomes a beast to fear. Unsealed 4X4 recently swung by its local Blue Mountains mechanic, Active Automotives, to understand why …
UNBEATABLE RIGS: A PHOTOJOURNALISTS DREAM
When capturing that perfect picture, it’s not just the camera equipment you need to worry about but also the vehicle in tow. Hugh Brown is a documentary photographer based in Australia. he writes: “I have made …
From the Vaults: How to winch your camper trailer
A handy trick from Pat, for getting out of trouble with a trailer. Of course, your other option in this scenario is carry a beefy jockey wheel that can stand up to the rigours of …
THE FIRST 5 PRODUCTS YOU SHOULD BUY FOR YOUR NEW 4X4
Whenever you buy a new 4×4 there is surely a large list of future modifications and improvements you are looking to make. Often these improvements will be based off you immediate needs and funds. But …
Safety Series – Tips for Safe Water Collection in the Bush
I’m sure it will come as no surprise that we believe long weekends are best spent out in the bush, and I can confirm that this weekend was no different, except for the fact that …
TIPS FOR NAVIGATING YOUR WAY IN THE CURRENT INSURANCE MARKET
Over the last 6 months I have had many of my family, friends and colleagues question me on what’s going on in the insurance world. Angry and even more suggestive of the stature of insurers …
PAT’S FIVE TIPS FOR MAINTAINING AND SERVICING YOUR GENERATOR
Generators are one of those things that often lead a pretty tough life: operating for hours on end, bouncing around the tough tracks in your 4X4 or camper, and sucking in all kinds of dust …
FAMILY VACATION TIPS TO KEEP THE WHOLE FAMILY HAPPY
They say that it’s not always about the destination, but often the journey itself and this can be especially true during family holidays. We can all remember complaining about having to share confined spaces with …
GETTING THE RIGHT SHOT – VEHICLE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
Taking a quality photograph of a vehicle is a simple process made more effective following these few basic steps. From an iPhone to a top of the line DSLR, irrespective of what camera you have, …
Clarifications and Tips on Avoiding Closed Tracks
Dear readers. It was brought to our attention that an article we shared in last week’s edition of The Campfire was quite old and included incorrect information around driving on certain tracks in the Shire …
THREE MUST DO TYRE TIPS AND CHECKS THAT MAY WELL SAVE YOUR LIFE.
With the road toll already mounting for 2017/18 summer school holidays, doing a quick tyre check may just save you and your family’s life. Pat and Toyo Tires have teamed up to bring you these ‘ Three …
Motorbiking Outback
When Gary told me he wanted to buy a Harley Davidson, I was skeptical. Apart from teasing him about having a mid-life crisis, I wasn’t a fan of motorbikes. To me, Harleys were loud and …
Fire Safety With Kids
Be comfortable with a fire. A campfire is one of the gems of camping. Fire is a valuable resource but it can also be a deadly one. Here is what we do to create fire …
Isuzu I-Venture Club on Fraser Island
Sometimes in this caper as a 4×4 journo, opportunities arise that make my mates jealous – “So you’re getting paid to do what?” is how the conversation tends to go. Such an interaction happened recently …
How We Used Solar Power To Stay Off The Grid For Six Months
Dean and Shay are The Gathering Folk, a young family who are on a journey around Australia to discover ways to live a sustainable, community-focused life with an emphasis on learning and having fun. After …
Travelling With Kids In The Summer
Six Top Tips For Keeping Little Minds Growing And Happy Our adventure around Australia leaped into action with an offer of an eight month contract for Brett. With this offer we negotiated and turned the …
5 Top Off-Road Towing Tips
Tips for successfully navigating roads less travelled with a van or trailer in tow. Exploring nature’s playground sometimes requires a little extra effort. Like taking a dirt road and venturing on less travelled routes. Usually …
Solar Shower Bags; Do They Actually Work?
Having a shower when you are camping takes comfort to a totally new level. I’ll never forget the first time we boiled a big pot of water over the fire and used a cheap 12V …
Recipe: Beer Breath Chicken
Who would have thought that a can of ale could enhance Australia’s favourite bird? Drunken chicken indeed. INGREDIENTS 1-1.4kg chicken 1 can of beer 1 tablespoon each of chicken stock powder, dried mixed herbs, garlic …
5 Outback Travel Mistakes To Avoid
Hardly a week goes by without us getting emails from travellers saying something like this: We’re flying in to Alice Springs on the 9th and then out on the 12th. We want to hire a 4WD drive …
Secrets Of The Gascoyne
A place full of mystery from an ancient past… Ningaloo Homestead Travelling the North West Coastal Highway, on a tour through the Gascoyne and midway along the endless stretch of the Western Australian coastline, is …
What’s The Standard Tyre Size On Your 4WD?
Changing tyre sizes on 4WD’s is relatively common practice, but there’s a few things you want to consider before doing it. Knowing what the standard tyre size is for your 4WD is imperative when making …