Three non-negotiables to help you break camp in no time.

Time is the most important factor when it comes to making the most of the touring experience. Who’s ever got enough of it?

A couple more days, even a few more hours often seems like it would make all the difference when it comes to wringing the most out of a quick getaway.

A lot of focus is heaped upon touring gear that allows us to set up camp in record time.

Quick set-up awnings and gazebos are staples of just about everyone’s offroad camping arsenal.

Touring tents, swags and rooftoppers must be able to be erected in tens of seconds to meet today’s standards.

The art of setting up a quick and comfy campsite is a necessary skill.

However, the ability to break camp like a pro and make the most of your final hours out bush before heading home and facing up to reality shouldn’t be ignored.

Learn to snap into action and do away with those of hours of dawdling around camp, half-heartedly rolling up swags and sleeping bags, and you might find that you’ve got the time to drive that extra track or explore that remote stretch of beach that you’d never get to experience otherwise.

TRASH TALK

There’s nothing worse than turning up to a campsite that’s been trashed by a group of grubs who’ve left their rubbish all over the place for others to deal with.

That’s how great campsites get shut down, as authorities get sick of having to deal with a garbage problem, and instead everyone ends up locked out.

A lot of National Parks campgrounds are not equipped with bins due to the fact that food waste and native campground locals like goannas and dingos are not a good mix.

Setting up a rubbish bag when you first arrive helps keep your camp clean and tidy, and saves time when you’re trying to pack up and make tracks.

If you’re don’t like travelling with a load of smelly rubbish inside your vehicle, the heavy duty gear bags that can be fitted over the rear spare wheel of your 4WD are a great option for transporting bags of food waste and empty cans from around your campfire to the nearest bins and/ or recycling drop off.

They’re also perfect for storing dirty recovery gear while you’re out on the tracks and saving your rig’s interior.

Check out the NUTS Rear Wheel Bag

DOUSE YOUR FIRE

Leaving the remains of last night’s campfire smouldering away after breaking camp is terrible campground etiquette.

With the worst bushfire season in living memory still fresh in everyone’s memory banks, it’s integral that we all do our bit as responsible campers and ensure that campfires are thoroughly extinguished when it’s time to break camp.

Use leftover water from your 4WD or camper trailer’s water tank or a nearby water source to douse the remains of your fire. Then make doubly sure to suffocate any stubborn embers by shoveling dirt thoroughly over the ashes.

Make sure not to leave glass or other rubbish in your fire pit and clean up any dangerous debris before departing.

CLEAN UP AT CAMP

By the time the final morning of your camping trip rolls around, it can be tempting to throw everything in the back of the fourby and hit the road as quickly as possible in order to make good time on the trip home.

It’s worth taking the extra few minutes here and there to wash and dry your cooking gear, shake the dirt out of swags, tents and sleeping bags and roll them up properly.

Not only will looking after your gear ensure that it’s in perfect condition for your next trip, in reality you’re saving time by getting these odd jobs done and dusted, rather than leaving a mountain of cleaning and re-packing to be done in the driveway once you do make it home.

Taking the time to deal with campground rubbish and campfire remains responsibly before cleaning and packing down your camping gear on site will have you well on your way to breaking camp like a pro and making the most of the final hours of your trip.