Pulling into a bush campsite or a caravan park bay is only half the job. What separates a comfortable stay from a frustrating one is the outdoor setup: the gear that turns a patch of dirt into a living space you actually want to spend time in. Get it right and you’ve got shade, a place to cook, somewhere to sit, and clean feet inside the van. Get it wrong and you’re eating dinner off your lap while the wind flogs your awning.
Here’s the outdoor kit that earns its place on a Big Lap, why each item matters, and what to look for when you buy.
1. Shade And An Awning
Shade is the single most important part of your outdoor setup. The Australian sun is relentless, and without cover you simply won’t sit outside during the middle of the day. Most vans come with a roll-out awning fitted to the side, and that’s your starting point.
The roll-out awning gives you instant cover in under a minute, but on its own it’s exposed. Add awning walls (draft skirts and privacy screens) to block low sun, wind, and prying eyes in a busy park. For longer stays, an awning tent or annexe turns the space into a fully enclosed room, handy for keeping kids’ gear, the dog, or muddy boots contained.
Never leave a roll-out awning up unattended, even for a quick trip to the amenities. A sudden gust can rip it clean off the van and cause thousands in damage. Roll it in if the wind picks up or you’re leaving camp.
If you free camp a lot without powered awnings, a separate gazebo (the 3m x 3m pop-up type) is worth carrying. It gives you shade away from the van, over the camp kitchen or a fire pit, and can be moved to chase or dodge the sun.
Peg your awning down with proper awning pegs and guy ropes even on a still day. Weather changes fast, and a pegged awning survives gusts that would tear an unpegged one apart.
2. An Outdoor Mat
An outdoor mat is one of those items you don’t think you need until you have one. It sits under your awning and stops dirt, sand, and mud from being tracked into the van. It also gives you a clean, comfortable surface to stand on instead of dust or gravel.
The best mats for Big Lapping are the woven polypropylene type, often sold as “annexe matting” or under brand names like Coast or Kakadu. They’re breathable, so they won’t kill the grass underneath (many caravan parks insist on breathable mats for exactly this reason), and they shake out and dry quickly.
Buy a mat that matches your awning length. A 2.5m x 3m mat suits most single-axle vans, while a larger van benefits from a 3m x 5m. Get the pegs and mat clips too, or the whole thing lifts in the first breeze.
3. Chairs And A Table
You’ll spend more time in your camp chair than almost any other piece of gear, so don’t buy the cheapest option at the servo. A good chair with proper lumbar support and a solid frame makes evenings around camp genuinely enjoyable. Look for a rated weight capacity above your actual weight, armrests, and a cup holder if that matters to you.
For a table, a folding roll-top aluminium table is hard to beat. It sets up in seconds, wipes clean, and stores flat down the side of the van or under a bed. Height-adjustable legs help on uneven ground. If you’re a couple who eat outside every night, one large table beats two small ones.
Store your chairs in fitted bags and keep them somewhere easy to reach, like a rear boot or an external hatch. If setting up chairs is a hassle, you’ll leave them packed and miss out on the best part of camp life.
4. Outdoor Cooking Setup
Cooking outside keeps heat, smells, and mess out of the van, which matters when you’re living in a small space for months. Most Big Lappers run some combination of a portable gas stove, a barbecue plate, and a slide-out kitchen if the van has one.
A two-burner portable gas cooker handles most jobs and runs off a standard 9kg bottle or smaller cylinders. Add a flat plate or a Weber Baby Q style barbecue for grilling, and you’ve got a proper outdoor kitchen. Many travellers swear by a dedicated camp oven or a portable pizza oven for variety after months on the road.
Never run a gas cooker inside the van or a closed annexe. Carbon monoxide is odourless and deadly. Always cook in open air with ventilation, and check gas fittings for leaks with soapy water before every trip.
Don’t forget the support gear: a folding kitchen bench or table for prep, a tub or collapsible sink for washing up (essential when free camping without a tap), and a windbreak to keep your flame steady. A good set of tongs, a decent knife, and a cast iron pan will outlast anything flimsy.
5. Camp Lighting
Once the sun drops you’ll want light, and the van’s interior lights don’t reach outside. A few options cover every situation:
- LED strip or rope lights: Clip along the awning rail for ambient light across the whole outdoor area. Many run off 12V and draw very little power.
- Rechargeable lantern: A portable lantern for the table, or to carry to the amenities block. USB rechargeable models save you buying batteries.
- Head torch: Non-negotiable. Hands-free light for hitching, cooking, or a midnight trip outside. Carry one per person.
Choose warm white LED lights over cool white for camp. Warm light attracts fewer insects and is far easier on the eyes at night.
6. Levelling And Chocks
A level van isn’t strictly outdoor “camp” gear, but it’s the first thing you set up when you arrive, and everything else depends on it. A van that’s off-level makes the fridge work harder, doors swing shut on their own, and sleeping uncomfortable.
You’ll need levelling ramps (drive-on blocks or the graduated “Andersen”-style levellers) to raise one side, plus wheel chocks to stop the van rolling once you unhitch. A small bubble level stuck to the A-frame and one inside tells you when you’re set.
7. The Small Extras That Make A Difference
These items don’t get much attention but they turn up on every experienced traveller’s checklist:
- A doormat: A small coir or rubber mat at the van door catches the dirt your outdoor mat missed.
- Pegs and a mallet: A rubber mallet drives awning and mat pegs into hard ground without wrecking them. Carry spare pegs.
- A clothes line: A retractable line strung under the awning or a folding airer keeps washing off the ground.
- A boot tray: Keeps muddy shoes and thongs outside the van and off the floor.
- Fly nets and a fan: In the north and centre, flies and heat are constant. A clip-on 12V fan and head nets are worth their weight.
- A dustpan and small broom: For sweeping out the mat and keeping sand out of the van.
- Shade: Awning pegged and guyed, plus walls or a gazebo for longer stays.
- Ground cover: Breathable mat, clipped and pegged, with a doormat at the door.
- Seating: One good chair per person and a folding table.
- Cooking: Gas cooker, barbecue, wash-up tub, windbreak.
- Lighting: Awning strip light, lantern, and a head torch each.
- Setup: Levelling ramps, chocks, mallet, spare pegs.
- Shade comes first: a pegged awning, walls, or a gazebo makes the outdoor space usable in the heat.
- A breathable outdoor mat keeps dirt out of the van and is required at many caravan parks.
- Spend money on a comfortable chair and a solid table; you’ll use them daily.
- Cook outside with proper ventilation, and never leave a gas cooker or awning unattended.
- Warm-white lighting, a head torch each, and small extras like a doormat and mallet finish the setup.
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