Essential Camping Gear For The Solo Adventurer

Deciding to venture out into the great outdoors? Depending on where your next outdoor adventure takes you, planning is such an important step for going it solo, and the last thing you want is to end up overpacking and hauling around heavy gear or setting out underprepared. From shelter and food to footwear, lighting, communication and more, we've listed out our top picks of essential camping gear for the solo adventurer.

ZOLEO Global Satellite Communicator

Since safety is a crucial factor when venturing out solo, make sure you're always prepared for an emergency situation with the ZOLEO Global Satellite Communicator. Featuring an IP68 rating, it is waterproof, dust-proof and shock-proof, making it able to withstand any environment, whether skiing, camping, hiking or more. With the Iridium Satellite network, you'll always have reception and can easily let your loved ones know you are safe and your location. If you plan on adventuring solo into the great unknown, don't leave without the ZOLEO Global Satellite Communicator.

Gerber Bolo Machete

With a modern take on the classic bolo design, the Gerber Bolo Machete is a solo adventurer's best friend when needing to clear, cut and chop your way through the elements. It features an ergonomic handle with a slip-proof gator grip that's excellent for cutting through shrub, and a full tang construction for maximum strength that's perfect for when cutting up firewood. It's also a great tool for food preparation such as descaling fish and slicing up meat.

Hema HX-2 On & Offroad GPS Navigator

Navigation is a crucial factor to consider when planning an outdoor adventure, especially when going it solo. To ensure you can easily navigate your way through Australia's most remote locations, the Hema HX-2 GPS Navigator is ideal for both on and off-road adventures. Listing over 40,000 verified points of interest, you can focus on driving while it conveniently points out nearby fuel stops, lookout areas, hotels, boat ramps, post offices and much more. Featuring detailed and fast multi-dimensional mapping, the Hema HX-2 is the ultimate on and off-road navigator.

Garmin inReach Mini Satellite Communicator

When you need to maintain off-the-grid contact, the Garmin inReach Mini Satellite Communicator will make sure you can easily send and receive text messages from anywhere in Australia. It also conveniently fits inside your pocket, making it the perfect lightweight option for ensuring friends and family will always know where you are when exploring remote and rural locations alone. Loaded with many features including the capability to trigger an interactive SOS to the GEOS 24/7 search and rescue centre, the Garmin inReach Mini Satellite Communicator has everything you need to ensure you can always be found.

Campers Pantry Spaghetti Bolognese

A solo adventure means you don't always have the luxury of packing items you might need such as cooking gear - but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on quick and easy delicious meals. The Campers Pantry range of travel meals are the ultimate in convenience and taste when camping solo. Made in Australia using only high-quality ingredients, it's the perfect way to enjoy an energy packed and lightweight meal that you can cook anywhere without needing to take a bunch of extra equipment with you.

Dorcy 1000 Lumen Rechargeable Focus Headlamp

Known for being very tough and durable, the Dorcy 1000 Lumen Rechargeable Focus Headlamp is an excellent choice for ensuring you'll always have clear vision at night when battling the outback alone. Featuring a powerful 1000 lumen bulb that casts an impressive 144 metre beam distance, it's constructed with a strong aluminium casing and is IPX4 water-resistant. With three different light modes to choose from, this powerful rechargeable headlamp is the perfect option for any solo adventurer.

Mountain Designs Adult Hiking COOLMAX Socks

The last thing you want to deal with when hiking is sore and tired feet, especially when on your own - which is why the Mountain Designs Adult Hiking COOLMAX Socks are ideal for all-day hiking adventures. Made from a specially designed COOLMAX blend fabric, they are highly breathable and moisture-wicking, keeping your feet cool and dry. Its ergonomic design features reinforced cushioning in the shin, heel and toe to provide maximum comfort and minimise hotspots and blisters.

Zamberlan Women's Hiking Boots

Your outdoor adventure can quickly get ruined if you set out without wearing the right type of footwear that is designed to keep up with you. Setting the standard for women's hiking boots, the Zamberlan 1996 Vioz Lux GTX will make sure your feet get the comfort and support they need. Featuring GORE-TEX performance comfort, waterproof protection, exquisite waxed Tuscan leather and so much more, this is one serious pair of hiking boots no solo female adventurer should leave without.

Zamberlan Men's Hiking Boots

When roughing it alone in the outback, wearing a pair of men's Zamberlan 1996 Vioz Lux GTX will ensure your feet receive a high degree of support and protection. As a highly durable pair of men's hiking boots, they feature rubber toe reinforcement for extra strength and a Zamberlan flex system junction to help support the ankle on uneven terrain. With the Zamberlan vibram 3D outsole, you'll have excellent grip when traversing down unstable ground, making them the ultimate hiking shoe.

Mountain Designs Explorer 65L Hiking Pack

For reliable storage gear that will make sure all your important items won't get wet when camping, you can't go past the Mountain Designs Explorer 65L Hiking Pack. As a widely popular multi-functional hiking pack, it features a durable water repellent finish, made from highly durable fabric, heavy-duty chest straps with pre-curved hip belt, a padded mesh back panel for enhanced airflow and much more. Whether you're travelling, hiking or camping alone, the Mountain Designs Explorer 65L Hiking Pack is the only hiking back you'll ever need.

Sea To Summit X-Set 21

If you like to push your culinary prowess to the limits during camping, then the Sea To Summit X-Set 21 perfectly blends versatility and packability into a high-functional camp cookware set - perfect for the hungry solo adventurer. With a compact and collapsable design that is easy to store, the camping cookware set includes a mug, a bowl and a pot that can be easily adjusted to your preferred size due to its unique and smart disc-shape design. Made from heat resistant food-grade silicone and featuring a hard-anodised aluminium base, it's the ultimate camping cookware for the solo camper that allows you to cook your favourite meals - without all the dishes involved.

Mountain Designs Expedition 2-Person Tent

Any camper adventuring solo in the great outdoors understands the importance of durable, comfortable and reliable shelter that can withstand the harsh elements of the Australian landscape. Designed to provide comfortable shelter throughout all four seasons, the Mountain Designs Expedition 2-Person Tent features a large internal area for sleeping with plenty of additional space for storing your gear. It's lightweight, windproof, waterproof, has plenty of headroom and is easy to set up and take down, making it the perfect high-quality camping tent - whether it's snowing, windy or bucketing down rain.

Mountain Designs Lightweight Chair

Having a comfy place to sit back and relax is essential for any great adventure, which is why the Mountain Designs Lightweight Chair is an excellent choice for the solo adventurer looking to put their feet up after a long day of hiking and trekking through the bush. Weighing in at only 860g, it can support up to 120kg due to its anodised aluminium poles which gives it its impressive strength-to-weight ratio. It also is made from polyester that features a water repellent finish, meaning you won't have to worry about your favourite seat getting wet when it rains. Best of all, it can be easily collapsed and packed away when it's time to move on to the next destination.

8 x 42 Everyday Multi-Coated Binoculars

Whether it's for spotting wildlife, potential danger or scouting a good spot to set up camp, the 8 x 42 Everyday Multi-Coated Binocular will get the job done. It features a 42mm lens with an 8x magnification to provide a wide field of view, perfect for tracking animals at close to mid distance. It also has multi-coated optics to reduce light reflections when looking through the lens.

Whether you're camping solo for the first time or experienced in camping alone, these are our top picks for essential gear no solo camper should leave without. Check out our guide to camping and hiking essentials for a complete list of recommended camping gear and equipment or read through our camping tips to learn some helpful tips for planning out your next outdoor adventure.