Insight: Where to sleep when travelling

On the ground - As the basic starting point, you can lie down and sleep where you are. There is nothing to carry and you can do it anywhere, the down side is that you may be mistaken for a drunken backpacker and the cops take you off to sleep on a concrete floor.

Swag – Similar to sleeping on the ground, but add a fly net over the total body. Sometimes it has canvas to protect your privacy and you from the rain. This has the added advantage that it looks like you are sleeping on the ground on purpose, and you will generally be left alone.

Tents – Ranging in size from two man tents that fit one person to 3 bedroom homes, it can seem you are going for comfort, but you are still sleeping on the ground. If you take a camp bed, why are you sleeping in a tent?

Camper – This is a trailer that opens up to a tent. Here, you don’t need to sleep on the ground, but the wind passes through the canvas sides keeping your temperature the same as the great outdoors.

Teardrop Camper – A box trailer fitted with a bed and kitchen bolted to the back. You don’t sleep on the ground and have hard walls for some insulation. However, having to keep the windows open to avoid condensation does negate some of that. Source of bemusement for those dragging their 3-storey mansion. Can be described as living in a matchbox.

Pop Top \ A frame – A teardrop, but you can push up the roof so you can stand up. Sometimes with canvas sides, they do provide efficient towing. However, it appears to have the complexity of folding a fitted sheet to get it all to fit back into the base.

Motorhome \ Maui Van \ Camper van – Another not sleeping on the ground option, but you are sleeping in your car. It has some standing up capability and inside kitchens. However, a drive down the shops requires as much packing up as a 6 hour drive to your next stop. Some people do put bikes on the back of the van help with this, however they just gather the red dust and provide a lovely souvenir of the actual outback when you get home.

Caravan – Millard, Jayco, we all know these. You can fit your stuff in, you have a bed and somewhere to sit when the weather is bad. Pop out an awning to give yourself more room – fantastic. These can range from brand new to one that was built in the 50’s and lovingly maintained on the outside, but probably needs a bit of work on the suspension. They always travel in the 130 zone at 85-90 k’s because it saves a lot of petrol. Has been described like living in a shoebox.

Big Caravan – has more space than the caravan, and takes more petrol to tow. Allows the addition of things like toilet and shower if you like to live in a more European way and be in the same room as your partner when they visit the bathroom. Requires the walk to a dump point daily, if you are dumping at your caravan point daily.

Bloody big Caravan – create some space as the sides pop out as well, include a washing machine and I think they may have a games room and theatre room as well. Requiring a car the size of a caravan to tow it, I am unsure how this is a relaxing way to travel on the road.

Toorak mansion with the spare car being towed - Some of these setups including car are north of $300k. Why the Hemsworths want to park their Byron mansion in a caravan park in the middle of nowhere, it beats me. Requiring a full truck licence to drive the towing vehicle, this must be the desire of ex road train drivers. I am yet to talk to any of them yet, as I have stereotyped them as grey entitled nomads in their monolith, and am sure they wouldn’t stop to talk to me as their spare car runs over our small camper.