When I first began camping there was a wave of shock that went over my family, with my mum exclaiming “who is this and what have you done with the princess?!” I won’t deny it, I previously lived a very city-based life and definitely relied on home-based luxuries to survive such as hot running water and air-conditioning. So, what made me come back for more every time I spent a period of time in the dirt? The thrill of adventure, the challenge of self-sufficiency and the second to none nights under the stars.
Living on the road does take a little bit of practice. I won’t lie, 3 weeks into my first long-term trip I cried feeling the gut wrench of homesickness. My comfy mattress, the ease of Uber Eats and my full-size apartment were all waiting for me back home and I was missing them big time. However, once you learn how to live on the road you’ll be thriving and no number of Chinese food delivered in a mere 20 minutes could send you back home.
Nonetheless there are a number of hurdles when it comes to living in the dirt. Below are a few where I’d like to provide some of my advice.
Bathing
This is a big one and I want to stereotype here and say it’s more of an issue for us ladies than for the boys. There are really only so many days I can go without bathing before I start to go a little cuckoo, especially when my hair’s so dirty you could use the oil in it to ignite a blazing fire. Thankfully a life on the road doesn’t mean hygiene has to go completely out the window, there are plenty of options for those of us who prefer to smell and feel clean while exploring the Land Down Under. If you’re on a tight-ish budget you may want to consider a portable camping shower, ideally one that has a hose and pump allowing for a shower head. Keep in mind, this option is more for those that tour chasing the sun as it isn’t heated. They also don’t often hold a whole lot of water so you may be showering twice a week as opposed to daily, but better than nothing, right?
If you’re lucky enough to travel with the Pat Callinan Media crew, then you’ll want to get into Patski’s good books, so he’ll allow you to use his lush Duoetto hot water system from Aus J Hot Water Solutions. Paired with the Bushwakka Ensuite off of the side of the F-150, you can have yourself a warm shower in the privacy of an ensuite. It even has a floor built in, so no wet, sandy feet!
When we were in the midst of filming Season 17, I had what I would call the best shower of my life on the Canning Stock Route after not washing my hair for about 8 days. It really puts a spring back into your step and refreshes the mind when you’re able to play around in the dirt all day then go to bed clean as a whistle. The little things, eh?
Food
Have you ever embarked on a trip with a heap of groceries in tow only to find by the end you’re eating wraps with nothing but tomato sauce smeared on?… Let’s not reminisce on those memories. Food is a tough one to manage as you need to stock up more than you think whenever you’re at a grocery store and try to be mindful of what you’re eating and how long it’ll last.
What works for me whilst living in a caravan full-time and venturing mostly outback where a packet of cheese will set you back a whopping $25 at a roadhouse, is getting a lot of freezer friendly food. I buy bulk amounts of meat, separate it into portions and chuck them into the freezer. I also make sure I’ve got plenty of frozen fruit and frozen vegetables in there as there’s nothing worse than pulling out a broccoli you bought only a week ago to find it moldy.
Before moving into a caravan, meal preparation was my best friend. I’d spend a day cooking up a whole heap of dinners from curries to noodle dishes and freezing them into portions. Not only does this save you from hauling around a bunch of fresh ingredients in your fridge but it means once you’ve thawed out your food you simply need to heat it up and it’s ready. After long driving days, this is an absolute winner that you’ll thank your past self for.
Staying connected
As much as you want to disconnect from the outside world when you’re in nature and on the tracks, there is a need to remain connected especially if you find yourself in a bind and need to seek help. Of course, you can grab a trusty satellite phone but personally I prefer having Starlink internet. As long as I have a clear view of the sky, my Starlink modem can source a satellite and allow me to connect to the internet. Everyone has a different lifestyle on the road but I personally live and work in my caravan as Josh and I explore Australia, so being able to stay connected is important not only for me to maintain relationships with my friends and family back home but also so I can log into work each day and make an income.
It also means we can make WiFi calls if we were in an emergency or if something went wrong on the road that we didn’t know how to fix, we could look up a YouTube video or the relevant website for the manual of the product that let us down.
Clothing
Since ‘living in the dirt’ I’ve learnt that I certainly don’t need as many clothes as I’ve accumulated over the years. One thing I truly love about travel is everything in life becomes simplified. You only need around two weeks of clothing maximum, some swimwear, boots, thongs, a hat and two jumpers. Reason being, there are so many choices for laundry these days as most caravan parks will have washers and dryers, there are laundromats in most towns and in our case, our caravan has a washing machine so as long as we’re connected to water I can do a load. I would highly recommend under packing as you can always grab more clothes on the road, which becomes an excuse to buy souvenir shirts anyway!
Parting Thoughts
One thing to remember is ‘living in the dirt’ comes in all shapes and sizes. Whether you’re caravanners, live in a van, sleep on a mattress in the back of your car or spend your nights in a rooftop tent. One thing they all have in common is a love of nature, travel and of course, our wonderful country. My tips for living in the dirt have come from my experiences of travel: first in a rooftop tent followed by a more luxurious and long-term solution in a caravan. My best piece of advice would be to enjoy where you are and what you’re doing and stay present as you embark on your adventures. One day you’ll look back at the pictures and you won’t remember how many days you went without bathing or how many nights you ate 2-minute noodles for dinner. You’ll simply remember the indescribable feeling of freedom that comes with on-the-road adventure.
