Dometic Go is all about making camping easy AF. Our Explorer Sophie had a first-hand look at the range whilst camping out on Bundjalung Country.

 

We acknowledge the Bundjalung people of the Byron Hinterland where this adventure took place, who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We thank custodian Gilbert Laurie for welcoming us to his country and pay our respects to The First Nations community, past, present and emerging. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

 

Picture this: You’re on a camping trip with mates, you pull up to the site all squished up and pretzled in the piles of gear in the back of the car, ready to start your set-up.

For the select few that thrive in tent assembly, this might be your moment. However, if you’re anything like me, you’ve already tried to hide in a nearby bush and avoid the exhausting responsibility of gear wrangling.

There’s nothing worse than the flush of embarrassment and stress of trying to read tent instructions and put it all together like some kind of backwards Ikea puzzle. It genuinely makes you just want to go back home, and it makes me sweat thinking about it.

 

Soph loves a stress free campout

 

Now imagine that you can have this exact same experience but with none of the stress. In the time it usually takes to just unload all of your bulky gear from the car (like you work at some kind of fish loading dock), you could be leaning back on your camping chair enjoying a crispy drink and admiring your work. Imagine that you want to stay because now your set up feels like home.

 

 

Dometic Outdoor Australia have made the ‘spontaneous adventure’ effortless by designing a range of camping essentials with entry level campers in mind, made to fit right in the back of your car. (Imagine: Not worrying about shot-gunning the front seat. No more playing Tetris into the back between bags, boxes, and bulky furniture.)  

The Dometic Go range was created by a team who wanted an accessible range of gear for every camper, from any type of beginner all the way to expert adventurers.

This extremely well thought out range covers the essentials: from your tent, to your seating and dining set up, your food storage, plus an incredible water system that’ll make the seasoned on-lookers super jealous.

Why do I know all this?  Because I tested the Dometic Go range for myself.

 

 

On a three day camping trip on Bundjalung land in Nightcap National Park, I was joined by a group of campers and the experts from Dometic as we set up our own campsite from the ground up using the Dometic Go range. Perfectly arranged in the boot of a standard SUV was every piece of equipment we’d need to set up our site.

My first impression of the gear was how light everything was to carry, and how much I liked the colour scheme.

The Scandi design and complimentary soft colourways made it all aesthetically pleasing for someone like me (who usually has a bunch of old gear scattered around, a random spread of brands, bright colours that don’t match, and duct tape holding it all together for dear life).

Reunion FTG 4 REDUX Tent – Pop Up Luxury

I was tasked with setting up the Dometic Reunion FTG 4 REDUX: a lightweight, roomy 4-person tent woven from yarn made from recycled plastic bottles that sported a feature I’ve never witnessed before.

I was looking everywhere for the tent poles that I’m used to, when I realised the main structure of the tent is supported by a single point inflation system.

 

 

That’s correct: you literally pump up the tent from one external plug and the whole thing pops up, solid and ready to roll in two minutes.

I slept like a log both nights with not a single mosquito making it past the all-round bug-proof design. Another handy experiment with this tent was that I got to experience it in almost every weather condition.

It had perfect airflow for the midday nap under a full sun, and it held up dry as a bone at night under a flysheet in a full downpour.

My favourite feature: The Quickpitch Guying System. Wonderfully thick and sturdy straps on the outside of the tent with an adjustable buckle to make them taut in seconds. No more complicated knots or tripping over thin rope in the middle of the night when nature calls.

GO Anywhere Camping Furniture – You’ll never want to go back to normal camping furniture after this…

Setting up for an early morning misty breakfast or dinner under the stars was always a treat with the full set of this versatile camp furniture.

 

The Compact Camp Chair and Bench

These seating options have sleek and smart design features and are handy for those extra guests that might pull up after dinner to have a yarn by the campfire. The bench itself is a multi-tasking piece, that can be used as a bench for two (up to 140kgs), a stand for your fridge or freezer or even as a small prep table. Made with lightweight aluminium and hardy 600D fabric, the bench and chair combo is a staple you can stow neatly into the back of your car.

Explore the Range

 

 

The Bamboo Compact Camp Table

This versatile table made from solid bamboo has aluminium legs that can actually adjust to three different heights for different uses. You can comfortably seat four adults for dinner or bring it down for the little camper groms!

Learn More

 

Storage systems for food, water + all your goodies

Soft Storage Bags

These Dometic bags are genius. I personally now use the Soft Storage 10L Bag as my go-to for my daily lunch box. It can also be paired with a GO PAC Insulated Insert to keep tinnies ice cold on a sunset walk or safely storing my precious doggie bag with my pub meal the night before.

 

 

Hard Storage Units

If you’re in need of something more heavy-duty, the aluminium hard storage options also ensure you have ultimate security when you store your valuables at your campsite. The units protect your gear from the elements and have a fully lockable exterior, designed to grab and go and stack up right into the back of your car.

The Water Storage System

(I’m currently having dehydration flashbacks of long climbing trips and hikes where I’ve miscalculated the amount of water I’d need and wish I had this next product about 15 years ago…)

Dometic’s HYD-WF Hydration Water Tap and Jug was my absolute gold-star winner from the entire Dometic GO Range. This USB rechargeable faucet tap transforms any water container into a portable hydration station. It comes with a magnetic base so it can easily mount to a flat surface and is fit with a BPA-free hose and one-touch on/off button system. Plus, the pump’s auto timed shut-off means zero drops wasted!

 

 

Paired with the 11 Litre Jug, you can fill up your water bottles, extra bladders and kettle, plus, basically make a full functioning camp kitchen. I’d usually ‘shotty not’ for washing dishes whilst on holiday but the one-touch button on this tap actually makes it super satisfying.

Whilst on this adventure, I asked ambassador and Olympic pro-surfer Owen Wright how he sees Dometic being an approachable brand for people who might be a bit nervous about camping or haven’t tried camping before, maybe they want to get into it but aren’t sure where to start:

‘I see Dometic products bridging that gap’ he said. ‘Camping is quite daunting, you think about it and there’s all these poles and instructions to set up the tents – Dometic is like, you plug in the pump and it blows up, it’s so straightforward, so easy. When I first got a Dometic tent, I purposefully didn’t look at the instructions, just to see how user friendly it was. It was set up within ten minutes. So I thought, these products do bridge that gap, I’m calm, I’m not stressed and sweating setting this tent up.’

Me: ‘I think we’ve all been there..’

‘Yeah we’ve all been there, arguments break out and what-not, so yeah it was a relaxing process and it makes you want to go again. So many people go camping once and never want to go again. These products help you get outdoors and experience its beauty more easily.’

 

 

One thing I wish I knew when I began camping was not to stinge out and just grab whatever was cheapest at the time. I ended up doing that 1,000 times over and could have invested in well-engineered gear that was designed to last and be used for years to come.

No matter where you’re at as a camper, to get your hands on any of the pieces from the Dometic Go Range, head to their website or check out the products in your local BCF store.

 

Sophie was a guest of Dometic on behalf of We Are Explorers, but the piece was not sponsored or paid for. Learn more about our Editorial Standards.