Description
Four days in the NSW High Country — camping along the Gungarlin River, walking to Daveys Hut, and putting gear through its paces in real conditions. Plus a hidden 4WD-only campsite that I'm not sharing the location of. Well, not easily.
This trip includes lazy fog-covered mornings, proper campfire coffee, a 6.2 km hut walk that was supposed to be 4 km (thanks to some creative route finding), brumbies, scorpions, and Dan's fuse box drama.
Gear tested & reviewed in this video:
🔵 GME MT620GR PLB — The latest personal locator beacon from GME. Now with GPS, Galileo & GLONASS satellite constellations and a Return Link Service (RLS) that confirms your distress signal has been received. Australian made. If you go bush without a PLB, sort that out.
🔵 ONTAP ROAM — Pressurised portable water system. Used it for showers and dishes throughout the trip. Left it out in the rain overnight — still worked fine the next morning. Weatherproofness test passed. Early field impressions are positive; this one might stay in the setup.
🔵 Grayl GeoPress (Titanium) — Water purifier, tested on creek water over several days. Best tasting filtered water I've come across. The titanium version is $399 (steep), but you can cook in it or boil water on a fire. Standard version is the sensible buy — and one I'd happily pay for myself.
🔵 Outin Nano — Battery-powered espresso maker. Wouldn't have bought it myself, but after extended testing it's earned a spot in the kit for quick shots between main brews. Coffee comes out warm, not hot. Tip: start with lukewarm water — the heating element runs off the built-in battery, so starting water temperature directly affects the result.
00:00 - Start
00:17 - Waking up after a cold wet night….
01:25 - Around the morning camp fire…
02:30 - Cleaning up with OnTap Roam
02:59 - GME MT620GR PLB Sponsored Segment
08:03 - Horse Cull Remnance
08:57 - Lunch - Camper Pantry Red Thai Chicken Curry verdict
09:51 - Grayl Geo Press TI
10:57 - Quick coffee with OutIn Nano - yep still using it
12:08 - Cooked fuses in Dan’s Prado
14:16 - How good is this river camp spot???
15:56 - Scorpion in the Camp…
16:09 - Last Day? Morning!
16:47 - OnTap Roam wet weather test
17:07 - Should I stay or should I go….???
17:54 - I’m leaving…
18:44 - Airing up with MorrFalt and crazy fuel cost
19:44 - Outro
🔵 MORRFlate — Multi-tyre inflation/deflation system. Tested again on the air-up after hitting tar. Makes the process significantly quicker and easier. Permanent addition to my kit at this stage.
🔵 iCheck TPMS — Tyre pressure monitoring system. Still using it trip after trip, still rating it. Tip: skip the counter nuts, just screw on the sensor and use the rubber cap. Never lost one.
🔵 Campers Pantry Red Thai Chicken Curry — Freeze-dried meal, field tested. Use boiling water (not just hot — learned that the hard way last time). With extra chilli, it does the job. If I could only eat one cuisine for life — Thai. No debate.
Daveys Hut — Originally built ~1909 by grazier Tom Bolton. Named after Davy Williamson who took it over in 1935. Resumed by National Parks in 1969. Heritage listed and restored by the Kosciuszko Huts Association in 2012. Weatherboard over timber frame, stone chimney, original shingle roof preserved under corrugated iron.
Brumby management note: Numbers grew from ~1,700 (2005) to 20,000+ (2019). Aerial shooting approved 2023. Target: ~3,000 by mid-2027.
Four days away: $404 FUEL
📘 Simpson Desert Travel Guide — 260+ pages, 2 years in the making. Detailed maps, locations, and knowledge applicable to any remote Australian outback travel. $59.95
👉 https://www.simpsondesertguide.com.au
Kilos Chair Affiliate link
https://www.kilosgear.com/alloffroadau
Affiliate links for the gear I use.
https://www.amazon.com.au/shop/alloffroad4x4adventurestv
iCheck TPMS use code “alloffroad” for 10% discount
https://www.ichecktpms.com.au/?ref=ALLOFFROAD
Mapping GPS Navigation
Memory Map Hema 4wd Map Pack ($10 off)
https://w2.memory-map.com/cgi-bin/licuser.cgi?buy_e_package=1&package=3000074&adref=3001
MMFA Topo maps for QLD, NSW, and TAS at 20% off ($47+GST)
https://w2.memory-map.com/cgi-bin/licuser.cgi?buy_e_package=1&package=3000089&adref=3001
https://w2.memory-map.com/cgi-bin/licuser.cgi?buy_e_package=1&package=3000090&adref=3001
https://w2.memory-map.com/cgi-bin/licuser.cgi?buy_e_package=1&package=5000060&adref=3001
VIC 25k Topo 2025 at 10% off ($89+GST)
https://w2.memory-map.com/cgi-bin/licuser.cgi?buy_e_package=1&package=3000074&adref=3001
Gaia GPS
https://alnk.to/esYNckz