Tents and tarps are the most common shelters used by overnight bushwalkers. They come in many different shapes, sizes and designs, with plenty of options to find something that works well for you.

Tents are self contained units with an inner and an outer, whereas tarps have open sides and are simply an outer cover without insect protection. Tarps are generally pitched using trees or sticks for support, whereas tents have designated poles. Some tents can be pitched like a tarp by simply using the outer and groundsheet components.

Tents are great for people starting out bushwalking, whereas tarps require a little more thinking about in terms of where to pitch them and how to avoid insects and rainfall getting in. Bushwalkers that do a variety of different kinds of trips often own both and choose the one that best suits their trip.

Although it may take time to find a tent or tarp that is best for you, it’s a piece of equipment that lasts a long time, so very worth the time getting one that work well for the trips you typically do.

When bushwalkers talk about using caves to sleep in on overnight trips, they usually mean a sizable rocky overhang with a flat sheltered space underneath rather than an underground cave (a fully enclosed cave is generally dark and wet – not great for sleeping!).

These ‘camp cave’ overhangs are a fun way to experience the bush by night, and can make great shelters for overnight bushwalking trips.

If you’re planning to use a camp cave on a bushwalk, check the cave conditions before heading out on the track. Look for recent track notes or online blogs from walkers that have been in the area to make sure that the conditions are still good. Ask around to see if you can find someone that has been there recently and have a conversation about the cave condition and if it’s still suitable for overnight use.

Double check that the cave you are planning to stay does not have artwork or is known to be significant to indigenous peoples. Check with local National Parks visitor centres for more information, or contact the Office of Environment and Heritage.

Some of the more popular camp caves can get pretty busy at certain times of the year, so it can be worth check that other bushwalking clubs aren’t planning a trip into the same area as you. Caves can get fill up if a few groups arrive at the same time, so be prepared to camp in a tent if needed.

Plan ahead for your water supplies. Many caves are not close to a water supply, so you may need to carry in water or collect from a distance. This is something that needs to be factored into route planning as it may not be easy to backtrack to a water supply. Water bladders or old cask wine inners make excellent water carriers as they fold down easily and are lightweight (excellent when not in use). Some caves have a regular water drip and pool of water that can be used to drink from, but under certain conditions, this may dry out. Find out whether a water source is likely to be there based on recent rainfall events and chatting to bushwalkers that have been in the area recently (or know it well).

Lastly, check what your backup shelter is. Always carry some kind of backup shelter in case you don’t make it to the cave, or the cave is full and you need to find an alternative. Consider carrying a lightweight shelter such as a fly for a backup as it doubles as a handy sun/rain shelter for breaks along the track.

Once you’ve got to your cave in the bush, here are a few checkpoints to make sure that it really will be suitable for camping:

1. Protection from the elements
   Check the direction of the cave and how protective it is from the elements. Does the overhang provide enough shelter from rain and wind? Will the area be dry inside, despite a downpour?
2. Air flow
   Fresh air flow is important as stagnant moist air can lead to lung issues. Check that the air is fresh and not dusty.
3. Enough space & flat areas inside
   Check that there is enough space for the group inside including flat areas for everyone to get a good night’s sleep.
4. Water availability
   Check that you have enough water to spend the night here. This may involve doing a water collection trip if the cave is away from a water source.
5. Collapse risk
   All geological features change over time. A cave roof is guaranteed to collapse at some stage, although the risk is normally low the outcome if it does occur can be very bad. Check the ceiling and rock above the cave for cracks or recent movement. Without a lot of study, experience and measurements it is not really possible to predict a collapse reliably, but look up and if looks too risky to you then find a safer place to camp.

Great caves to spend the night in are those that provide protection from the elements and generally have large flat areas where groundsheets and sleeping mats can be laid out. Of course, in an emergency, protection from the elements is the primary concern, and comfort (i.e. space to sleep) is secondary.

Caves can be tiny, just large enough to sleep one person, right through to the infamous 100-man cave on the Ti Willa Plateau at Kanangra Boyd National Park.
Caves indeed are a first-come-first-serve basis, so make sure to carry enough gear to be self-sufficient and able to camp elsewhere if the cave is already full. However, if there is room, make new visitors welcome and share.

Do not camp in a cave that has artwork or that are known to be significant to indigenous people. If you unexpectedly come across indigenous artefacts, do not touch or disturb. If you believe you have found an unknown piece of artwork or artefact, please contact the Office of Environment and Heritage.

For cave camping, use a ground sheet to protect your sleeping pad and bag, and prevent dust getting all throughout gear. Some bushwalkers use a material called Tyvek, which is a lightweight building sheet that is extremely effective at providing a waterproof protective layer. It can be purchased by the metre and cut down to meet the exact dimensions you need, hence saving on weight. It’s also incredibly cheap at less than $10 per metre.

Never light a fire within a camp cave itself. Campfires produce soot and smoke which will quickly blacken the cave walls with a charcoal layer. Instead, find a suitable spot outside the cave, or use other cooking options (e.g. stove).

If there is a logbook in the cave, sign it before you leave and make the place good. This means leaving no trace by carrying out all rubbish and leaving behind no evidence of your being there.

Paintings, engravings, middons, grinding grooves and more are evidence of Indigenous Australians using caves for as long as they have inhabited the land. While some caves simply provided shelter, others were sacred, for instance, Baiame Caves, where women were not allowed to enter, and men were initiated.

There is an incredible amount of history and culture depicted through cave wall paintings, telling Dreamtime stories, depicting animals and their relationship to humans. Near Sydney, Red Hands Cave is one of the best depictions of rock art in the area.

Spending a night in a cave, you can’t help but feel connected to the indigenous heritage of Australia. Bushwalkers who visit should consider how they can pay their respects to indigenous people past and present and acknowledge the long rich cultural history that Australian caves hold. Never touch any artwork, engravings or other cultural artifacts. If you believe you have found an unknown piece of artwork or artefact, please contact the Office of Environment and Heritage.

While there are a few camp caves that are extremely well documented with precise GPS coordinates online (e.g. 100 man cave), the vast majority of camp caves are not well known or documented.

Often, you can get a sense of what caves are in an area by reading track notes and trip reports online as they may be mentioned in passing. The other key way to find out about camp caves is simply through word-of-mouth. Often, simply chatting to another bushwalker can be a fantastic way to glean information on suitable camping caves in an area. In some cases, the camp caves that you can learn about through these conversations are merely caves that people have stumbled upon by accident and remembered as great spaces to be used on future trips.

If you’re planning a walk in an area and want to find a suitable camp cave ahead of time, search through bushwalking blogs and track note descriptions to get a bit more information about the area. Sometimes, a trip report write-up might have some clues as to where suitable camp caves are. If possible, find someone that is familiar with the area and ask them a bit more about it – how likely will you be able to find a particular camp cave?

Another alternative is to examine maps and look for cliff lines that are likely to contain suitable cliffs. Sometimes you can use the Satellite view of Google Maps to get a sense of the land layout and take a reasonable guess as to whether or not an area will have camp caves. Of course, you will need to have a backup camping shelter set up in these cases, as you could very well turn up to the area and not find a suitable camp cave.

Huts make great shelters for bushwalking trips, particularly in landscapes with unpredictable weather, rain and even snow. Huts are common in alpine areas such as the Snowy Mountains (e.g. Kozi huts) as well as cooler wetter climates like Tasmania (e.g Tasmanian huts).

Hut use in Australia is based on honesty and respect. Virtually all Australia huts do not have a permanent warden, caretaker or ranger living there, so visitors are expected to respectfully use the huts and leave them in good conditions for subsequent visitors.

Formed in 1970, the Kosciuszko Huts Association (KHA) helps conserve and manage huts for their heritage value and potentially life-saving service, particularly in high alpine regions where visitors may use huts as an emergency shelter. KHA push the heritage value of huts for cultural and safety regions, coordinate reconstruction work and encourage responsible use by everyone (from recreational users through to scientists). Despite their main focus being in Kosciusko, KHA does maintain and protect huts around Australia.

Not all huts are open to the public. Some are privately owned, and others that are for emergency use only. NPWS does have a few huts that they actively manage, and these have an online booking system: http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation

Huts used by bushwalkers generally fall into two categories: huts that are for overnight use where bushwalkers are welcome to spend the night, and huts that are for day and emergency use only. In the case of the latter, people are welcome to hang out in these huts during the day and use as a short respite but are discouraged from spending the night unless there is an urgent need to do so (in which case, guests are welcome). The key thing here then is to plan your route accordingly, and check that your intended hut for the night is open to being used as an overnight shelter. You may also want to include day-use huts on your route for lunch and food stops along the way.

Bushwalker groups must be self-contained and carry all the gear they need to camp out at all times and in any conditions (e.g. tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag etc), in case there is no room in the huts, or they are delayed reaching the huts due to unexpected conditions (e.g. poor weather, injury). Check your gear accordingly.

Most huts used by bushwalkers in Australia work on a first-come-first-serve-basis, whereby visitors simply show up and take pot-luck as to whether or not they get a bed. This means that bushwalkers will generally carry a lightweight shelter as a backup.

Huts usually have a designated sleeping area (usually bunk beds), where people can roll out their sleeping bags. Some huts have mattresses provided, whereas others are simply wooden structures, so bushwalkers will need to carry in a sleeping mat.

There is usually a log book and information sheet in the entrance area or on the dining table. The logbook not only provides a historical record of who has visited, but it also is also an important record for search and rescue authorities in an emergency. Fill in the logbook with details of your party and your trip intentions. If the logbook is full, contact land managers when you get home and request a replacement.

The Kosciuszko huts association has a good summary information for visitors here:
https://www.khuts.org/images/stories/attachments/Huts_Code_for_Visitors.pdf.

Huts are there for everyone to use, and guests are expected to behave courteously to others and make new guests feel welcome.

In general, users are expected to follow these guidelines:

• Share the facilities with other visitors and make new visitors feel welcome.
• Keep fires small. Never leave a lit fire unsupervised. Make sure that the fire is completely out before leaving.
• Replenish firewood: huts provide refuge for visitors, and there is a culture that current visitors restock wood, kindling and match supplies for future visitors to enjoy.
• When cooking, use gas stoves outside, and away from any materials that could ignite with a flare up. Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur if stoves are used in closed areas without good airflow. Some huts are gas stove only. If you can, use a gas stove to reduce wood consumption directly around the hut.
• Report any hut damage (e.g. leaks, cracks etc.) to land managers upon your return.
• Use pit toilets if provided. If not available, find an appropriate place 100 away from the hut or water supplies.
• Use tank water sparingly. If collecting water from a source nearby, collect upstream and purify if necessary.
• Carry out all rubbish, sweep and clean up hut before leaving. Do not leave any food behind as this encourages animals.

The Kosciuszko Huts Association (KHA) is a great starting point for getting information about possible hut use for bushwalking trips. The website has up to date information on hut condition and size. Use this to double check that it will meet your party’s needs.

Some things to consider include:

Location
Is the hut near the track or will you have to detour significantly? Will this impact upon route planning?

Facilities and access
Use photos to check what facilities are available at the hut and that access will work for you and your group. Some huts have pit toilets, while others require guests to go away from the hut. For people with mobility restrictions, check critical issues including things like that rooms have minimal steps and bathrooms are wide enough to access. Likewise for other types of impairments or disabilities within your group.

Inns/hostels can make comfortable and convenient overnight accommodation on overnight bushwalks and saves you carrying sleeping gear.

Hostels can fill up quickly, so be sure to book in early. Check what equipment such as bedding, cooking and food supplies you need to carry, and what time you need to be out of your room in the morning.

Before you leave on your bushwalk, double check a few things about your accommodation.

Location & contact details
Make sure you know where the accommodation is located, and how to get to it from the bushwalking track. Check what you must do if you arrive later than expected, i.e. will the reception still be open or do you need to contact an after-hours receptionist?

It can be helpful to carry a contact number for the accommodation in case you have trouble locating it, or you want to alert your host that you are running late.

Booking details & payment
Print out a copy of your booking reference (or have it readily to hand on your mobile device). Clarify how you’ll pay for your room booking, and don’t forget to carry your credit card. If it’s possible, making an advanced payment can be a great way to alleviate stress around the booking, however, you’ll probably still want to carry a method of payment to settle up for additional extras (e.g. breakfast, phone calls etc.). Check that they accept the payment method you intend to use.

Bedding, linen & toiletries
Some hostels provide all linen and toiletries, while others expect you to bring all of these. Double check so that you’re not caught out. It makes a lot of sense to lighten your pack by avoiding carrying an extra sleeping bag and towel that’s not needed.

Food
Double check the food situation: is there a meal provided with your booking, or will you need to carry in some/all of your food?

Arrival/departure times
Hostels/inns usually have arrival and departure times. Double check you know these in advance and plan your bushwalking schedule accordingly.

Hostels and inns can be great places to meet other bushwalkers as well as relaxing and recharging after a long day on the track.

In some inns and hostels, you’ll have your own private bedroom, whereas in others, you could be sharing in a dormitory with several others.

If sharing a dormitory with other people, it’s helpful to have an eye-mask and earplugs as you may find it noisier or louder than usual and harder to sleep.

In a private room setting, treat the room and contents with care, and report any damaged items to management. Respect your neighbours, keep noise to a minimum after 10pm and try to make as little noise as possible if you have an early departure.

In a dormitory setting, be considerate to your other roommates: look out for them and share the space respectively. Be friendly: have a chat to your other roommates, check they are ok. Share tips, snacks and ask people if they want to join in your card game.

Keep noise to a minimum in the evenings and mornings: people are on different timetables, with some people getting up very early, or falling asleep late. This is particularly true when sharing a dormitory with several other people. In a dormitory, turn main lights off after 10pm: use a head torch if you want to keep reading or need to enter/exit the room.

Keep your gear tidy and organised: don’t leave gear lying around a shared dorm room. Instead, find out where you can hang out your wet gear so that it doesn’t smell and annoy others.

If you’re leaving early in the morning pack as much as you can the night before. For those sharing in a dormitory, finish packing your final pieces of gear away from people sleeping, and preferably out of the room.

In shared bathroom facilities, keep shower lengths short, and leave facilities clean for the next user.

Although it’s far more common in Europe to stop at hostels along a multi-day walk (e.g. The El Camino Trail), there are some options to do this in Australia for example on the Great North Walk and Six Foot Track. It’s worth keeping this in mind as a great option to avoid carrying heavy packs and enjoy some creature comforts along the track.

Here are some things to think through when selecting a suitable inn or hostel on your trip.

Location
On some trips, the track may go straight past a suitable hostel, whereas on others, you may need to detour off the track. Consider how far you need to detour to get to the hostel and factor this in when assessing if it is a good option. If the hostel is a significant distance away, it may be better to organise a taxi pickup or consider other options like camping instead.

Single or shared room
It can be fun to share a dormitory with others, but it’s not for everyone. In a dorm with 4-8 other people, there will be a lot of shuffling and scuffling noises throughout the night as people settle down, change position, and hop up during the night to use toilets.

Some people are susceptible to noise, and find it incredibly difficult to sleep with other noises and sounds. If this sounds like you, then a shared dormitory is probably not the right choice! However, if you’re reasonably comfortable that you can sleep well enough in a room with others and still be able to function well on the track the next day, then it might be the right choice for you.

Price
If you’re looking into group accommodation for everyone on your trip, bear in mind that everyone will have a different budget to you. And an amount that might be reasonable for one person could be extremely tricky for someone else. That’s why it’s great to provide options. Hostels often have a couple of different room setups that cater to different budgets: private en-suite rooms being at the high end of the spectrum and 10-bunk dorms at the lower end. The main thing is to be upfront and transparent with your party about what the expected costs of the accommodation are. Don’t forget to check for hidden costs (e.g. meals, linen).

Meals
Some hostels will provide meals, whereas others won’t offer any. Check in advance to find out and be prepared. If the hostel is in a community, you may be able to go out for a pub meal in the evening, however, if the hostel is remote, then you’ll be relying on the hostel to provide (or bring in your own food).

Facilities and access
Lastly, check what facilities come with the hostel and that access will work for you and your group. For people with mobility restrictions, check critical issues including things like that rooms have minimal steps and bathrooms are wide enough to access, and with support railings. Likewise for other types of impairments or disabilities within your group.

A few websites that may be useful when searching for accommodation:
www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation
www.yha.com.au
www.hihostels.com/destinations/au/hostels
www.airbnb.com.au
www.booking.com
www.hostelworld.com