So you’re about to head off into the great unknown. But what happens if you get stuck in a bog, get bitten by a spider or find yourself lost in the desert? Here are five things you simply cannot leave home without.

GPS

It sounds simple enough, but no matter how you roll – if you’re a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of traveller or someone who plans a trip to within an inch of its life — knowing where you are, where you’re going and how to get home is imperative.

A GPS is no longer a luxury item for campers. This increasingly sophisticated technology can pinpoint your location, show you the nearest campgrounds and landmarks and provide accurate distances to the nearest towns. You can buy dash-mounted versions charged from your car battery, handheld models or even a GPS watch for an affordable price.

Many travellers eschew traditional paper maps for a GPS unit, but there’s no harm in having a navigation backup. Contact the roads authorities and tourist information services in the states you’ll be travelling in for the most updated maps and advice on road closures and conditions.

Solar power charger

Sure, you have your car battery to charge things as you’re on the move, but what about when you set up camp for a few days? Harness the natural power of the sun and preserve your fuel with a mobile mini solar charger. These units soak up the sun by day so you can keep your Phone, iPad or stereo fully charged and operational. Not having any Slim Dusty playing as you relax around the campfire at night could be a total downer.

Tool kit

The size of your tool kit will depend on how pedantic you want to be about being able to fix everything yourself, but also how remote your destination will be – and how far away help is.

A tyre pressure monitor, pump and patch repair kit should be top of the list. No one wants a flat tyre to ruin their perfect camper trailer holiday. An assortment of combination spanners, allen keys, screwdrivers, cable ties, a hammer, sockets, an engine belt, gaffer tape, a can of WD40 and jumper leads should get you out of most tricky spots – and help you fix a camp chair if it breaks.

First aid kit

Insect stings, spider bites, cuts, bruises and burns – nobody said a camper trailer trip into the bush or seaside campground would be a, well, walk in the national park.

Be prepared for any medical emergency with a well-stocked first aid kit. Antiseptic ointment or wipes, sting relief creams and calamine lotion are essentials as are Band-Aids, tweezers, gauze pads, scissors and a roll bandages.

You may also include medications for pain relief (Panadol, Aspirin or ibuprofen), tablets to ease hay fever, diahorrea and cold and flu tablets as well as throat lozenges. Water purifying tablets may be useful if you are travelling into remote areas and use natural water sources if you have exhausted your own water supply.

A winch

Although this is only applicable to those travellers with a 4WD fitted with a front bull bar, if you are serious about your off-roading a winch will literally pull you out of a tricky spot.

Let’s say you misjudge the angle of descending into a creek bed and find yourself stuck mid-crossing or it rains overnight at your bush camp spot and you’re bogged in. If you’re miles from help and not travelling in a convoy, a winch can extricate you without having to wait around for hours and ruining your holiday experience in the process. Make sure you buy one that has the capacity to pull the weight of both your vehicle and your camper trailer.