Keeping warm this winter

Coffee

Ditch the cup of instant; upgrade to a top-notch coffee without the fuss. You’ve probably seen someone use an AeroPress (the weird, giant-syringe-looking device that sits on top of a mug). It may look complicated, but after the first use you will see it is easy to use and clean. Taking about 30 seconds to prepare, plus a minute or two for the coffee to brew in it, this portable plunger will turn pre-ground beans into a coffee that rivals your local café.

Warm lunch

Several years ago, every 4wd-er in Australia seemed to add this small silver box to their setup. It is the Travel Buddy, a 12v oven that allows you to cook up meals on the go.

They are Australian made and are recommended for those with a dual-battery setup. You can still use them off your starter battery, but I would recommend having the engine running. There are cheaper brands on the market but for the $20-ish difference, Travel Buddy is the best option for the warranty and the customer service.

Boiling water

Toss out that crusty old plastic kettle (and do not look inside it!).

Get yourself a JetBoil Flash. Powered by a little butane cylinder, these jet stoves can boil a litre of water in less than a minute, are easy to use, and pack down into itself so they take up no space. Over the years I have used mine for much more than just boiling water. For instance, they are an excellent instant 2-minute noodle cooker when camping.

As the JetBoil brand has been around for years, there is a myriad of accessories that can turn this stove into a full cooking system.