Snowys Camping Show

Perched in an Inspired Overland Trailpeak atop Ben's car (take two, after audio gremlins claimed the first!), Ben and Lauren zip up season 6 with a look back at its biggest hits. From down-to-earth chats with Bushman Fridges and Trangia to the 12V appliances episode that split the comments section – our gear gurus unpack what you watched, what you debated, and what they loved most. Along the way, Lauren returns from the Larapinta Trail with desert storms, wildflowers, and a hard-won lesson in trail food, while Ben stands by the four beers in his hiking pack.

Then, it's down to business: two 12-episode seasons a year with recording blocks in between – meaning fewer episodes, but better ones. Be it road tests you want run, interviews filmed on location, or your own rig in the hot seat – tune in for how you can help shape what's coming, the lowdown on the lightweight 38-kilo Trailpeak, and a tight-lipped teaser of the special episode landing in November, before the new season rolls out in early December.

00:00:00 - Intro: Recording from a Rooftop Tent
00:01:35 - Season Highlights: Bushman Fridges and Trangia
00:04:06 - Our Most-Watched Episode: 12V Appliances
00:05:29 - A Moto Guzzi Interruption (and Motorcycle Touring)
00:07:24 - 12V Power Draw and Our Most-Commented Episodes
00:09:25 - Lauren's Larapinta Trail Wrap-Up and Trail Food Lessons
00:14:37 - Why We're Changing: Fewer Episodes, Better Content
00:18:09 - What's Next: November Special and December Return
00:20:28 - The Inspired Overland Trailpeak Rooftop Tent
00:26:07 - Call-Out for Your Ideas and Season Wrap-Up

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Fresh from filming some new gear in the wild, Ben and Lauren sit down with Zempire's brand engagement guru James - a Toronto-born, bad-weather-loving New Zealander - to unpack the why behind the brand's kit. This isn't a spec-sheet sales pitch; it's a candid chat about building to a priority, not a price point. From the pioneering air-textured yarn behind the Shape Shifter to the pop-up ease of the Aerospeed, the return-rate maths on air poles versus hard poles, and a sneak peek at a brand-new chair range, a redesigned multi-gas cooker, and a pint-sized Hexolite table — our gear gurus get to the heart of what makes Zempire tick.

Be it packability, durability, or camping that's for everyone — tune in for the philosophy behind the products!

Timestamps

00:00 - Welcome back to the Snowys Camping Show

00:47 - Meet James, Zempire's brand engagement guru

01:28 - Why Zempire went all-in on air

04:36 - From Toronto to New Zealand: James' backstory

07:22 - What 'brand engagement' actually means

08:02 - Talking the 'why', not the spec sheet

10:29 - Designing the new chair range from scratch

11:53 - The Hyperfold: one bag, a lot of chair

16:24 - Cooker 2.0: slimmer, multi-gas, smarter burners

21:52 - Hexolite tables and the new compact 60

31:05 - Shape Shifter: the tent that grows with you

32:30 - Building to a priority, not a price point

43:28 - Future-proofing your kit and the base system

47:37 - Air poles vs hard poles: the return-rate reality

51:11 - What's next in Zempire world

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https://www.snowys.com.au

Two and a half weeks, 223km, and a whole lot of honesty about what actually happens on trail.

In this episode Ben turns the mic on his co-host Lauren, who's about to walk the Larapinta Trail - 223km from Alice Springs to Mount Sonder with two colleagues over 14 days. They dig into the gear debates that actually matter (trail runners versus boots, three wildly different backpacks between the group), the sleep system upgrades that finally made multi-day hiking bearable for Ben, and the practical realities of toileting, safety, and staying calm about snakes.

Tune in for a genuinely candid conversation about preparing for a long trek, whether you're a first-timer feeling intimidated or a seasoned hiker fine-tuning your kit!

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100 years, one factory, and a stove design nobody's been able to improve on.

From a small Swedish village called Trångsviken to a factory that's shipped over a quarter-million burners a year, in this episode Ben and Lauren sit down with Magnus Rydel, CEO of Trangia, to unpack a century of doing things the slow way on purpose. They dig into why the brass spirit burner hasn't meaningfully changed since the 1950s, how a scrap of aluminium punched from one part becomes the lid on another, and the story behind the brand's most unlikely bestseller: a glittery pink windshield born from a 9-year-old's note in a suggestion box.

Tune in for an hour of manufacturing philosophy, fuel-safety myths busted, and a genuinely lovely reminder that not everything needs to boil water faster!

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Turns out the cheapest mod you can make to your rig doesn't cost a cent.

From a fuel price shock that pushed regular unleaded past $3 a litre to reworking your entire weekly shop, in this episode Ben and Lauren strip fuel economy right back to basics. They dig into why weight is the single biggest lever you can pull on any trip, how one multi-purpose camp oven lid lifter can replace three separate tools rattling around your kit, and why the smartest fuel-saving habit might have nothing to do with your car at all - it's what you do with your bike, your kids' public transport cards, and your online shopping cart in the weeks before you even leave.

Tune in for a genuinely useful hour on stretching your fuel budget further, no fuel additives or dodgy chip tunes required!

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The quiet achiever of the camping fridge world finally steps into the spotlight…

From wire-on-tube heat exchangers straight out of Nan's old Kelvinator to a 35L base that expands into a 52L weekend beast -- in this episode, Ben and Lauren unpack the quiet achiever of the camping fridge world with the man who's lived and breathed the brand for over a decade. They dig into why a swappable wiring loom beats a fancy touch panel, how steel construction outlasts plastic in the harsh Aussie sun, and why Bushman would rather you call them about your dodgy DIY mod than void your warranty over it.

Tune in for an hour of fridge philosophy, real-world efficiency tips, and proof that sometimes the most underrated gear is the stuff that just quietly gets the job done!

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From a one-trick water-boiler to a whole new way of cooking at camp…

JetBoil is shaking up the kit you thought you knew. Fresh off last year’s chat with Mike Hebert, Ben and Lauren welcome JetBoil’s International Sales Manager Nicole Walburn into the studio to unpack the brand’s biggest range refresh in years. From the Flash 1.8L that quietly steps in for the much-loved Sumo, to the all new Trail Cook stoves, and the ever-popular Genesis two-burner — our gear gurus dig into what’s changed, why it’s changed, and which JetBoil suits the way you actually camp. Along the way: regulated vs unregulated stoves, the great Mini Mo loyalty debate, the truth about ceramic coatings, and even the wartime backstory behind Duck Camo.

Be it a fast-boil purist, a backcountry chef, or a car camper after one clever stove that does it all — tune in for the full rundown on JetBoil’s 2026 lineup!

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Pocket-sized, brick-shaped, and punching well above its weight…

it’s the little four-wheel drive that’s built a cult following. In this episode, Ben and Lauren pull up a chair with Snowys’ OG ambassador James — better known online as Jimmy Chimney — to unpack five years of thoughtful mods, hard-won lessons, and the fine art of camping out of a car barely bigger than a shopping trolley. From slimline lithium setups and lightweight rooftop tents to GVM headaches, roof load realities, and cooking a proper feed out of a 20-litre fridge, our gear gurus dig into what it really takes to tour Australia in its most lovable little 4WD.

Be it a weekend warrior eyeing off your first build, a die-hard tourer weighing up the trade-offs, or simply a Jimny tragic who waves at every JB74 you pass — tune in for an honest yarn about doing a whole lot more with a whole lot less!

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https://www.snowys.com.au

Seven tents, five swags, and a fridge that moonlights as a weights bench...

It turns out even the most seasoned gear gurus aren't immune to a good old camping hoard! In this episode, Ben and Lauren throw open the shed doors and take an honest, hilarious inventory of the gear they can't quite bring themselves to part with - from sentimental scout-era stoves and hiking packs that haven't seen a trail in years, to duplicate eskies, eleven mugs, and enough camp chairs to seat a small army.

Be it the surprisingly relatable logic of keeping a broken fridge, the case for holding onto your eighth sleeping bag, or the moment Lauren admits she has more tents than she has weekends to use them - tune in for a candid, laugh-out-loud conversation about the gear we accumulate, the reasons we justify keeping it, and why sometimes the hardest part of camping isn't the hike... it's the shed!

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200 Episodes, 5 Secret Sounds, and a Whole Lot of Gear to Give Away!

It's our 200th episode -- and we're celebrating the milestone with something a little different... A Secret Sound! Ben and Lauren reflect on five years, four studios, and nearly a million YouTube views, before diving into the stats (you've listened to us for 150,000 hours!), the standout episodes, and the moments that have made the Snowys Camping Show what it is today.

From the ghost camping crackdown that sparked 300+ comments, to the interviews that stuck with them most -- it's a look back at the people, the gear, and the banter that's kept the conversation going for 200 episodes strong. Be it a JetBoil Trail Cook 2.0, a Sea To Summit sleeping mat or the Cybertake Air Conditioner grand prize up for grabs -- listen in, guess the sounds, and you could be walking away with some seriously good gear!

More details here - https://www.snowys.com.au/blog/podcast-200-episodes-giveaway-special/

0:00 – Welcome to Episode 200!
2:01 – Introducing the Secret Sound competition and how to enter
5:01 – Show stats – nearly 1 million YouTube views and 150,000 hours watched
7:07 – Most viewed episode of all time (Ep. 78 — Australian Camp Oven Festival)
7:40 – Most commented episode – the ghost camping crackdown
8:28 – Ben and Lauren’s favourite episodes and guests
13:50 – Our cameraman Larry (doesn’t) show his face on camera
14:25 – How the giveaway is going to work
19:38 – Prize 1: Cybertech S2 Portable Air Conditioner & Heater
21:19 – 🔊 Secret Sound #1 – guess to win!
23:08 – Prize 2: Sea to Summit Circuit Down Sleeping Bag (-9°)
24:35 – 🔊 Secret Sound #2 – guess to win!
26:22 – Prize 3: Gerber Complete Cook Set
30:35 – 🔊 Secret Sound #3 – guess to win!
32:48 – Prize 4: Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe Double Sleeping Mat
36:52 – 🔊 Secret Sound #4 – guess to win!
37:49 – Prize 5: JetBoil Trail Cook 2.0
41:30 – 🔊 Secret Sound #5 – guess to win!
42:33 – All 5 sounds played back-to-back
44:20 – How to enter – comment by April 30, 2026, winners announced on Star Wars Day!

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Head to snowys.com.au for all your gear needs:
https://www.snowys.com.au