Written by Celine Louie
If you’re old like me, you’ll still remember camping back in the ‘good old days’…
Our station wagon would be loaded up with our heavy duty canvas tent complete with a million poles and guide ropes, that took so much time and effort to erect it’s a wonder more parents didn’t get divorced! It weighed a ton and took up the entire boot of the car leaving only room for the bare necessities. Windows down, heads out the windows (no seatbelts in sight!), we’d be packed to the hilt and on our way.
Ahhh the ‘80’s summer holidays, long days spent at the beach covered in colourful zinc, kerosene lamps dimly lighting up the surrounds at night, and an esky full of food floating in melted ice – it was all part of the adventure.
Once we grew a little older, we graduated into our very own saggy little A frame tents. With only two end poles and one zip in the middle they were much simpler to erect. But beware of the wind and creepy crawlies – there was no protection here!
Fast forward to the 90s when the lightweight dome tent became a game changer. Could camp life get any easier, we wondered?
It could and it did. In fact now we can expect most of the creature comforts of home to come with us. While we can look back longingly to those simpler days, our expectations of what makes a camping trip successful, have changed a lot.
Comfort is key. We want to arrive at our camp spot and get camping. We want cold food and drinks, an organised kitchen, flush toilet and to BBQ in bright, energy-efficient light in the evenings.
Technology and innovation have upped our camping comforts and checking out the neighbours set-ups and gadgets, is one way to work out ways to improve our own.
One person, who has no doubt been the envy of most of his camp trip neighbours, is Jason Hogan owner of Crazy Dog Canvas. A longtime lover of the great outdoors, with a creative mind that seeks out a solution to every problem, you’ll find no shortage of clever innovation in his camper trailer.
His super power involves being able to take a simple piece of canvas and transform it into something you never knew you needed. He simplifies camp life with his clever canvas contraptions, focusing on functionality and organisation.
His passion is evident in his excitement about one of his latest canvas inventions – the fishing rod holder.
To overcome the burden of transporting delicate fishing rods in vehicles- he’s attached his rod holder to the outside of his vehicle with a simple sail rack. It’s a handy bag with multiple uses, Jason explains.
“You can fit two two-piece rods down each end, and leave everything rigged up. Then in the center I’ve got a couple of pockets and a clear pouch where you can put tackle and items like your lip grippers and soft plastics, whatever you need, and then zip it back up and off you go.
“I saw the need after going to Fraser Island. It was such a pain pulling all the rods out and setting them up. As you get older, you get lazier,” Jason concedes.
“I saw a problem and then I thought about a solution to fix it.”
Jason hasn’t always been a creator of all things canvas.
It wasn’t until 2012, when he started working for a local camper trailer manufacturer, that he acquired the skills to sew canvas.
After a few years the opportunity arose for him to go out on his own. However, six months in the situation changed. Jason was left with a canvas business but no market for his tents.
He realised that if he wanted to be successful, he would need to diversify his product from what was already on the market.
His sewing skills became an advantage and gave him the ability to create products from a less ‘trained’ viewpoint and he was able to come up with sometimes unconventional solutions.
Jason quickly worked out that in a market dominated by overseas imports one must find ways to create a product not found elsewhere. His belief is that here in Australia, where the manufacturing of products is much more costly, there is no point in copying products that are already made cheaper elsewhere.
The key to success is in taking products already available and modifying them – a skill that comes naturally to Jason and has given him the ability to succeed in a potentially challenging market.
“For instance, to compete with much cheaper Chinese products we have to be efficient and avoid over-engineering designs,” Jason said
“We used to sew a bag out of six panels, but I came up with the idea to just use two panels where possible. Not only is it stronger, with less stitching to come apart, but also much more cost effective,” he explains.
A quick look inside his own camper trailer reveals another of his innovations – guaranteed to be an inspiration to others seeking to get better organised.
Attached to the inside of each door are his very popular modular canvas storage pockets that come in all sizes and fit a variety of purposes. Plates, cutlery, utensils, paper towel, and toiletries are secured in place, with everything at his fingertips while saving a whole lot of space.
However, as much as Jason would love to focus on creating something new, it’s always a fine line between doing what you love and keeping a business financially viable. The better part of his time these days is spent making canvas tents for larger manufacturers- working closely with local mob Dynamic Slide-On Campers and Sunshine Coast based Zone RV.
This is not to say that he has put his creations to the side, as it’s quickly apparent how busy his mind is – constantly looking to improve and create things most of us take for granted.
“I get bored quick, so I’ve got to make another product, design something else,” Jason admits with a smile.
“I can be one to go flat out at times when I’m creating, but then I have to tell myself, ‘hang on mate, you really should stop and set yourself up better’. I love systems and spreadsheets but I can be a bit lazy in the way that I’m not completely organised in other areas.”
Thankfully, even with Jason’s amazing brain, constantly firing on all cylinders, it turns out he’s human like all of us.
Now, imagine going back to those camp trips in the early days, and just think, if we managed to camp for weeks on end in our very basic tents, it would be no surprise that our newfound access to the outdoor comforts we have today, would make us never want to go home.
But as our modern world dictates that we need to work to keep up with the lifestyle we enjoy today, reality kicks in. I guess the one saving grace we have is that, thanks to the inventive nature of creatives like Jason from crazydogcanvas.com.au, a quick weekend getaway is easily achieved, given the incredible range of innovative camping products we have on the market today.
Time to get packing, and head to the great outdoors!
