The Australian startup that's redefining the camping experience

If the concept of camping sparks visions of screeching kids and sardine-like living, then perhaps it’s time to reconsider what camping can look like.

As commercial caravan parks and national parks busy themselves for a summer of campers passing through, it can be tough finding a piece of land to pitch your tent on that’s both private and peaceful.

In 2013, NSW-based James Woodford and Prue Bartlett saw a need for quieter camping and met it with what they consider a “new frontier” in the camping experience.

YouCamp was the idea; a platform that allows land owners to advertise their properties for campers to find retreat in. Since then, 650 properties providing about 10,000 campsites have advertised on the platform.

For Melbourne-based Vita, a mother-of-two who has her property in the Otways listed on the site, it’s all about reconnecting people with the origins of camping.

“We are huge nature lovers. We have two boys ourselves, aged seven and eight, and our motto in the family is ‘less screen, more green’. We do everything we can to immerse our family in nature because we know how transformational that is for us,” she says.

She realised they could open up their property to others after her family and friends came to visit and noted how rejuvenated the property made them feel.

“You surrender all the crap that goes on back home. People are just frantically busy, so it’s nice just to slow down and breathe, be quiet and observe.

“We were really blessed and moved by the energy there; we wanted to share it with others.”

Noting their property sits on a “spectacular piece of land … rich in diverse wilderness”, Vita says the place keeps her family “sane”. So, why couldn’t it have the same effect on others?

Vita believes the YouCamp concept is completely re-defining the camping experience.

“You don’t feel nature in the caravan parks; you have a different experience. You’re a little like a battery hen. We have tried them with our kids, but we didn’t feel relaxed.

“If people want to connect with the whole purpose of camping, they need to get back to the land. It’s about abandoning the complexity of city life and coming back down to nature.”

According to camping-enthusiast Chloe Grabham, who has used the platform “at least 10 times”, there’s something special about a camping experience that involves locals, too.

“If I go camping, I don’t want to drive hours away to a spot only to find its already full or you’re camping in an area surrounded by other campers all on top of each other. I love that that you can secure a campsite, look at the photo’s beforehand and know what your adventure is going to look like,” she says.

“It’s encouraging people to get out there and explore some amazing sites in new locations. Being able to have a chat with the owners is a great way to learn more about the area, and for some owners what it is like to live off the land. YouCamp is redefining the camping experience by bridging that gap of accessibility of campers and incredible hidden gems in hard-working Aussie backyards.”

While Vita is desperate to “share the magic” of her place in the Otways with everyone, she notes there is an important difference in using You Camp and camping in a caravan park.

“The important difference between YouCamp and going to a caravan park is that people need to come with real mindfulness and not expect facilities. They need to expect that [they are] going to the wilderness, and be OK with that and be self-sufficient; to leave no trace of them being there.

“It makes you think twice about packaging, and makes you question what it is you really need.”