Often when we go camping, we try to find a nice place away from it all, by a river stream or lake so we can take in nature’s beauty while relaxing and unwinding. Often, our car needs to be parked quite a distance from our campsite, so we need to carry all of our gear quite a distance from it to the campsite.
The best solution to this is the camping or beach cart. These collapsible and portable carts are designed to hold 50-100 kg of gear and can be pulled across sand, dirt, grass or any rugged terrain quite easily.
This makes transporting all the useful camping equipment you have purchased over the years a breeze instead of a slog. Here’s a list of some of the best camping carts in Australia.
| Outdoor Connection Off-Road Hauler | OZtrail Collapsible Camp Wagon | Wanderer Rugged Cart Beach Wagon | Kmart Foldable Beach Trolley |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Our pick  |  |  |  | |
Check price at Kmart | ||||
96 x 50 x 36 cm | 90 x 48 x 54 cm | 90 x 50 x 57 cm | 76 x 52 x 56 cm | |
Polyester, steel | 600D polyester, steel | Polyester, powder-coated steel | Polyester, metal | |
80 kg | 80 kg | 100 kg | 50 kg | |
9.5 kg | 8.7 kg | 9.8 kg | 8.4 kg | |
1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year |
Best Camping Carts in Australia
Outdoor Connection Off-Road Hauler
Best For Rough Ground
First up is the Outdoor Connection Off-Road Hauler which is a great sized cart that will allow you to haul all your heavy items from your car to your tent with little hassle.
The wheels of this cart are large and sturdy with a good grip that gives you purchase on even the roughest ground. The collapsible design makes for easy storage and transport when not in use and the strong frame will hold up to 80 kg worth of gear.
Everyone who has purchased the Outdoor Connection Off-Road Hauler has been overly positive in their reviews and this is a solid 5 star piece of equipment.
It will struggle a little in very fine soft sand, but they all do and while this one is a little heavy on the wallet, it is definitely worth the purchase.
OZtrail Collapsible Camp Wagon
Best For Firmer Ground
The OZtrail Collapsible Camp Wagon is a very similar design to the Outdoor connection, only its slightly smaller and considerably cheaper coming in at just over $100. It also folds ups neatly and easily and has a heavy-duty frame that can support heavy weights up to 80 kg.
Like the Outdoor Connection, the OZtrail receives glowing reviews from its customer base, with the same issue of not working great in very soft sand. This is a great purchase if you are more budget conscious and don’t want to spend too much.
This cart will keep on moving your gear around for you for years to come.
Wanderer Rugged Cart Beach Wagon
Honourable Mention
Wanderer has produced a sturdy beach cart called the Rugged Beach Wagon and at first glance, it looks very similar to the other models, just in red colour. Even though this cart can hold a massive 100 kg, it's actually a little smaller than the others, but comes in as the most expensive at $170.
The majority of reviews are positive, however, there is a good percentage of people that don't like it at all. The biggest issue seems to be with the wheels as they detach completely and have different fittings for front and back, making the set-up longer than the others.
The wheels have also reportedly broken by various means such as welds failing or axles bending. For our money, you are better off buying the Outdoor Connection wagon, unless you see this one on special.
Kmart Foldable Beach Trolley
Best For The Beach
The camping equipment from Kmart is surprisingly good given its price point and their foldable Beach Trolley is no exception.
While smaller than the others and not able to take the same weight (this one can only hold 50 kg), the Kmart Beach Trolley is nonetheless a very capable little cart that works well on sand as well as any other type of rough ground.
The reviews for this trolley are all quite positive, with the only negative that it is smaller than other models. It’s also worth keeping in mind that it can only hold 50kg, compared to the 80-100kg capacity of the other models on this list.
This isn’t necessarily a problem, as the price is less than half the other models, coming in at only $59, so in theory, you could buy two for the same price as the Wanderer and move more than twice the equipment.
This is a great buy for those on a budget, wanting a smaller cart or for people who love the beach.
What To Look For When Buying Camping Carts
The following considerations should be taken into account when looking to purchase a camping cart.
Size and Capacity
The size and capacity of your camping cart will determine how much you can move at a time. Generally the larger and sturdier the cart, the more weight you can carry.
The exception is sand and all three larger models have issues with the sand due to them being loaded up while the Kmart trolley, which only has half the weight capacity and is specifically designed for sand, performs better.
Wheels
The wheels are bearing the brunt as you pull these carts across rough ground and as such the wheels will make a difference to your cart’s abilities.
If there are issues with wheels breaking or being difficult to put together like the Wanderer Rugged Beach Wagon, you could end up with a load of equipment stuck halfway down a beach.
Other models like the Outdoor Connection or the OZtrail have more dependable wheels.
Again, if you plan on using your cart almost exclusively on sand, you might want to consider fitting balloon wheels, which are soft, low pressure wheels designed specifically for this purpose.
Accessories
Some of the carts also have extra accessories that can make them more useful, like an umbrella to keep things like an esky cool at the beach or drink holders to keep the sand out of your wine. The Wanderer Beach Wagon has these extras, giving it more flexibility.
Final Thoughts
Moving your gear and equipment from car to tent and back again is not always as straightforward as it would seem and a camping cart is the best way to make this easier and less painful, especially for heavy items.
A smaller cart like the Kmart Folding Beach trolley may be all you need and is great at moving gear around, even on soft sand.
For something with more capacity, the Outdoor Connection is our bet for a larger cart that can move more at a time.
Whichever way you go, a camping cart will make life far easier, surprisingly so once you have used it a couple of times and realise how much energy you can save instead of carrying everything.
A camping cart is a great purchase for making your life easier and allows you to avoid lifting too much, leaving time for you to relax and enjoy your holiday.
