I don't sell any of these nor do I receive any remuneration if you buy them, and I have not personally reviewed all of them, they are listed here to give you perspective
Introduction
this page is to give suggestions of what to take for a quick overnight car camping trip with minimal gear but reasonable amenity
this assumes you will be bringing appropriate clothing, personal hygiene gear, torch, lamp, etc
Hot weather
check for bushfires and potential severe afternoon storm conditions BEFORE going
if it is a declared Total Fire Ban day, you will not be able to use a gas stove or a solid fuel stove or camp fire
you will not be able to use a solid fuel fire if it is a declared Fire Danger Period and conditions exclude use - eg winds > 10kph
shelter
for hot nights, an easy fast set up spacious mesh tent is my preferred option as ventilation and protection from mosquitoes are the main priorities
for 2 people, you should aim for a 3P or bigger tent for hot nights
options include:
simple 2P mesh hiking or mozzie tent although this gives limited amenity
this is a standing height 4 door floor-less hot tent with a detachable large 2P inner tent with large dual mesh/fabric front and rear doors, and optional clear TPU front door (don't need this on for hot nights though!) plus 2 side doors and a rear door which sets up and packs up in only 5-7 minutes by one person (excluding guy ropes), has very easy to use 13mm aluminium poles and weighs only 7.5kg and is more compact than “Fast Frame” tents
although the fastest set up is with the included inner tent, I prefer to not use this but to use a 1P extra-tall 3f UL Gear TC cotton Kangaro inner tents for better privacy/ventilation options and it gives more separation from the wood stove
this will fit a king stretcher and allow plenty of head space to sit on it, or use a 90cm wide self-inflating mattress instead if you want space for a standard battery box at the end.
my favourite for a fast set up overnighter - maybe take a tarp and a few tall tent poles if heavy rain, using a wood stove, or to provide additional shade protection in the hot sun
if its a really hot night, replace the inner tent with your own 2P mesh tent or mozzie tent for even more ventilation
this can be set up very quickly without the Blockout fly to give maximum ventilation and view of the sky
if overnight rain is possible you have the option of quickly clamping a tarp over the roof, or, the more time consuming application of the Blockout fly
for extra mosquito protection you could hang a mosquito net, or you could take a 2P mozzie mesh tent to put inside it
NB. the 6P version gives more space but is harder to put up due to dual hub complexity and it is not ant proof as it has holes in each corner of the floor
for more amenity, one could go with a larger tent with a separate internal 2P mesh tent for bug protection such as:
the downside is it will take longer to set up (~12min excl. guy ropes and your own 2P tent) and the main tent does not have a floor so perhaps not ideal in areas where bull ants and other biting crawling insects are problematic
the upside is it gives plenty of ventilation and visibility options, excellent dual system mosquito protection, rain and wind protection options and you can have a shower inside in privacy if you take a shower hose, pump and bucket
don't forget the lithium battery powered fan/light
sleeping gear
good news in hot weather you don't need much
a comfortable self-inflating mattress plus a summer quilt if temperatures drop below 21degC and pillow
food, drinks and cooking
a car fridge is a fantastic addition to keep your drinks and food cool but you will need a 100Ah 12V LiFePO4 battery to run it (may need 30Ah per day in hot weather)
an additional esky without ice can be used to hold your cooking gear as well as cups, plates, cutlery, fruit, etc
assuming it is not a Total Fire Ban day, a hiking gas stove is probably all you need for 1-2 people
if you really want to cook a banquet then a larger gas stove may be your preferred option
take plenty of water if there is no potable water at the camp site as you will get dehydrated quickly
if taking a fridge or iced esky then you have a much wider range of foods you can take and the cold drinks will help you cool down if temperatures are over 35degC
Cold winter camping
check for major storm or potential flood events BEFORE going
when temperatures are mainly below 12degC throughout the day, you have the wonderful benefits of not having to worry about insects, mosquitoes, flies, snakes, and most other animals and you can generally use camp fires or wood stoves
the main issues are keeping warm and dry
in Australia, it is very unlikely you will be camping in snow conditions unless you go out of your way to do this in which case you will take additional preparations
obviously you will need to take clothing for the conditions including lightweight waterproof over-trousers and jacket are advisable in case you need to be out in the rain
if planning on a camp fire, you may need to bring your own wood (don't forget axe to make kindling, and fire starters)
in either case, a tarp or awning is advisable to provide additional rain protection
for those lucky enough to have a Winnerwell Nomad wood camping stoves or similar, then, you can really add to your amenity by having this inside your “hot tent” such as:
this is a standing height hot tent with a detachable large inner tent and optional clear TPU front door plus 2 side doors and a rear door which sets up and packs up in only 5-7 minutes by one person (excluding guy ropes), has very easy to use 13mm aluminium poles and weighs only 7.5kg and is more compact than “Fast Frame” tents
my favourite for a fast set up overnighter - maybe take a tarp if heavy rain or using a wood stove
this takes longer to set up than the Pomoly but does provide more amenity especially if weather is inclement and allows the use of a pipe oven on the chimney of the stove for easy baking and the ability to stand up and space for drying out wet gear, and you can have a hot shower inside the tent if you bring your shower hose, pump and bucket
this tipi tent is another option but does have the annoying centre pole, less amenity, less visibility and less space than the above tent but is potentially better in very strong winds and looks great
if taking a floor-less tent then taking a floor matting or rubber floor mats will be a nice addition so you don't have to walk on wet ground inside the main tent and these rubber mats or a tarp could also be used under the 2P tent to provide extra floor protection
tip you can just use a stretcher bed instead of a 2P inner tent as insects are not an issue - the 2P inner tent though does provide an extra layer of wind chill protection
sleeping gear
consider a stretcher bed to get you off the ground - especially if heavy rain is forecast and there is a risk your sleeping gear may get wet if the floor is compromised
a self-inflating mattress which has good R value thermal insulation is important
a thermal sleeping bag inner is handy and will help keep your sleeping bag or quilt cleaner
a sleeping bag or quilt of adequate insulation for your expected conditions
a summer quilt will be adequate with temperatures down to 13degC
a basic winter sleeping bag opened as a quilt will be adequate with temperatures down to 8degC and for lower temperatures you can add an extra layer such as a woollen blanket or the summer quilt
for freezing conditions, you will need a sub-zero sleeping bag
thick socks, head and neck warmers of different thicknesses to manage different levels of cold, and you may want thin gloves
if you really want to spoil yourself, you can also use a 12V electric blanket but you would also need to bring a 100Ah 12V LiFePO4 battery to run it
food, drinks and cooking
as usual, you will need mug, plate or bowl, cutlery as a minimum
for an overnighter in winter you don't really need a fridge or esky unless you really must cook up a meat breakfast or dinner (as a potential option without a fridge you could take frozen meat and let it thaw, however, washed eggs should not be left un-refrigerated for more than 2 hours as there is a risk of Salmonella, likewise soft cheeses should not be left un-refrigerated for more than 2-4 hours, however, hard cheeses will last much longer)
if you really need milk, take long life milk or powdered milk
for breakfast:
you can supplement it with cakes such as an apple slice or vanilla slice - these don't need refrigerating
instant coffee sachets work well in this situations - just need to boil up some water
for dinners, packaged soups work well to warm you up at night
a hiking gas stove is probably all you need for 1-2 people