Well, the last few months have been a roller coaster to say the least. A nightmarish roller coaster would be a fair description, although we are grateful to have so far avoided family tragedy. Our sincerest condolences go out to all the families of those who have been affected by COVID-19.
Both Nic and I have been stuck overseas for the last few months of the Coronavirus lockdown. The Cairns, Mackay and Brisbane shows were pulled down, bush trips have had to be cancelled, we have been split from family back home, and in general, life has been turned on its head in one way or another. Our story, or a version of it, has been the case for many Aussies battling to somehow keep their own personal, family and business ‘shows on the road’.
What is also worrying, possibly as much as the Coronavirus itself, is the official news of an economic recession in Australia and concerns about how that will play out. However, in the interest of not harping on about the negatives too much, who’s planning a bush trip?
We certainly are, and as soon as possible. As we write this newsletter, Australia is starting to open up with restrictions easing across the country. We, like many others, are absolutely chomping at the bit to explore the beautiful outback again.
Trip Destinations
One of our recent Facebook posts asked where people were planning to travel once the restrictions lifted. After glancing through the responses, it was interesting to note quite a high percentage are planning to visit the central Australian regions and the deserts.
Central Australia is one of our favourite 4WDing and camping destinations, and one that must really be feeling the pinch if they miss the tourist season altogether. So it’s great news for them if we can all get out there and provide some much-needed tourism before the season ends.
Where are we eyeing off? Well, we’re currently planning a trip on the Hay River track at the moment and honestly can’t wait to go. Planning a trip also means thinking about gear again, particularly what’s needed, where it all is and how to best get it in the car and get out the front gate on time.
Have you had a chance to refresh your camping storage at home during the lockdown? Check out our blog on becoming a storage master for some inspiration. It might save you a few hours spent rummaging through boxes and shelves when you can finally hit the road again.
Are you struggling to narrow down your next 4WDing destination? Check out our guides on these incredible spots in Australia:
The Ancient Landscapes of Etheridge Shire
Tips for First-Timers Crossing the Simpson Desert
Cape York Camping
Bushwalking in Hell’s Gate
The China Dilemma
Speaking of gear, as I was mentally going through my camping checklist and looking at the calendar, I remembered that I was up for a new torch. I did my research and had one in the online shopping cart, when Australia got a right royal spray from the Chinese Ambassador over the suggestion of a COVID-19 inquiry, and then treated to an 80% tariff on barley amongst other things.
This spray from China certainly hit a nerve with me and no doubt many Australians. It made me think a little bit more about where I was spending my own money and who was benefitting. First up, I deleted that torch from the online cart when I found out where it was owned and made. Unfortunately, after a lot of time spent searching online, it appears the other quality options are US made and very expensive.
The scary part of this little exercise was that as I researched through the various torch brands, I found out just how much stuff comes from China and just how many Australian businesses rely on it for their income. And herein lies the dilemma. If you ditch buying the Chinese gear, Aussie businesses will also suffer. It seems to me that they have Australia by the short and curlies … at least if we are not prepared to take the pain and don’t do something about it.
We all really need to think about it a bit more and buy Australian-made products whenever possible while pushing for more clarity on what is Aussie-made gear and what is not. We recently published a blog covering 10 Australian-made-and-owned camping products that are not only of the highest quality, but also support hard-working Australians. They need our support more now than ever, so check it out if you’re in the market for some new camping gear.
The Expedition Box seals
One of our customers recently gave us some negative feedback on our Expedition134 storage box, saying that he was having issues with closing the latches on his new boxes. In taking this feedback on the chin, our advice to anyone receiving their boxes for the first time is to leave the boxes with the lids latched down for 48 to 72 hours to allow the seals to bed in.
The seals themselves went through loads of different tests before we settled on them. The compound that we chose at the end of the testing process is a bit firm until it moulds to the lip of the box properly. The more you use them, the easier it becomes.
If you’re assembling your boxes for the first time, check out our handy instructional video on our website. If that middle latch is a bit difficult to close, use one hand to pull the lip of the tub up and out while pushing down on the latch and it will shut.
That’s enough from us, hopefully we can make it to the Brisbane Show (if the new dates align) later in the year. Take care and hopefully we see you out there.
OPEN SKY TOURING REVIEWS
from 51 reviewsStorage boxes are as described and very strong. Able to be sealed from water and dust. Very happy with this purchase.
Great storage for my camping equipment. The latches are super tight so I think they will be completely waterproof
Love the boxes... great product. You guys should be proud of your exceptional customer service... great support and advice with follow ups. Don’t get that anywhere else these days. Thank you
These Australian made Storage boxes are awesome for camping. Great design and well thought out! Love them!
Couldn't be happier with the Expedition 134 boxes that I purchased. They are a credit to their designers and everyone involved. Would thourghly recommend getting some. Finally an Ant, Dust and Water proof storage solution for all my on roof items
They are that good we just keep buying them, now have 7. Makes camping and travelling a lot easier. Used for all purposes including water storage.
Great Product
I've had a couple of these Expedition134 storage boxes for over a year now. They hold my camping gear, tie-downs, car cleaning products, photography gear, food, drinks, clothes and anything else that I can fit in them. I've traveled everywhere from the South Australian Coast up to central Queensland Coast inland and coastline on dusty roads, flooded roads and sandy beaches and the seal hasn't failed me yet. They store easily in the Ute with the interlocking lids, easy to colour coordinate between the interchangeable coloured boxes and lids, you can attach small ratchet straps to tie them down and padlocks in you need to.
For anyone considering purchasing new storage boxes, I highly recommend the Expedition134. Strong, weatherproof and affordable.
After many travels and more than a few camping tubs which didn’t last, we stumbled across these ripper camping boxes . I can not recommend highly enough. Super strong, easy to keep clean. We use every adventure and camping trip we go on. Strong enough to use as seats and steps into the Ute . We have a whole set of colours and brought more to set our young bloke up. Fantastic Australian company. Highly recommend you will not regret it.
I was set up with these cracking expedition boxes. I have the set of colors and also the mixed lids so I can differentiate what’s in them. Could not recommend these enough. Tough as nails, easy to clean and being able to stack them, they take up heaps less room on the Ute. All my mates want these boxes. Bloody choice!
We have been using these boxes for a while now and they are the best plastic storage tub I have ever used. Highly recommended them if you love the outdoors
These boxes are expensive. BUT, totally worth it. We were looking at buying a step ladder, another table, and trying to figure out how we store our clothes in a camper trailer for a year traveling around Australia. The solution to all these problems was a quad pack of Expedition 134 boxes. Camper trailer storage is tight, as anyone knows. With these boxes our clothes can stay outside and be dust and water free in any conditions. On top of that, they don't get in the way because we can use them for other purposes. And, if we want them off to the side, we can stack them up and put them anywhere knowing our gear is safe. When they're in the car we can stack them up and tie them down safely knowing the won't budge. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for the best possible storage solution for camping and caravanning.
Purchased 3 expedition boxes and we have used them a couple of times when out camping. They are at a very reasonable price, can fit our items easily (pantry items, cookware, general storage). I’ve used other storage boxes (pelican and rhino) and this by far exceeds any storage box - they are lighter, compact, easier to handle. Boxes sealed well and items were kept clean. Can highly recommend buying the boxes and also the straps that can be purchased with them.
I can 100% recommend these boxes. Pictures just don’t do it justice on how good the quality of these things are. Easy to stack,waterproof, can mix and match the colours, if you choose something other than this you are making a mistake! Just love the things.
Excellent cases! I've previously used military-spec spacecases obtained during my army days but these are equal to or better than the mil-spec. The material they are built from is thinner, but is obviously a better grade of plastic because it maintains its integrity exceedingly well. I bought four - one on orange to keep all my recovery gears, and three in black for clothes, toiletries, cooking gear and food. they stack perfectly and saved me needing to take camping chairs oput with me as they put up with my 110kg weight without any warping. Excellent after-sales service - my dog chewed two clips and they sent out replacements immediately! 10/10 do recommend for any function, whether camping or keeping your cyclone-tsunami-sharknado-coronavirus-zombieapocalypse food stores in, watertight and sturdily...
We bought an Expedition134 box for our 4wd’ing gear and absolutely love it. Sturdy, tough, and secure: we are confident using it for gear that normally would crack other plastic boxes, and it doesn’t twist or warp at all during use or storage. We will definitely be back for more!
Purchased 2 boxes and I highly recommend them. Easy to stack, tie down and clean and have used them on a couple of trips and have had no dust or water issues. Fantastic bit of gear.
We have 4 of your boxes. Been camping for 20+ years and gone through many storage ‘solutions’. These boxes are the ducks guts. Highly highly recommend!!!
We have 4 of your boxes. Been camping for 20+ years and gone through many storage ‘solutions’. These boxes are the ducks guts. Highly highly recommend!!!
I first saw the concept of this box may years ago, when I was working as Editor of Australia's biggest selling 4WD print mag - the boys sent me their 3D CAD drawings and outlined their features and benefits.
I was immediately excited by the idea and prayed that it came to fruition.
Fast-forward a few years and I was looking at my very first Expedition Box - wow, I was blown away.
They had met every single design target; lightweight, strong, UV resistant, dust and waterproof, lockable, stackable (and smaller stackable in storage with the lids off). Not only that, there are other awesome features like a smooth clean interior, unique corner tie-down points (for easy contents access without having to untie straps) and strap channels for traditional straps.
I am pumped by this box and its versatility. Nearly a year later and I am now the happy owner of two boxes (and recently four of their super-strong straps). I have put them through the normal bashing one would expect to give out bush on plenty of trips and apart from some minor scratching on the outside (lets call it bush-character!) they are still perfect. They have endured wind-driven rain and plenty of dust on my roof, never have I had a leak to the inside and my contents within.
Top job boys! Happy to recommend this wholeheartedly to anyone.
#australianmade
An Australian made quality product. Need I say any more. Have owned an Expedition 134 box for over a year now. Typically resides in my vehicle storing clutter however to date it has been utilised for multiple purposes - touring, camping, carrying goods across the farm. Never an issue with water or dust ingress. Only problem I have is that I need more of them!
We’ve just brought two of your boxes , we were originally going to buy an allubox, but after a bit of research and the fact that yours are Australian made , well that sealed the deal for us , we were very impressed with the quality and how quick it was , from ordering to receiving our order .
Definitely in our top 10 bits of camping gear
I have a set of these boxes and from what I can say is WOW! Absolutely brilliant!! The external tie down points are a great idea, everything can be tied down on the ute and still easily access the contents in the tubs with out having to untie every strap!
I use mine for cooking gear as the cast iron hot plate and cooker can bounce around in the box and I know that the box isn’t going to break on me like my previous cheap and nasty tubs! Highly recommend!
Need to start by commending open sky touring for finally providing a product we have been searching for.
For years of breaking plastic tubs, trying metal and having them rattle and drive me crazy or others that are overweight for their size. Finally have a strong box. Can use it as a seat, a step or a bench as the lid does not budge.
Zero water or dust gets in when it's on the roof or the trailer. External tie down points so you can still open the box without having to remove straps. It's lockable and durable. Well done. We have given this product hell and still in perfect condition besides scuff marks as you would expect but none look like ever rubbing through.
Looking forward to many years ahead of touring with these boxes.
Dave
4x4brothers
The night before we tackled the border track
I gotta say I'm absolutely loving these @expedition134 storage boxes.
We were in a national park so we needed to bring our own firewood. I didn't want to drive 2 hours with wood strapped to the roof & I wanted to keep the weight as low as possible as my hilux is already too top heavy. So I loaded enough wood for 2 nights in these boxes and stacked them on my back seat without any mess in my car. They are incredibly durable so I had faith that even though they were fully loaded with wood they weren't going to break on my during the track. Highly recommend them
I began looking for a secure storage box to protect my camera gear from dust and water while traveling out west. That is when I found the expedition134 boxes. They were perfect for the job. Not only did they keep my camera gear clean and dry they also kept everything secure as they are lockable. I was so impressed with them that I also began using them as a tucker box, clothes box and general storage for tools etc. I tied one onto the top of the camper and even after several thousand kilometers of dusty corrugated outback roads the inside was as clean and dry as the day we left. If you are looking for a touring storage solution then look no further then the expedition134 box.
I bought 2 of your boxes recently, to use in our camper trailer.
For 11 years we have used (multiple ) plastic tubs bought from Big W or Bunnings. Multiple tubs because, of course, they don't last. Normal camping use has seen them crack, dust get in, even some mice in our food box once.
So I recently bought 2 of your boxes and we packed them, using 1 as a food box and the other as a kitchen/cooking gear box.
We have been on a 2 week trip to the Warrumbungle and Pilliga National Parks in Western New South Wales.
Not the roughest roads this trip, but all our camps were very dusty and the odd rodent or odd million flies.
In our boxes each time I found, food or kitchen stuff. That's it. No dust, insects or mice. How good is that! Plenty of dust on the outside of them.
The boxes also changed the way I packed the trailer. Much better! They fit in great.
We used them as seats at times, and as a footstool.
Great boxes. Very happy with them.
Thanks,
Andrew Osborne
Absolutely one of the handiest storage items I have ever used.
Used to carry alot of the generic plastic tubs and they would break from being tied down, or leak and just didn't last the test of time. The Expedition 134 boxes have lived in the back of our Landcruiser wagon to stop loose items flying around and I also take one on the back of the Landcruiser ute for long trips to keep certain items safe and dry. The best feature is not having to untie everything to access the contents. Wont be buying any other storage containers
Just completed 20,000 to Cape , Central Qld, NT, SA outback, QAA track etc with 3 Expedition Boxes on the back of the Hilux. No dust , no water. Seriously good solution for heavy use , hard core situations
st purchased 2 of these boxes and we used them away camping. The conditions were very dry and dusty out there and not one bit of dust entered these boxes. The build and workmanship that has gone into these cases are well thought out and the weight of these are extremely light which always help when loading into a trailer or on top of 4wd roofracks.. They are extra strong and durable and I loved how you could have these tied down on your roof racks and still open the cases with much more ease with other boxes on the market and liked how you can lock these up from the underside of the box. Also a We had to use of them to store some water and drinks and we tried Ice in them and the drinks kept cool for 1 day placed in the shade. Well done open sky touring. Look forward to buying your new tie down straps when they are released.
Thanks for the super-fast delivery of the boxes! I’ve loaded them up for a quick weekender. I’m very impressed with them! Haven’t had a chance to fully figure out how to utilise them best, but so far, so good.Besides Barrington being 90% gated off to anyone, the trip went well. It hailed and stormed for about 30 mins which was interesting. I used the boxes as a step to get into my roof top tent, it’s awesome you can stand on them. Also, when I came back down to sea level, the seals were so good that they had almost sucked the lid in. Maybe need to put an equaliser valve in them…I love them though. I’ve been searching for a smaller box than my Trimcast ones for ages and this ticks the boxes. I’ll be buying more for sure.
These Expedition 134 boxes are so well designed and thought out. They are fully dust and water proof, square sided internally to allow you to pack them fully. They have a reinforced structure in the lid that has taken my weight at 140kg. Also the base is fully reinforced. They are stackable and lock together, they can be locked on every catch, strapped longitudinally or crosswise. Provision for strapping on each corner. We own 14 of them and use them when we are travelling in our caravan throughout Australia and to pack and store stock in at shows and Expos. They are incredible!!.
I’ve had my Expedition box for a few months now. It’s been carted around inside the car, strapped on top and everywhere in between. Most versatile box I have ever had. Really solid construction, keeps dust and water out no worries and being able to open when strapped down is a great feature. Have used it as a step, esky, food or recovery gear storage. Haven’t needed to use the lockable feature yet but it’s just another thing that shows how well thought out these boxes are.
First of all, I’d like to say congratulations on producing a top-quality Aussie product. I’d have to say the quality and finish of the container is very, very, good! I love the smooth internal finish, the look/feel of the container, the size, the tie down points and general construction of the container.I look forward to testing it against water and dust ingestion by running it on the back of my Can-Am Maverick SxS buggy, which is what I principally purchased it for – all other containers used so far have let in stacks of dust! I am quietly confident yours won’t! On a side note, used to own and run a 4x4 Accessory Shop so consider myself to have a LOT of experience with 4x4 products, the good, the bad, the ugly and the plain ‘how can you sell such rubbish’! I am a passionate 4x4 enthusiast, have toured Australia extensively (using products that range from great to absolute rubbish) and love everything 4x4 related, especially good quality products that make touring easier and more practical. Again, congratulations and well done on a well thought-out, conceived and tested product.
Received my Expedition134 box today. Despite being a little off the beaten track it found its way to be c/o Beagle Bay store up on the Dampier Peninsular, WA, which is pretty impressive in itself. When it arrived it looked just as good as I had expected, but actually feels more solid, so has exceeded my expectations. We travel with a Tvan and have limited storage space. This replaced what we call our 'Kitchen Box', which travels in the rear of the Tvan, and has effectively increased our storage space. The old kitchen box 'did the job' but this box does it better. When we set up camp the box lives outside on the ground next to the slide out kitchen. This new one won't collect the morning dew.rain on it's lid. We also no longer have the need to ocky strap the lid closed each night to keep the various bush critters out. Wife is very happy. As someone who likes everything we carry to have more than a single purpose, this new box makes me happy too. Aside from secure storage, it will double as a stool, meaning the folding one I currently carry will no longer be needed, and we now have an extra 'seat' when the odd visitor without their own drops by our camp fire.To be honest, I know it is 'only' a box, but I'm pretty stoked with it. Nice when you find something which solves several problems, is well made (giving confidence in it's durability) at a fair and competitive price. Good one people.