Crikey, Australians make good gear.
With all that sun, loads of bugs, and the outback to explore, the Aussies know a thing or two about the outdoors. Whether you are going walkabout at home or away, no worries, get yourself some ripsnorter, beaut Aussie-made gear.
Why Australia makes such good outdoor gear
- It is hot: It gets very hot in Australia, especially in the outback. To avoid a lifetime of bad sunburns, they had to develop the best hats to protect themselves from the sun.
- They have cows: To make great leather goods, you need great leather. Leather comes from cows - and kangaroos sometimes too. Australia is cattle country with vast ranches, and a few wild 'roos scattered about too.
- Hot meets humid: Water and heat combine beautifully in parts of Australia to provide the perfect habitat for flying, biting - and annoying - insects. The fact that cattle were introduced into a country without dung beetles also creates the perfect conditions for flies, lots of flies. Realising that swatting yourself all day can hurt, a few unique Australians ventured into the swamps and rain forests of this vast continent to use themselves as the bait for the nastiest flying and biting insects known to man. Many hours later a small number of the few managed to come up with insect repellents which actually work. After all, what is the use of having an insect repellent if it does not work? No use at all is the answer to that.
- Australians love to innovate, especially when it comes to the outdoors: If you have ever looked up any 4x4 gear on YouTube, you will no doubt have come across lots and lots of Australian-made videos of Australian-made products. Where a love of the outdoors meets a high level of innovation and the willingness to try and try and try again - great products are dreamed up and made - and then tested in one of the harshest parts of planet Earth.
- Living with bugs and the sun everyday: For many of us, there is a clear divide between the outdoor products we need on holiday and those we need at home. In Australia, this line is blurred and bugs and the sun are a daily challenge, a daily reality, for many Australians. Plus, being that far south, the effects of the sun are that much more dangerous. Their products quite simply have to work and work every day. The good news is that we get to benefit from the fruits of the Australian way of life immersed in a sometimes less-than-friendly environment.
Shop our range of the best Australian-made hats and insect repellent
