Batteries and Connectivity for Australian Camping
Two of the most important investments for modern Australian camping are a quality battery system and reliable connectivity. Here is what you need to know about both.
AGM Batteries
AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries are the traditional choice for caravan and camping applications. Reliable, widely available and compatible with all existing charging systems. A quality 100Ah AGM costs $200-250 and lasts 3-5 years with proper use. Maximum depth of discharge is 50% – going deeper damages the battery and shortens its life.
Lithium LiFePO4 Batteries
Lithium iron phosphate batteries have transformed off-grid camping. 80-90% usable capacity versus 50% for AGM, 60-70% lighter, 2,000-4,000 cycle lifespan versus 300-500 for AGM. A quality 100Ah lithium costs $800-1,200 but provides lower total cost of ownership over 10 years of regular use.
Starlink for Remote Camping
Starlink has changed remote connectivity in Australia. Coverage now extends across virtually all of the continent including the Kimberley, Cape York and the Simpson Desert. Download speeds of 80-200Mbps, upload of 10-30Mbps and latency of 20-40ms support video calls, streaming and remote work from anywhere.
Starlink Costs
The Gen 3 hardware kit costs approximately $600. The roaming plan costs $190-220 per month with no data caps. For full-time or frequent remote travellers, this replaces multiple mobile carrier plans and signal boosters at comparable or lower total cost.