With the mercury rising and inboxes overflowing, Australians are finding their cure for digital fatigue not in wellness retreats or silent monasteries but in pitching a tent.
A new national report by outdoor innovators ArcMate has revealed what many have long suspected: we’re heading bush not just for fun but also for therapy. According to the study, 44 per cent of Australians camp to mentally reset and feel more balanced, while over a third (36 per cent) see it as a blessed opportunity to unplug from technology altogether.
Nature: the Great Australian Antidepressant
Our collective yearning for calm seems to lead straight back to nature’s front door. Some 65 per cent of respondents said they camp to spend time in nature, while 55 per cent cite quality time with family and friends as their chief motivation.
The findings echo what health professionals have been quietly recommending for years. Queensland Health advises spending at least 120 minutes outdoors each week, noting that even half an hour in nature reduces depression risk by 7 per cent, a striking return on investment for anyone burdened by deadlines and digital clutter.
(Source: Queensland Health – Nature and Health)
It’s no coincidence the camping movement has gained traction just as Australians feel increasingly tethered to technology. Constant notifications, work demands, and the irresistible hum of “being online” have stretched our mental bandwidth thinner than a tent fly in a storm.
The Kirklands’ Call of the Wild
For Cassandra and Michael Kirkland, co-founders of ArcMate, camping isn’t merely recreation; it’s restoration. Having taken their two young children on countless trips from toddlerhood to primary school, they’ve seen how the bush gently rearranges the family dynamic.
“After weeks of school runs, screens and to-do lists, our family feels lighter when we get out under the sky and around a campfire,” says Cassandra. “When we stop chasing signals and emails, conversations happen, and we all show up in a different, more present way.”
The couple’s passion for the outdoors inspired ArcMate, a business born out of a straightforward frustration: the stress of complicated camping gear.
“After countless family camping trips across Australia, there was just one thing that made the experience more stressful than it needed to be — the packing and unpacking!” Cassandra laughs. “In our early camping days, a single snagged zip or a stove that wouldn’t light could steal our joy. We realised the gear we use must be simplified so nothing steals the focus from family time.”
Michael Kirkland adds with a grin, “One night we got to camp late after sitting in traffic leaving the city for the peace of the countryside. It wasn’t until we’d finished setting up that we realised we’d left the gas bottle at home! We had our fire pit, but no cooking plate, so we had to improvise. Let’s just say our good pans didn’t survive.”
When Camping Goes Cold
Despite its romantic image, the data shows that camping isn’t always rosy. Bad weather has put 38 per cent of Australians off camping again, 28 per cent recall being too cold to leave the tent, and 13 per cent have endured gear failure that nearly spoiled the trip.
Such pitfalls, the Kirklands argue, are precisely what ArcMate seeks to remove. “When you’ve got so much gear to remember, it’s easy to forget something,” Cassandra says. “We’ve designed our ArcMate gear with this in mind, taking the pressure off those moments. Having a 2-in-1 firepit and BBQ that’s safe, portable, and easy to use means families can connect around the fire without the stress.”
Michael nods: “Our goal is for the gear to fade into the background, so families aren’t wrestling with setups or spare parts. You should be able to arrive, spark a fire, cook a meal, and feel ready for stillness. The ArcPit is not only easy to use but also convenient and practical to store. As the lightest portable fire pit on the market and one of the few that requires no assembly, it was born to make camping simpler and more enjoyable.”
The Science of Stillness
Modern science is finally catching up with what campers have always known: that nature calms the mind and resets the spirit. A growing body of research from the International Journal of Environmental Health to local clinical studies confirms that time spent outdoors lowers blood pressure, reduces anxiety and boosts self-esteem.
“Nature-based interventions,” as the academics call them, may sound clinical, but their effect is delightfully simple: humans feel better outside. Whether it’s the hush of the bush at dawn, the crackle of firelight, or the scent of eucalyptus on a breeze, these elemental cues remind us of something our ancestors never forgot: the world is bigger and kinder than the inbox.
A Return to the Simple Life
There’s something undeniably nostalgic about the modern camping renaissance. In an era of subscription burnout and 24-hour everything, switching off and setting up camp feels rebellious.
Across picnic tables and portable chairs, people are rediscovering what makes them human. Phones go dark, stories come alive, and no one mentions the Wi-Fi password for a few sacred hours.
For many Australians, camping has become a form of mindfulness with marshmallows — a reminder that contentment can’t be streamed, only shared.
The ArcMate Ethos
At its heart, ArcMate’s philosophy is grounded in an old-fashioned but enduring truth: families thrive when they spend time outdoors. The company’s founders aren’t out to reinvent the campfire; they’re simply making sure it lights.
“We’ve learned that families who play together stay together,” Cassandra says. “Our products just make that easier.”
In today’s frantic pace, simplicity may be the ultimate luxury. The solution might lie under a canopy of stars for those seeking to recharge without Wi-Fi or waiting lists.
As Australians look ahead to the long summer, perhaps the best mental-health policy is also the oldest: pack light, head bush, and let nature do the rest.
To learn more about ArcMate’s mission and gear range, visit arcmate.com.au.
By Karuna Johnson
About the Author
Karuna Johnson has one of those rare careers that could only belong to someone who genuinely loves travel. A Thai national with dual citizenship, she’s as comfortable swapping stories over street food in Bangkok as she is discussing strategy in a Sydney boardroom.
Educated in Thailand and Australia, Karuna speaks several languages fluently, a skill that’s served her well across a career that’s taken her through the inner workings of three Destination Management Companies and a string of hotels. She’s done everything from sales to admin, always with the kind of quiet competence that keeps things moving while everyone else still finds the coffee.
Her travels have taken her far and wide across Asia, Europe, and the United States, yet she still finds joy in the details: the people, the culture, and the stories behind every journey.
She’s worldly, poised, and precisely the kind of voice Global Travel Media was made for.
