It's not always 100% Aussie, but it's pretty close.

A small percentage of almost any Aussie made camping product comes from or has ties to an overseas company in some form, even if the product bears the official Australian Made badge. YKK zips are used in most quality camping gear but the actual zip is made in the US and there are no comparable manufacturers in Australia. The thread used to assemble material goods as well as components like plastic clips and metal poles are often sourced from an overseas supplier.

Kinetik Technology (KTI) design and manufacture EPIRB's and PLB's in Melbourne and utilise local industry, but while they build their own internal circuitry, many of the small electronic components used can only be sourced from abroad. Travel Buddy stoves are designed and manufactured in Bendigo, VIC largely from Australian materials, but a few components like screws, switches and thermostats need to be sourced from overseas. The canvas Blacksmith Camping Supplies use is made in an Australian canvas mill, but the cotton needs to be sent overseas first to be made into yarn as there are no yarn manufacturers in Australia.

Finding something that is 100% sourced and produced in Australia is rare, but by having an understanding of what the labels mean, you can make an informed choice if you are wanting to buy Australian products.

- John Andrews making Murchison River Swags in Geraldton WA for nearly 40 years.

Why buy Australian?

Purely to support the Australian economy, which is more important than ever during these challenging times. Buying Australian made supports Australian businesses, which in turn pays Australian wages and keeps those dollars in our country. Often, with our smaller more independent businesses, every dollar you spend with them contributes to the payment of family and household expenses.

Buying Australian also ensures confidence in the quality and safety of the product you are purchasing, on account of the high regulatory standards here in Australia. Australian products usually come with local product support and manufacturers are required to provide guarantees and warranties to protect the consumer.

You'll also be helping to reduce our collective carbon footprint.  Australia has strict environmental regulations which means our manufacturing processes are likely to be more sustainable, plus you are minimising the packaging and shipping resources required for imported products.

What brands are mostly Australian-made?

While there may be a load of small manufacturers around the country, these are the brands we at Snowys associate with and/or recommend.

These brands either produce predominantly Australian-made products or a majority of their product range is Australian-made, however, they don't all necessarily display the Australian Made logo.