Two weeks ago we pulled into Steep Point — my first time there, dad's done it a few times — with a HiLux, rooftop tent, and a Polycraft on the trailer. It is the westernmost point of mainland Australia and about 180 kilometres of dirt road from Denham. Not a casual run. We have both done enough remote WA trips to know what a sorted setup looks like, and this one delivered. Here is what we packed for a remote WA fishing trip, and the thinking behind it.
What the Road Tells You
The Steep Point road is corrugated, dusty, and unforgiving on anything loose or poorly secured. Soft patches where you least expect them, and enough distance from Denham that you want to have thought through your fuel, water, and recovery before you leave — not at the turn-off.
We have refined our remote setup over many trips. The Steep Point run was a good test of it. Everything either earned its space or it did not come.
What Didn't Make the Cut
The extra kitchen gear. We have both been on trips where someone packs a full gas setup, multiple burners, and enough cookware for a week on a four-day trip. At Steep Point you are fishing most of the day. At night you want something simple and reliable — one burner, a decent pan, done. The extra gear stays home.
Oversized recovery kit. Recovery gear matters on any remote trip, but the Steep Point road is predominantly hard corrugated gravel, not the soft sand tracks that demand a full recovery kit. MaxTrax and a hi-lift covered everything we needed. The rest would have just taken up space in the canopy.
What Actually Made the Cut
The cold storage setup. We ran a fridge and a drawer freezer — both off the dual battery system in the WKND canopy. The fridge handles bait, drinks, and food for the trip. The drawer freezer is for the catch. We also carry a 12-volt vacuum sealer. Sounds like a luxury until you are three days into a good run of fish and you want to get them home in proper condition. It earns its space every time.
The rooftop tent. The Steep Point campsite is exposed — wind off the Southern Ocean, no shade, hard ground. Getting up off the ground makes a real difference when you are starting before first light. We pop it and it is set up. Simple.
A sorted water setup. We carry 70 litres in the headboard and two 20-litre jerry cans on the rear of the tray. That is well over what two people need for four days — drinking water, washing dishes, rinsing gear and fish. The 70 litres in the headboard keeps the weight low and central. The jerry cans are the buffer.
The right fuel load. Calculate Steep Point and back from Denham, add driving around on-site, and carry a margin. The two 20-litre jerry cans have covered it every time. We plan it properly — we do not guess.
What the Canopy Setup Made Possible
Everything above works because the storage system behind it is properly set up. The WKND canopy runs drawers and shelves with a place for everything — fishing gear, recovery kit, kitchen, tools. When you get to camp after hours on dirt roads, you open the drawer and take what you need. You do not move three other things to find it.
At Steep Point we were set up in under twenty minutes. That is not luck — that is a fitout that has been thought through. The same gear in a disorganised tub takes twice as long and twice the frustration.
The Short Version
Pack what earns its space. Get the cold storage right — fridge, freezer, and something to seal the catch. Calculate your water and fuel rather than estimating. And make sure your canopy fitout gives you access to what you need, not just a place to store it.
Steep Point delivered. The setup did its job. That is what a good remote fishing rig looks like.