Equipment Outfitters

Since fire on a boat is second in seriousness only to sinking, you want to keep fire-fighting equipment as readily available as the vessel’s lifesaving devices. Frequent checks to be sure your extinguishers are properly charged are not wasted effort. Nor are drills in which everyone is made aware of what to do. Speed is of the essence when dealing with a fire aboard; calm and quick action is the best approach. Read the rest of this entry »

Although collisions between small powerboats tend to result in minor damage, be prepared to handle the results of more serious crashes. Besides the aspect of personal injury, the major concern is serious damage to the hull, either above or below the waterline, since a hole near there can sink a boat. This kind of damage should he repaired as quickly as possible and excess water removed from the bilge.

What to do after Boat Collision

1. Check for injuries among the crew.
2. Locate any leaks.
3. Stop the leak.
4. Heel the boat to raise the damaged part out of the water. Read the rest of this entry »

Going aground can result from operating in shallow water or from leaving your boat on a beach when the tide is going out. The situation is often nothing more than a minor annoyance and an embarrassment since it is usually easy to push the boat off or float it free when the tide rises. Nevertheless, after a grounding you should inspect both the hull and the engine carefully for even minor damage.

What to do when you Aground

1. Shut off the engine immediately.
2. Tilt the drive unit upwards. Check the propeller for damage.
3. Attempt to refloat.
4. Obtain help to refloat. Read the rest of this entry »

What to Sleep on

In a caravan, you’ll simply sleep in a bed. But for those who prefer the adventure of sleeping closer to Mother Earth — without sacrificing too much by way of comfort — there are a number of options.

Inflatable air mattresses come in single- or double-bed sizes. They hold a fair amount of air, so you will need some sort of pump to fill them. As they tend to be sturdy once inflated, they can usually be left that way. The top and bottom are kept in place with connecting strips inside, also determining the shape. Long-lasting under normal use, they are not designed to be used as a trampoline. Read the rest of this entry »

Shirts, Pants, Socks and Shoes

Camp-style clothing should be hardwearing and in a colour that disguises dirt. Fabrics that are easy to wash, quick drying and don’t need ironing are the way to go. They need to be quite colour-fast, though, especially if you plan to use a laundrette where the sorting is done by others.

Shirts with long sleeves (they can be rolled up if it gets too hot) will protect your arms from the sun while you’re driving. Buy them in a light, summery fabric such as polyester/cotton. Big collars can be folded up to protect your neck in the angled late-afternoon sun. Read the rest of this entry »

Headgear

It’s ironic that in eras gone by, when comparatively little was known about the harmful effects of the sun, hats were everyday wear. Today, however, it’s still unusual to see people wearing sunhats unless they’re on the beach.

The best hats for the harsh African sun have a full crown and a wide brim to keep the sun off your face and neck. An adjustable under- chin cord will keep your hat on in the wind and a fabric sweatband will absorb perspiration. Read the rest of this entry »

Dry Foods

The smaller collapsible cupboards that consist of shelf space only are as good for storing canned and dry foods as they are for storing clothes. The same goes for card‑board boxes, and these can be used in the usual way, opening side up.

Wet Foods

If you do not have a fridge or freezer, keep perishables such as milk, meat etc. in a cooler box. If you keep buying ice, you should be able to keep the temperature acceptably low. Pickling or marinating meat was an effective method of preservation before the advent of the freezer: vacuum pack the whole mixture in strong plastic bags (you can buy your own machine that does this) and keep it cool — it will not only last longer but will taste better as well. Vacuum sealable containers are particularly efficient if you exclude as much air as possible. Read the rest of this entry »

Clothing

In a caravan there’s usually plenty of storage place — the problem is deciding what to leave behind. But don’t leave behind your plastic laundry basket, especially if you are going to do a lot of hiking or have a small family and need to launder clothing every day. The basket can always be used to keep things from falling about while you’re travelling.

Plastic hangers are a good choice, as they can be left permanently in the caravan and won’t attract mildew. They are light and can be bought in packs of 10 or 20. Read the rest of this entry »

Caravanning and Camping Barbecue Units

Portable barbecue are becoming more popular among travellers as the designs become more sophisticated and the products lighter and more efficient. Kettle barbecue are a good example as they are lightweight and long lasting. They come in a wide range of manageable sizes and can be used to make a wide variety of foods. With the lid on, the air flow can be finely tuned and they are mercifully easy to clean. More important, they contain heat well and are considered a perfectly safe place to make a fire when there are non-permanent places available. Their ideal fuel is compressed charcoal brikettes, which are light and conveniently packaged. Read the rest of this entry »

Accessories — or ‘extras’, ‘options’, ‘non-essentials’ or pure luxuries — improve either the enjoyment or the efficiency of a particular activity or item. The range and variety is astonishing — as are some of the prices. And what is a luxury will; of course, depend to a large extent on what you are used to. Genuine down sleeping bags, for example, may be considered luxuries only under certain conditions.

Price is often the deciding factor when it comes to accessories — and what you are prepared to pay has _\a great influence on the price!

So take your time, consider each item and don’t buy anything that does not have some real use — that way you’ll amass a collection of useful equipment that will continue to give you pleasure long after you’ve finished paying for it. Read the rest of this entry »

Floating about the clouds without a care is a feeling that many would like to be able to enjoy. In fact, of all the extreme sports, this may be the one that has the most universal appeal, in its less extreme forms of course. By that I mean ballooning for relaxation, and not the limit-testing stuff like altitude record setting or distance record setting. Recreational Ballooning is an easy sport to try out, as most regions of the world have commercial operations of some sort. Read the rest of this entry »

The living area of the motorhome tends to be built around the front end of the vehicle — the engine needs to be accessible from various angles for servicing, and one of these may be from inside the cab. Access to the cab is made easier by the fact that there is already a side entrance, and in these cases access to the driver’s seat will be via the living area. Some cabs do not depart much from their industrial origins and access here is gained via an ordinary door on each side. Depending on the country of origin, many imported motorhomes have the steering wheel and door on the ‘wrong’ side for South African roads. While this is not illegal, it does mean that the driver will have to make allowances for restricted vision. If you don’t like the idea, rather buy a locally made vehicle. Read the rest of this entry »

The luxury motorhome must surely represent the ultimate touring vehicle. As a combination of large vehicle and caravan it offers the benefits of both, and allows the traveller the sort of freedoms one would usually find only on a yacht! Passengers, for example, are able to sleep comfortably stretched out while the kilometres speed by.

Modern motorhomes are made for comfort, lightness and aerodynamic efficiency — they’re certainly more evolved than their older relatives. The interior layouts are more sophisticated and well thought out and the specification levels are higher. Although a common complaint is that the smaller versions are underpowered, fuel consumption is an important aspect of touring; while bigger engines have more power and are more exciting to drive, they are very much thirstier. Read the rest of this entry »

The torch inside the sleeping compartment also serves for a last-minute check, when everyone is bedded down, to ensure that no insects have found their way inside the inner tent lining. Midges can sometimes be troublesome to city-dwellers with tender skins, especially on campsites near rivers and lakes, but once inside the zipped-up sleeping compartment they are usually safe from them thanks to the fine mesh from which ventilation panels are made. It is only a matter of remembering to dispose of any that have already intruded. Read the rest of this entry »

When travelling by car, a large family may have a little trouble stowing all its camping gear into the boot or tethering things onto the roof rack. But usually there is still room for one or two luxuries to be included and very few home comforts have to be sacrificed entirely. Space can generally be found for several changes of clothing; for bulky quilt-type sleeping bags; for chairs, stools, full-length mattresses and even for some of the ordinary, fairly heavy pots, pans and cutlery out of the home kitchen cupboard. Even the frame tent in which the family sleeps is quite generous in size. It is large and square and has all the characteristics of a small house, with ample headroom and separate living and sleeping compartments — by no means the minimum space that would be needed just for bedding down for the night. Read the rest of this entry »

Off-road riding is a popular pastime with many motorcyclists, and involves the dual-purpose trail bikes — motorcycles that are at home on both roads and the dirt. They are designed with greater ground clearance, greater clearance between tyres and mudguards, higher footrests, longer suspension travel and ‘knobbly’ tires.

It is an excellent hobby and can be a very good way of keeping fit. A tough ride requires a lot of physical strength and endurance. Read the rest of this entry »

Flysheets, groundsheets and A-poles

Although a weight of 4.5 kilos was given in the equipment checklist, some specialist tents weigh as little as half or even a third of that amount. This can be achieved nowadays by making them out of polyurethane- or silicone-proofed nylon, and generally standards of manufacture are very high. But the backpacker or cyclist should think twice before buying a tent without a tough, sewn-in groundsheet. A large protective flysheet which extends right down to the ground is also worth the effort of the extra couple of pounds. As well as making the tent less transparent, warmer and more rain and windproof, a flysheet with a front or side extension provides an undercover space in which to stow your gear or shelter your cooking apparatus during any bad weather. Read the rest of this entry »

Unless you are the sort of person who thrives on assault courses and marathon runs, carrying a loaded rucksack all day long or cycling uphill with heavy panniers is quite strenuous exercise. It therefore makes sense to get yourself reasonably fit before you set out on holiday and to experiment with carrying different loads over a period of several hours. Aching muscles are to be expected in the first few days of a walking or cycling tour however little you carry: you will not yet be fully in trim. But at the end of the holiday you want to be in the happy situation of not even noticing the weight on your back — not worn out and returning home in need of another fortnight’s rest. Read the rest of this entry »

Use of the Motorcycle Throttle

Smooth motorcycle operation of the throttle goes hand in hand with smooth motorcycle clutch control and machine appreciation. Harsh motorcycle acceleration can cause motorcycle wheelspin or wheelies; great for posers and fly boys, but bad for professional and caring motorcyclists, and bad for the general image of motorcycling.

Excessive use of the motorcycle throttle, when not absolutely necessary, is also very expensive. The cost of motorcycle fuel is always rising, so the less you open the throttle the better for your pocket. Read the rest of this entry »

Once you have arrived at your destination, check out the surrounding area for anything that might constitute a danger to your child. This can be anything from a communal braai area where hot coals are still burning to a large nest of biting ants. A nearby pool full of happy children is irresistible to any toddler, who may simply wander off to see what’s going on. Other children who may not have smaller siblings can cause unintentional trauma, and accidents happen quickly. Small boys racing around on bicycles may not notice a child in their path until it’s too late. If you see a dangerous situation developing, shout loudly to attract their attention! Read the rest of this entry »