Equipment Outfitters

Retrieving your boat from the water essentially reverses the steps you took to launch it. At the end of a long boating day, it’s a great temptation to rush through the procedure. Take the time to make sure that your boat is properly seated on the trailer, both for correct support and for balanced trailering. Also, pull the drain plugs at this time to drain any water from the bilge.

At the Pier

With an outboard, disconnect the fuel line and let the engine idle until it runs out of fuel. This prevents the formation of deposits in the engine. Read the rest of this entry »

Safe and easy trailering depends on preparation and practice. Once you know the basics, towing a trailer is simple. Backing up is more difficult. Remember that no one is a “natural” at backing a trailer, and even the experts needed time to master the tricks. Before you drive off to launch your boat at a busy ramp, take time to practice backing the trailer in a deserted parking lot or empty field. 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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

Camping is one of childhood’s greatest adventures, and the times you spend with your children having fun in a tent or caravan will remain in their memories forever and unite your family in later years.

The sheer novelty of it all and the fact that the whole world comes so much closer may have something to do with this. Whatever the reason, don’t hesitate when it comes to packing them into the car and going away.

Children take to camping like the proverbial duck to water, and apart from when fatigue overtakes them, the simplest pleasures still have the ability to carry them further, and in a more wholesome fashion, than the most expensive toys. Read the rest of this entry »

Bush Etiquette

Many people go camping to get away from it all, and expect to find the peace and tranquillity they are paying for. If you are visiting a nature or game reserve you can safely assume that everyone who goes there does so to experience the natural environment. You may come across ardent birdwatchers, reptile or plant enthusiasts, amateur astronomers and wannabe entomologists. In-between are people who simply love to wallow in the delightful chaos provided by Our Creator. Read the rest of this entry »

Ablution Blocks

The ablution block is often the central feature of the more established resort. This does not mean that it is right in the middle — it is simply the one place to which everyone goes at some time or other. In the bigger resorts there is usually more than one, and there will be a steady flow of traffic to and from the changing rooms, showers, toilets, laundry and washing-up facilities. You may find queues at crucial times of the day, and although people try to stagger their activities to avoid this, there will be times when you have to come back later. Don’t spend more time than you need at these facilities. Read the rest of this entry »

The rucksack in which you are going to carry all your equipment should be chosen with care. There are a great many different sizes and designs on the market, so have a good look at catalogues describing them. It is also a good idea to go along to a specialist camping shop and actually try a few to see if they fit comfortably on your back.

You will want to choose a sack which is large enough to hold all your equipment inside it, with the exception perhaps of your tent which on some models is meant to be strapped on underneath the sack. Read the rest of this entry »

The chances that while on a camping holiday you will receive an invitation to dine with the French President or attend the Hunt Ball are fortunately rather small. So all the “dressing up” clothes can be left at home and your outfit can be confined to the strictly practical. For winter holidays and mountaineering, high quality clothing is essential but for summer conditions what you wear is to a large extent a matter of personal taste. Read the rest of this entry »

Hardcore bungee jumpers soon began “sandbagging” to increase the intensity and height of rebound they received from the cords. Jumpers sandbag by holding onto added weight until they reach the bottommost point of the fall, where they release the weight. This method allows a 150 lb (68kg) jumper to be propelled upward with the stored energy of a 200 lb (91kg) jumper by releasing 50 lbs (23kg) at the bottom of the fall. Read the rest of this entry »

Thick, strong sticking plaster with powerful adhesive qualities should accompany you everywhere, but make sure you have some form of gauze to stop it sticking to the wound itself. Always carry a pair of sharp scissors or knife to cut it with, as it is almost impossible to tear. The stickiest plaster does not usually allow much air to penetrate, so you may also wish to carry a different variety that does. Read the rest of this entry »