Equipment Outfitters

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

With or without its own toilet, a caravan is quite like a house in that it stays warm for a while after the sun has gone down. Caravanners therefore tend to remain up, talking and reading after dark for much longer than their friends who are camping in tents. When choosing a van, you should check whether it has a lighting system and power supply that will enable you to do this. Read the rest of this entry »

A question of Tent Size

Apart from the windows, the outer covering of frame tents is almost always made of canvas, with the roof of a slightly heavier grade than the walls. This traditional material is better than totally air- and watertight fabrics such as nylon and rubberised cloth because it `breathes’ and causes fewer condensation problems inside the tent. It does however have the peculiar property that while it is totally waterproof under normal circumstances, if you rub against it when the outside is wet from rain or dew, the wetness will begin to soak through. Read the rest of this entry »

Cuts

Cuts are not uncommon out-of-doors and are usually the result of incorrect handling of knives and tools. Sharp tools, incidentally, are less likely to slip and cause injury than blunt ones, so keep your sharp tools sharp, but covered.

Wash a cut well and, if it is very deep, press the edges together, and bind firmly. If a vein or artery is cut it may need to be tamped with the fingers until, as the clotting starts, the bleeding slows. Bad cuts may require stitching and puncture wounds, or cuts from rusty wire or farm implements, may need an anti-tetanus injection. Bad cuts and all puncture wounds should be seen by a doctor. Grazes should be washed to remove any ingrained dirt before covering. A light application of an antiseptic cream like Savlon may be soothing. Read the rest of this entry »

Settling in

Organization, having a place for everything and everything in that place, is the secret of a comfortable night under canvas. To save endless rummaging in the rucksack I unpack it completely and the settling-in routine usually goes as follows:

1 Find a site and pitch the tent.

2 Unpack stove, fuel and water and put on a brew.

3 Lay out pad and, after a good shake, lay out the sleeping bag to `left’.

4 Unpack rucksack completely, except for small lose- able items, which stay in top flap pocket. Read the rest of this entry »

Wild water and tidal currents

While rivers present a potential hazard to those crossing them in the shallows, there is considerably more risk involved if you choose to take to the water in canoe or small boat. Any water-borne activity requires, as a basic rule, that the participants should be able to swim, and wear life-jackets or buoyancy aids at all times when afloat. If these two rules are followed, then a soaking is the worst that can happen in the event of a capsize, unless the water is tidal or fast-flowing.

In wild water or rapids, there is a fair chance of being dashed against rocks, and attempts to swim against the current are likely to be fruitless. Read the rest of this entry »