Tips And Tricks For Camping, Overlanding Or Roadtripping

August 20, 2019 Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries / Musings

Every trip has unique challenges, and it’s impossible to plan for every eventuality, especially when space is at a premium. African roads are often poor; always keep that in mind.

Here are some of the things I learned on this trip to help you feel confident and in control of your planning.

Less is more.
When catering, have a menu. Some frozen meals are a great convenience.
Only pack the ingredients you need
Measure portions accurately
Don’t pack for every eventuality; check the weather beforehand and bring versatile clothing like waterproof jackets and layered wear for unpredictable conditions.
Pack half the things you have selected.
Have a bucket with a secure, airtight lid and do laundry while you drive. (Like the old-fashioned “steri-nappy” bucket) Have a washing line and pegs.
Have a good supply of common cold and flu remedies, e.g. hot toddy (ginger powder, brandy, honey, lemon juice, Panado); keep ingredients as medicinal!
Take an antibiotic like Zithromax
Share duties with other folk in your party
A fridge can only take so much. Do not overstock it.
Glass, plastic and even paper have a short shelf life on bad roads
Pack everything securely
Storage boxes are great, e.g. next to the bed for books, iPad, phone, spectacles
Storage bags for clothes (great when you’re travelling overseas too), e.g. for shirts, pants, underwear, cardigans, swimwear, socks, etc.
Containers for everything that goes into the fridge, e.g. butter, eggs, vegetables, fruit, sauces, condiments; make the fridge easy to clean if there are spills.
Contain the mess. Round containers waste space. Use square or rectangular containers.
Having a crisper for lettuce was great, as we had nice crispy leaves throughout our trip
Tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocados rolled up individually in a kitchen towel and stored in a large container where they can’t get squashed keeps them fresh and unblemished for weeks.
Bananas kept in the fridge work well. The skins darkened, but the flesh was perfect
Pack groceries into containers once again to contain the mess, e.g. rice, flour, condiments; if it can break or spill, get it into a container.
Make portions and contain the ingredients together, e.g. for bread – flour, yeast, salt, bi-carb, baking powder into one container measured so that you don’t cart around extra ingredients.
Make a detailed menu and stick to it, which can help you feel prepared and excited for each day's adventures.
Print the menu and keep it in a file
Make a list of groceries packed into storage boxes or drawers. Save time looking for things
Don’t take more snacks than you’re used to eating. You won't run out of food, and you won't starve. Stick to your normal eating habits.
Biscuits, rusks and chocolates – take only as many as you’re going to use, e.g. 2 rusks per day x 10 days = 20 rusks, not 5kg.
Hot water bottle – fill it at home and reuse the water
Anything that can be soaked in Jik is good.
If you’ve not used something packed for a previous trip, get rid of it.
Make a list of the things you need and restock once home
A roll of towels is a must. Keep in a container. Toilet paper in a container, too.
Lighten everything you have; if it’s not light and manoeuvrable, replace it.
E.g., our director’s chairs weigh 2kg; we can take them everywhere.
Have a lightweight spade.
Get a rechargeable fire lighter; it’s amazing! ELECTRIC ARC CANDLE LIGHTER WITH LED TORCH – the perfect gift for a camper or for Dad.
I love my Instax camera – like an Instamatic camera, I took a photograph every day, and it was great to have a hard copy instead of everything on discs! They are expensive, and the films aren’t cheap, but it's fun and a treat.
Take things to do: games, cards, knitting, crocheting, books- especially books relevant to the place you’re going to; it's fun finding facts and having them at hand. E.g., a mammal book; we could read all about the African Wild Dogs. Paw prints and scat are also good, as animals can be nocturnal, and it's fun to see what was about during the night. Don't pack the games you hate or never play. You won't play it on your trip either.
If you're able to identify animal tracks, look out for cats on morning drives
BOOKS: Trees and bird books are a must as we try to identify birds and make a checklist (we have the Robert’s Bird App and the Sasol Birds on our phones)
Maps are always useful in parks.
Download the apps. iOverlander is a great camping App
Set your Garmin GPS well in advance to lessen stress levels. Trackss4Africa is excellent.
Maps.me is an excellent app as it works when you're offline
A kikoi can double as a wrap, scarf, shawl, towel and even a tablecloth. Take one or two
Check vehicle and trailer licenses to ensure peace of mind and avoid last-minute surprises.
Check your driver's license expiry date
Make sure you have all relevant documents in order, in a file ready to display.
Make copies of passports and driver's licenses.
Most destinations have Facebook pages e.g. Drive Moz, Drive Bots, etc.); join the groups, read threads for the latest info or ask questions.
Always have a hat. I have to have a wide-brimmed hat; it serves as my sun visor, as our windscreen is so large and I am shrinking with age!
We love our Nespresso mugs; they are very well insulated to keep hot drinks hot and cold... well, cold.
I must confess that I download movies from Netflix onto my iPad, which I watch at night when everyone else sleeps. I wear earphones and crochet. Multitasking. Bush Purists won't approve, but then they aren't insomniacs, and I heard the lions first.
A lightweight hammock is a must. I need to get one still.

The Rolls Royce of thermal containers must be YETI; if you can put your finger on one of their products, GO FOR IT!

---oOo---

OUR MENU:

·       Sunday 21st BUTCH AND SUE BRAAI. Chops and Wors, Salad and Potato dish

·       MONDAY 22nd LUNCH: Leftover braai and salad SUPPER (Butch and Maricha) – Curried Tripe, Rice, Pumpkin Fritters. Flambé Peaches and Cream

·       TUESDAY 23RD LUNCH: Brawn, saladings, cheese and condiments

·       WEDNESDAY 24TH SUPPER: Vegetarian Pasta (Ratatouille. Add Pasta Sauce and Anchovy Olives) Jelly and Custard

·       THURSDAY 25TH LUNCH: Spanish Omelet

·       FRIDAY 26TH SUPPER: Steak Braai, Mushroom and Cannellini beans in cream sauce. Salad. Chocolate Mousse, Berry Coulis, Cream or Custard

·       SATURDAY 27TH LUNCH: Curried Fish and salad (make a Tapas salad with leftover saladings) BULGAR WHEAT AND DATE SALAD. ( or Smoked Salmon and cream cheese )

·       SUNDAY 28TH SUPPER: Pork Belly, Apple Sauce, Mushroom Risotto, Butternut, and Salad. Ginger Souskluitjies and Ice Cream

·       MONDAY 29TH BRUNCH: Scones, cream, and leftovers

·       TUESDAY 30TH SUPPER: Oxtail, Polenta and Beetroot. Pineapple and Ginger biscuit pudding

·       WEDNESDAY 31ST SUPPER: Confit of duck, creamed spinach and any leftovers. Chocolates

TO BUY EN ROUTE:

STEAK

BUTTERNUT

CHOPS AND WORS

BILTONG AND CHILLI BITES

Finally, print and keep a user’s manual for your appliances. I didn’t have a user’s manual for my convection oven, which made it impossible to use. Now I have one, and I've used it a few times. Bliss! It was perfect for heating our scones.

Being organized and planning a trip is part of the fun. To-do lists are the sign of something or other, but they're a godsend when you're packing. Making lists that break things into stages is great too. e.g. 1 month before trip: check passports, vehicle licenses; 2 weeks before trip: see the dentist, get medications; 1 week before trip: start putting clothes, etc out. And so forth. I much prefer running around like a scalded cat before my trip, knowing that I’ll be able to relax once I get into the Honey Badger.

I hope you can find a trick or two from my list. Happy traveling! In a follow-up blog, I'll give some of my recipes, and I'll try to persuade Sue to part with some of her delicious recipes too.

P.S. Please leave me a tip or two in the comments below!