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This is what I call my church . Here I teach friends the value of being totally quiet . The following view then has added value .

A short amble to the edge of the campsite for this view . Total silence rewards one with such experiences .

Ndloti, where is that? It looks amazing!

Neat camp site Ndloti. Were you a "Sammajoor" in the army? (Sergeant Major)

Senyetse , it is on private property I have access to very close to the greater KNP .

Rooies , I prefer to make a minimalistic sound and visual impact .

Rooies, he couldn't have been a Sammajoor...Sammajore don't make minimalistic sounds , they tend to be loud!!

Rumour has it that he was working for the Secret Service, hence his obsession with queitness

It's possible Rooies and I will ask him about that next week at the cricket...I understand he will be there collecting his order of 40 Buff Pies!!

Something special happens to a persons soul when keeping quiet at my church .
Birds that you have never heard call , you hear elephants approaching , galagos , nightjars ...

I have more the sufficient torches - at least 4
Also a spotlight which I use to scan for eye reflections when getting up during the night .

???

Here is a quick pic of our camping setup:



Latest addition is a 60l Snowmaster Fridge / Freezer, it works like a bomb!

Switchback , is that photo at Letaba or P/Kop ?

Forumites, this is a great thread and I'm hoping to learn a lot more from the experienced campers amongst you. My SO and I are keen Kruger park visitors and we always try and go at least twice a year, sometimes even 3 times a year. Now we want to try camping, this will enable us to stay for longer periods at a cheaper cost. Are there any links you can provide that would show what equipment we would need to take on a camping trip? Tents, gazebo's, tables, chairs, anything and everything you can think of that would be useful.

My advice is to first make sure that you enjoy camping before buying a lot of equipment , a lot of people kit themselves out fully and do not use the equipment after the first 2 or 3 usages , these pseudo outdoor types are a source of many bargains - I bought a hardly used 3 x 3 m dome tent that sells for around R3500 for a mere R1500 .

Once you are sure that camping is up your street , buy from dedicated camping equipment shops and not department stores for good quality equipment that will last if you want regular long term usage of it .

To start with I would recommend you snoop around a few campsites in KNP and see what the typical camper has on show .
Campers are often happy to share knowledge - I now have a rather bulky 3 way fridge which was donated to me over a fireside chat after a few Red Hearts .

Hi ndloti,

That pic was at neither of those camps - it was at Gariep, been camping all around and in Namibia etc, but April will be our first camp in a SANParks park.

I agree with ndloti, I grew up with my family doing 4x4 trips everywhere and camping as far as we go. When my SO and I started camping, we again started with the basics. Searched for a specific tent we liked, then better cooking equipment and now a fridge and a boma comming soon etc etc.

The basics would be: A decent tent (PS: Practise to pitch it BEFORE camping), good bedding (blow up matrass and warm sleeping bags at least), a table, camping chairs and depending on what you plan to eat, basic cooking accessories.

On the Outdoow Warehouse website somewhere is a camping list, I'll try find it. All our camping stuff is packed in one place so I don't have a list anymore.

Magazines like Weg, Getaway and SA4X4, to name a few, regularly publish a detailed list of every everything that you may need on a camping trip. It not only give you an idea on what to buy, but it is also a handy checklist when you start packing. It is frustrating when you want to use your torch and then realize that you forgot to buy batteries.

Happy camping