SANParks.org Forums

The last thread was swept by mistake as it had not had a posting , wish whoever did so was as quick with some of the other drivel ...

So who is going / has been camping in a Sanparks reserve / has new equipment ?
Guess where this was taken ?

Nice set-up!

Tsendze 26

Tsendze it is.

I have 4 tents. One not worth talking about, a 20+ year old nylon 2man hiking tent, a 18 year old 4 man cotton canvas A-Frame and my canvas safari travel tramp for easy pitch one night stays.

I have travelled all over South Africa visiting many of the SANParks with the three mentioned. I personally do not use the hiking tent anymore, but it is still in use by the kids I take camping.

My only disappointment is the gazebo I recently purchased. It is a good make but not canvas. It has stood its ground in gale force winds but is useless in rain.

I also use a thermal electric fridge which I read many months back that you don't like. Mine makes a dreadful racket so I am in the market for a new fridge. Any recommendations?.

I cannot give any advice on fridges . Mine was exchanged for a good few fireside stories over a few Red Hearts , it is a 3 way fridge , I use it only on the gas mode - I have never even tested the 12v/220V modes - as I prefer camps without 220v , they tend to be quieter and attract those who can do without haird dryers etc - though I am amused that some folks pitch up with electric air pumps to inflate matresses ...

The 3m x 3m ripstop material tent was bought allmost new for R1500 , a bargain I had to grab , the gazebo is of the same make .

I neglected the packing bit till the evening before I left , and with a brand new car with 50 km registered and a removeable towbar that took a while to figure , I left home in the early hours . With this lot of untested equipment - I had not yet even tried pitching the tent - I arrived at Tsendze at gate closing time in March 2007 and managed to pitch camp without assistance , this after a fair amount of cussing born out of desparation , and I lit the braai fire at 9 pm .

ndloti, how much gas does your fridge use? (per day)
Does it keep cold enough on gas?

It keeps goods towards the bottom frozen , uses less than a bottle - the size just under knee height , you can see it above next to the fridge and cooler box - over 6 days .

so that size cylinder lasts for 6 days? not bad!
And frozen towards the bottom?

Yep , with minimal opening and isulation with a space blanket against sunlight .

Ndloti, your struggling with "untested equipment" reminded me of our first camping trip to Kruger more than 20 years ago.....
We borrowed a tent from a friend - a rather large two roomed canvas tent. Needless to say the advice from the owner to pitch the tent at least once before going, fell on deaf ears.
At the time we had a filling station - thank goodenss not any more! - and there were a lot to organise before we could leave. We arrived at Malelane just before closing time. They actually should not have let us in - no way could we make it to Berg en Dal in time. But they did and the guy at BnD's gate was very accomodating. Found a lovely spot on the fence. We were very tired and stressed out and decided to have a belated sundowner first.
By the time we started putting up camp it was already dark. The darkness and the fact that we were clueless, plus a Spiced Gold and coke on a nearly empty stomach, set the scene for much frustration and struggling, accompanied by lots of bantering and laughter. We eventually got the frame up but no way would the tent fit on it!! It was after 10 o'clock and we were by then making plans to spend the night on the back of the Cruiser when our two saviours arrived - on their way back from the ablution block! This guy and his son from Natal told us that they have the exact same tent and in no time everything was organised. We could not thank them enough!!
Although we had almost no equipment, it was an absolute great weekend, one I will always remember and it really got us hooked on camping!

Not too toot my own horn, but I've yet to come across a tent I couldn't pitch in a reasonable amount of time

I can and do pitch all my tents myself. The gazebo is also easy but I have difficulty erecting the side panels when the gazebo is already up due to me being “vertically challenged”.

I try and buy the best equipment I can afford and have learnt never to lend out my kit......

and I always test out any new equipment before I go camping.

I cope with everything myself too. The best way to manage height problems is to put the last part of the poles in after all the other bits are fastened.

I have a 14 year old Edesa gas/220 v absorption freezer I got from my father. Works well but battles a bit when its hot and it has to be dead level.

Compressor camping fridges are much better at handling high ambient temps but you only get them in 220/12 V so you'll have to get a dual battery system set up if you're going camping where there is no electricity and you have to make sure the battery is not drained so you'll have to drive the vehicle every day to charge the second battery. But that should not be a problem in KNP.

mizzbee, you should look at the Campmaster, Engel, Snowmaster/Kellerman and National Luna fridges. Most of them make both absorption and compressor fridges (not on the same fridge though!).

I still want to get one of those compressor fridges (very pricey though) and a good quality gazebo. I've got one of those cheap ones and the poles snap when the wind blows a little.

My 3 way fridge is labelled Zero , really is effective , though at 660 x 500 x 660mm high it is a bit bulky due to the thick walls - around 10 cm - plenty insulation ?
I need at least a hatchback type of car to transport it , it does not fit into the average luggage trailer .

The gazebo and tent are both labelled Howling Moon , seem to be of excellent quality , withstood a torrential downpour at Shingwedzi in Dec 2008 with barely a drop or 2 of water entering the tent . Both are priced fairly highly and are heavy , but I assume they will last well .
I consider a paraffin (kerosene for our american members) lantern or candles to be indispensable - noisy gas illumination / hairdyers / and other electric pumps are not allowed on my campsite .

Neat looking camp Ndloti! I see you are braaing with charcoal there at your camp?