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This is a 90+ pictorial with captions of our recent 13 day
camping trip during May/June 2007 . . . . definitely one of
the best Kgalagadi excursions we have ever had . . . we
would like to share its joys with the readers and friends in
the Forum.

It starts with our approach to the rolling dunes north of
Upington and close to the small town of Askham . . .
throughout the Park . . . and eventually back
to Twee Rivieren.

Sit back and enjoy the ride . . . . hoping to add some value
to somebody’s memories . . . . or a future planning to visit this
beautiful part of the world.

Your comment/questions are more than welcome via the Forum
or direct e-mail or the Forum .

Click : www.reddune.info

Hi Red Dune and others that can give us some tips

Your photos of your recent trip are stunning. Well done!!!

My wife and I will be in the Kalaghadi from 5 Aug to 15 Aug 2007. Tenting for three and four nights at Mata Mata and Nossob respectively. Although we are seasoned caravaners this will be our first tenting experience.

Our major concern is the cold, and our sleeping arrangements and we were wandering if you would give us some advice. We noted from your photo’s you are seasoned tenters.

Sleeping – we noted you used an air mattress to sleep on. Our experience with air mattresses is not very good. I am big person and found them to be very uncomfortable apart from the fact that they seem to go flat all the time! What type do you use? It looks from one of the photo’s that you may have two, one on top of the other, is this the case? What did you put under the mattress for protection?

Cold – What tips have you got for us? We noted the electric blanket and wandered if it was effective considering there is no power between 10pm and 5pm?

We look forward to your reply and other contributions from the forum.

Thanx for the kind words everybody . . . we are at that stage of life where adding value is a prerequisite.

Petdes, I would like the address your queries first due to your limited time before visiting the KTP early August. Sorry for being a bit late . . . we were on a very successful 16-day fishing trip on the Transkei Coast (Eastern Cape). . . with good fisherman's stories . . . backed with brilliant pics as evidence !

# we use the queen size Intec inflatable mattress . . . very sturdy for a big guy like yourself as mentioned . . . and as comfortable as my bed at home ! The more air you put into it . . . the better it will work in your case.

# look after your mattress like your vehicles tyres . . . even inflate it at home for at least a week before to detect any possible leaks . . . even sleep on it one night just to get the feel of it again . . . and then check the pressures time and time again.

# again, like anything else, it will give you good service if you look after it !

# pack it in a tight-fitting cardboard box for the transport on the rough tracks . . . chafing must be prevented at all time.

# I use a thick builders damp coarse on on top of the groundsheet inside the tent. . . . and then I lay the mattress on top of it. (cut slightly a bigger size). You simply go on hands and knees beforehand to dubble check for any thorns on the ground below your tent (and inside !).

# beware of an electric blanket between the mattress and yourselves . . . the condensation of body dampness is so bad at times . . . as a result of the icy cold air in the mattress below . . . and the warm humid air around the body . . . that it could appear as if someone has had a spoil in bed the next morning ! . . . . its not nice to have wet bedding.

# rather put the electric blanket (on the lowest setting) between the damp coarse and underneath the mattress . . . and it will warm that massive volume of air in the mattress from below throughout the day . . . . There is no dampness in either the ground or air during the winter in the Kgalagadi and therefore no danger re the electricity.

# Remember that the cold comes from below in the Kgalagadi. With the warmed air below you when you go to bed . . . you'll sleep like a baby !


Click : www.reddune.info (and refer my pic no 40)

Matthys, your question as to who is going to eat all that sausage ? ?

I refer to image 57 : Click : www.reddune.info

For starters . . . I think you've missed the full grill of chops behind the sausage ! ! We were 3 couples who sat down to eat that night . . . and we love our meat.

The big thing behind all this is that we always braai more than what would be eaten at the table . . . . there is nothing nicer the next morning for breakfast at ± 09h00 (parked somewhere in the vehicle at a waterhole) . . . than a decent piece of cold 'boerewors', a hard boiled egg or two, a 'roosterkoek' of the previous evening, and a mug of hot coffee from the flask.

A small compact picnic basket in your vehicle to accommodate the aforementioned, is a crucial.

Hi there Wilmaw,

Yes, we've been camping for a while . . . . and we've also learnt a lot from others along the way.

Some answers to your questions.

A sturdy cardboard box (maybe that of a smallish TV) is a must when you go camping. You use it as packing space for anything . . . but once its empty at the campsite . . . it gets turned up-side-down . . . . and becomes a perfect bedside table . . . even with its own little table cloth over it ! (I have even painted sides of the current one in use with a PVA . . . with a Kalahari Sand colour !).

Its a floor mat . . . Susan prefers one in front op the bed . . . as well as one in front of the tent. You will also notice that we use the very popular green Anchovy fishing net as a ground cover in our the camp . . . see pic 35 on www.reddune.info This is very effective and it simply takes off all the sand from your shoes as you step onto it.

What a pleasure it was to read about the Red Dune experience in the Kalahari. I took my back to my childhood as far back as 1964 when we first visited the Park with my late Parents. Since then I have visited the Park so many times , Caravaning, Camping, 4x4ing and just cannot get enough of it. Mata-Mata is the Camp for me. It stands out above all.
To sit next to the fire at the Camping spot near the Waterhole and watch with excitement all that can happen is semething that you cannot describe i words. You have to write a book about it.
Thank you so much for sharing it with us, I get the feeling of jumping into the 4x4 and go! Just to relax and enjoy what God gave us to enjoy.
Wish I could join on a trip with you. Our memories from the Kalahari is so much that you cannot even try to begin to share with you.
Enjoy every time you go there. Drink it, eat it in and bring the memories back in a digital file to always remember.
Remember the hot Stuff in winter, we had it down to -13deg C one day in Nossob.
My next trip will most definately be a 4x4 trail into Bostwana.
Best of luck and keep up the good work.
Regards. :) Louis Bantam