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I know many people have had bad experience towing caravans inside KTP, but is it completely impossible.
The reasons I ask are :-
- I want to do a full month during the rainy season 2014 (March April) and accomodation would be very expensive and camping a bit uncomfortable for so long,
- I have a 4X4 for traction (even if it rains) and will soften the tyre pressures , even change the van tyres to a wider deeper profile than road tyres
- also it is an old (1981 model) but strong caravan that is in tip-top mechanical condition
- I am sure that people used to take caravans into KTP in days gone by but then there were much less visitors so the roads less deeply corrugated
- I will only do one haul between each camp ( 2R to MM to N to 2R) that is just over 400 km on internal roads and can take it extra slow
- if I can't take a van then I may have to spend a shorter time in KTP (maybe consider Etosha) .

How bad are the roads realy and what is the expert opinion?

Does this give you an idea?



It really depends on your luck, and as to how recently the roads have been graded. You take your chances, but nothing is Kgalagadi proof!
If it was my choice, I would rather camp

As GavinW said all depends............and nothing is KTP proof!!!

This was now in September 2012



And this was in April 2012

wow lion queen, magnificent second picture, PCG and Cape Cobra ? or ?

and the 3 pictures show... of how the road are... unforeseeable

My advice having done 4 trips already to KTP - if you do not have an off-road caravan or off-road trailer, stay away!

Even just towing between the 3 major camps will be disasterous even although it is an old well built caravan. I have seen vehicles with leaf springs being snapped, axles coming out, and even my own vehicle's spot lights cracked and fell off the brackets!

Why not rather just stay at TR for the full duration and do daytrips from there? You can on any day easily reach Mata Mata and back to TR as well as Nossob and back, just do not try to do both on one day!

Blackie.

Stay only at Twee Rivieren - that could be the way to go. Thanks Blackie.
And I could also do a few days at the other camps travelling light - with the caravan left behind as a basecamp.

Yes, I agree fully with you. Make TR your basecamp and you can always do the camping thing for a night or 2 at any of the other 2 camps and then return to your basecamp again. It will however mean an additional cost as you will have to make double bookings.

Blackie.

Or you could get permission to store your Caravan at the shop under those carports at TR............

Yes blackie and lion queen that is exactly how to organise it - thanks again for the idea. Out of season too.

Dear friends,

Coming back to detailed plans for my KTP trip.

1. I am using Google Maps to plan the trip and saw something they call Agfa Hide Park in this website: http://www.african-safari-journals.com/ ... -park.html

It is probably the Nossob hide... But it seems far away from Nossob Camp, where we will stay 3 nights. Our plans is to go to the hide basically every night and stay there as long as we can. It will be June and freezing,so we are not sure how long can we really endure. But anyway we were really planning to stay in the hide watching the animals. But looking at the map I am in doubt if we can reach the hide by foot from Nossob Camp, or if we can go by car.... So, please, people experience in KTP, could you tell me if our plans are feasible, and, if so, how can we reach the hide?

2. Another doubt we have is about recharging our batteries for photographs and videocameras. We will have two batteries per each, and this is likely to be enough for a single day. But here is our itinerary:

1 June 2013 - Twee Rivieren - Here we have energy all the time. So, no problem
2 June 2013 - Kieliekrankie - the information is that there is "Solar power for lights, gas for hot water". Is it possible to recharge batteries there. Are there available plugs in the tents?
3-4 June 2013 - Kalahari Tented Camp - the information is "Gas and solar energy". If it is not possible to recharge there, I will have to change the plans to spend some time in Mata Mata recharging. Otherwise, we will be with no equipment for probably a whole day;
5 June 2013 - Twee Rivieren - No problem.
6-8 June 2013 - Nossob - No electricity from 21h30 - 05h00 daily, but otherwise energy will be available. We just have to leave batteries charging for the camera, which has independent recharger. With the videocamera is a bit more complicated, since the batteries charge in the camera, but we can do it.
9 June 2013 - Gharagab - Solar power for lights, gas for hot water. If no charging is possible, we will really have to save energy and lose opportunities for the two days in Gharagab and Grootkolk.
10 June 2013 - Grootkolk - The same as above.
11 June 2013 - Nossob - No problem
12 June 2013 - Twee Rivieren - No problem.

I would really appreciate any information, comments, opinion on that...

Cheers
Charbel

Hi Charbel

The Nossob hide is the Agfa Hide and you can easily reach it-the reason it probably looks far from the camp is that it is connected to the camp via an enclosed walk way (so you don't actually leave the protection of the camp) that is about 30m long. From the reception it will take you 2min to the viewing deck on the hide. Yes,it may well be cold in June-the wind comes in through all the gaps in the wooden planks and remember that the flood light on the waterhole goes out at about 10pm (when the camp's generator switches off) so if you want to sit there longer you will have to have a reasonably strong torch.

The question about charging your batteries: the wilderness camps do not have any plug points (kielikrankie, kalahari tented camp, grootkolk, gharagab). What some people do is buy an invertor for their cars - it plugs into the cigarette lighter and enables you to plug your charger into it and charge your batteries off the cigarette lighter. There is a discussion on this somewhere else on this thread-maybe one of the moderators could link it for you to read through.

Enjoy your trip!

Hi Jo,
Great for both informations.
I just checked for a charger for a Canon Rebel T3 (probably the DLSR camera I will buy):
http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB- ... ss-x50-_JM

It is the best solution!

Cheers
Charbel

I've got approximately the same... for several different batteries

Actually, it is not. If you change camera, thus batteries, you are again with a problem.
Best is a simple inverter, and then I would advise one with a USB port for charging phone for instance. That way you always have 220V (or 110V) with you, and you will be able to charge anything. Or even use a hairdryer.

That will cost you around 20 euro, R220 at the moment, and will last you for years.

Hi Charbel

This is more or less what I'm taking about: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000513HW

This plugs into car cigarette lighter and then You can plug your camera charger into it and it will charge your batteries when the car engine is turned on