Recently my friend and I went on a trip up the West Coast and around the Cederberg Mountain Range.
We travelled in his old Mercedes and stopped off to camp at strategic spots along the route.
Our trip lasted four days, and inspired us to try a similar trip over a further distance in the future.
The great thing about taking a road trip in South Africa is that there are so many great spots to visit.
We especially enjoy the small communities of rural towns, where we make sure to stop off and have a drink in the main street hotel or bar.
The characters you come across there are amazing...
The camping spots are also great, ranging from seaside views to mountain top scenery; a South African road trip has no excuse to become monotonous.
In this article I am going to share with you the lesson of preparation.
You see, when we set off in the old Mercedes with two spare wheels strapped onto the roof for visual effect, we packed pretty well.
Nevertheless we did realise some silly mistakes had been made when packing.
It is probably a good idea to compile a good checklist, and for this purpose the list that follows below has been compiled.
Keep in mind that this list is aimed at the rugged adventurer.
We have not catered for many creature comforts or for the fairer sex; this could cause you some serious domestic strife if you do not make appropriate adjustments or additions when taking the wife or girlfriend along! Just make sure that the special lady packs in her own necessities...
Firstly, let's take care of the sleeping arrangements 1.
Tent 2.
Ground covering or tarp 3.
Sleeping bags 4.
Extra blanket 5.
Pillows 6.
Compact mattress Now you are going to want to feed yourself, and prepare meals with relative ease.
Food can be bought along the route, but make sure to plan your supplies carefully.
1.
Five litre water container 2.
Cooler box with ice bricks 3.
Gas Stove with full gas tank 4.
Matches 5.
Firewood 6.
Fire starters 7.
Grill for Braai 8.
Tongs 9.
Plates and bowls 10.
Knives, Forks and Spoons 11.
Cups 12.
Can opener 13.
Bottle opener 14.
Aluminium foil [Tinfoil] 15.
Plastic bag for rubbish 16.
Dish washing liquid 17.
Folding table 18.
Folding chairs 19.
Cutting board 20.
Scrubbing brush or sponge Take with enough clothing, we men are prone to skimping in this department...
1.
Shoes - good for walking 2.
Jeans 3.
Shorts 4.
T-shirts 5.
Socks 6.
Hat 7.
Warm jacket 8.
Underwear 9.
Tracksuit Some personal stuff helps to keep things hygienic.
Not showering, shaving or brushing your teeth for a week does give you an interesting look when you return though...
1.
Towel 2.
Soap 3.
Toothbrush and toothpaste 4.
Deodorant 5.
Razor 6.
Toilet Paper Useful Stuff you might forget 1.
sunblock 2.
mosquito repellant 3.
Camera with extra battery 4.
maps 5.
Some tools 6.
backpack 7.
CDs for the car 8.
sunglasses 9.
first aid kit 10.
axe 11.
marshmallows 12.
pocket knife 13.
binoculars 14.
rope 15.
coffee 16.
small spade 17.
watch Now get out there and explore!