This is also an area rich in flora. Not only aloes are noticeable on the slopes and along the road, but you will also find some rare indigenous plant species like the Aristata protea.  Go prepared with binocular and camera and something warm in winter as you might encounter snow covered mountain tops which creates a bit of a chill factor.

The original construction of the road started in 1859 with convict labour and lasted for three years. On final completion in 1862 it was also accessible for wagon traffic with a toll house strategically placed enroute. (Yes, a toll road). Construction on this road only started after Meiringspoort, cutting through the Swartberg Mountains near De Rust, was completed in 1858.  Today the Seweweekspoort road still more or less still follows the same route as it was originally constructed more than 150 years ago. This is quite a remarkable accomplishment in today’s times where everything is a quick fix and do not last. I hope that it will never change significantly as it will then lose some of its charm.

From my point of view this 18 km stretch of gravel road that links Zoar with Laingsburg rates as one of the most spectacular gravel roads in South Africa.  It is an easy drive with no steep gradients and mind-blowing rock formations around every corner and numerous low water bridges.  Do not be in a hurry when you are here.  Stop and take a lot of pictures.  There are lots and lots and lots of opportunities and the other road users that you encounter are patient with you on the road as they are mostly there for the same reason – to admire the beauty around every bend.  You surely will not regret all the pictures when you get home.

Where did the name originate?

There is many tales about on its name originated, but on Mountain Passes South Africa’s webpage https://www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za/ one of the explanation is:

“There is an array of stories as to where the poort got it’s name from, most of which are folklore. The most likely version is that it is named after the Seven Weeks Fern (Polystichum Andiantiforum), which in Afrikaans is called the Seweweeksvaring, which grows all over the poort in moist places and crevices. This is the officially accepted version.”

How do you find Seweweekspoort?

Approaching from the south you will be travelling on the famous R62 between Calitzdorp and Ladismith.  At more or less S33.28.50 E21.27.34 you will find a gravel road, the R323, that is heading in a Northerly direction and will link up with the N1 eventually.

Apart from being a World Heritage the area also falls under Cape Nature thus adhere to their rules and regulations – no flower picking, etc, etc.  Enjoy the silence and the beauty of the Klein-Karoo.  

—-000—-

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However, there are a few things that you need to get in place to make the trip, not only for yourself but also those that you left behind, easier and comforting.  Sticking to these five easy rules can make a huge difference to a solo trip experience.

Read on!

Rule 1:  Start off on a good foot or will that be a good tyre?  Before you spread your wings and leave home base, check your car’s tyre pressure.  This can easily make or break a trip.  It is also a good habit to form to check the overall conditions of your tyres on a regular basis.

Rule 2:  Keep hydrated,  especially during summertime.  Know where you are off to, the route and the driving times to your destination.   Go prepared.  You never know when you get bogged down along the route and what your waiting period will amount to.   Keep in mind that tap water is not a given to be safe anymore in South Africa.  No matter where we go, we always carry about 2 liters of water in our vehicle … and if you do not use it on the trip, hand it out to someone that is in need of water in the drought-stricken areas.

Rule 3:  Charge up.  Before leaving home-base make sure that all your gadgets are fully charged.  There is nothing more frustrating when you get let down in the middle of nowhere without the necessary power.  Also make sure that you have all the different cables to all the different gadgets to recharge enroute.  This can also be your lifeline to call someone when you are stranded somewhere.

Rule 4:  For your own safety and comfort check in regularly to a chosen person, especially if you  know that you are going to an area where there is no cell phone reception.  Yes, there are still remote areas in South Africa where you can go without cell phone reception.  This is a great comfort to those left behind to know that you are still safe and sound.

Rule 5:  Calculate your distance and make sure about fuel supply enroute as well as at your destination.  Know your vehicle’s fuel consumption ratios.  Do not be left stranded, because of a dry fuel pump or a miscalculation!

– – – – – – – – – – –

For some more tips on travelling go to Tips on how to negotiate African Roads

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Shopping for a mattress can be daunting as there are many choices out there and of course each manufacturer will say that they have the ultimate solution and every traveler will convince you that his choice is the best, but what is your choice?

Our first trips we did with a big bulky foam mattress with a fully packed classic Range Rover, because that is what we could afford in those days.  Over the years things have changed, although we still travel with a Land Rover, and we have switched to an air mattress that is still giving us good service after 20 years and many kilometers in rough conditions on the African continent.

However, there are a couple of considerations when making your pick (that excludes you if you have a rooftop tent, because normally they come standard equipped with a certain type mattress).

How much space do you have?

Are you willing and able to inflate your air mattress?

What happens if your air mattress gets a thorn puncture?

Insulation?

Space

What is important to you?  Are you going to give up something else for your preferred choice or are you going to bear it for two weeks with a bit of discomfort and extra effort?  In our setup, space is of importance, so we go with the inflatable version. 

Method of inflation

On a hot summers day when setting up camp are you able and willing to operate a manual hand pump and become sweaty in your workout?  On the flipside of the coin – if you go for the foam mattress option are you comfortable to sleep on a foam mattress in sweltering summer night conditions? 

Plan B

Plan B includes what is your next option if you go with an air mattress and it gets a puncture?  Believe me I can vouch that Namibian soil, without a mattress, does not promote a good night’s sleep.  You will realises the next morning that you have more bones in your body than you can remember!  We carry a simple repair kit and patches for this purpose, although since carrying it on each and every trip we never needed it once.

Insulation

Be aware that during cold nights your air mattress might not be as comfortable as it feels as if deflates a bit.  To combat this we “over inflate” it when putting up camp in the late afternoon.  We found that the cold is mostly coming from the ground.   We also have a plan for this.  We use a thin foam-like sheet under the mattress to keep out the cold.  (We call her the Korean tannie, but we will introduce her on another day). 

Save up and buy the best mattress you can afford.  For us it makes a world of a difference when on a camping trip where several things can go wrong in one day to enjoy a restful night.  Your normal pillow, sheets and a duvet can go a long, long way to ensure a good rest and be invigorated to face the challenges of the next day. 

Good night, sleep tight.

—oOo—

For more camping decisions read the blog on Which One? Rooftop versus ground tent

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Being environmentally conscious, we are constantly aware of the products used in the production of the travel mug and even though the now very popular bamboo cups are better than the styrofoam cups, they too have some bad elements that keep them together such as formaldehyde and melamine, which ends up in your hot drink after a couple of uses.  Therefore, we decided to make use of a silicone cup.  We believe in it so much, that we decided to stock it in our online store.

The silicone cup is a durable, foldable, BPA-free mug made from food-grade silicone.  We love this cup so much that we use it at home as well as on our trips in the wild.  Compared to other mugs that we have used before this cup can take extreme temperatures and keep its shape when the fluids inside is frozen.  The other perk is that it comes with a screw-on lid where the ceramic cup’s lid only presses down and the tin cup has no lid at all.  This mean that spillage in the vehicle is eliminated.

While the designs on the ceramic cups are hip and cool, the dove-grey colour of the silicone cup is neutral and can fit into any colour scheme of current crockery.  Because of the light colour, the cup shows dirt quite easily and the silicone does attract a bit of dust, but it can be wiped off with a damp cloth and cleaned effortlessly.  Just like a normal tin cup or ceramic coffee mug, the silicone cup is dishwasher safe.  It can also withstand temperatures up to 190 degrees Celsius.

When it comes to packing space, we always look at the items that will take up less space, so that we can fit in more.  That is just how we do things, because less is not always more, right?  We’ve started using the old tin cups, but they are always so noisy, especially on a dirt road.  They were always packed with some bubble wrap, foam or a cloth wrapped around them.  This didn’t change when we switched over to ceramic mug.   We even had more to worry about as they could also break.  With the silicone cup that is foldable, it takes up minimal space and can even clip onto the outside of your backpack when you hiking bag is full.  No excuse to leave that precious coffee mug behind.

A tin cup used to burn my hands so much that I would get blisters while enjoying my morning coffee.  While the ceramic cups have better insolation, some still retains the heat and you will soon find yourself looking for a place to put down your coffee while waiting for it to cool down.  The silicone cup does have one disadvantage though, it comes in two parts.  One part is the foldable, durable silicone cup and the other is the plastic ring that wraps around the mug to prevent your hands from burning when holding the cup.  The design, however, has been thought through and the ring fits perfectly into the folded mug’s bottom for storage. 

All-in-all, the silicone travel mug is an upgrade from the conventional cups (of which we have mentioned only two in this article) and with it being lead-free, glue-free, and BPA-free, it fit right into our lifestyle of going green.

If you would like to get your hands on one of these, head on over to our online store and place your order before your next hiking trip.  Some places even offer a discount when you use your eco-cup.  It just goes to show that it is indeed an everyday, lifestyle coffee cup.

The post TRAVEL MUGS: WE FINALLY FOUND THE RIGHT ONE appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

So, what are the symptoms of a sure travel addict?  I do not know, please help me with this one.

After pondering a while on this question I came up with the following as sure signs that you are a travel addict:

• Maps and the globe are part of your life.  If you hear about a place and you are not sure where it is, you go and find out to satisfy your curiosity.

• Google Earth is fascinating, and you easily get lost in that space.

• You probably know how Tracks4Africa work as you use the tool to plan future excursions into remote places that has less tourists than usual.

• “Into the wilds” means something totally different to you than for the average person.   

• The iOverlander app is a place that you check out regularly to see what is new in the area of your next visit.

• You check online flight booking sites to see where the bargains are, because just maybe there is a cheap flight to a destination that you have not visited which means that place will become your next destination.

• You probably know more place names in far-away places than the average person sitting next to you.

• Browsing travel blogs is more interesting than reading the depressing views of reporters on news pages.

• You can calculate exchange rates in your head, because you follow the news just to hear the day’s exchange rate for USD or Euro and you also know what currency converter works best on your phone.

Have you visited any interesting places that you want to share with us?  Help us to keep on dreaming and leave a reply in the comments section.

*** KEEP ON DREAMING; KEEP ON EXPLORING ***

The post DO YOU HAVE A TRAVEL ADDICTION? appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

First of all, there is a little (or bigger) sticker pasted on the inside of your door frame on the driver’s side that displays all kinds of figures.  Make time to read and understand what it is telling you, it can make life a lot easier than a random thumb suck figure! 

Note ladies: these figures are recommended by the vehicle manufacturer in order to assist your driving pleasure and eradicate tyre problems.  

When you throw into the tyre pressure mix different surface types – sand, thick sand, pebbles, shaled surfaces, tar – the pot gets a different mix altogether.  Another factor that adds a little salt to the mix is the weight of the load that you are carrying, but maybe I will attempt to explain that in a future post. Let me not divert from my topic …

Interesting stuff?   Yeah, right.  So, let me try to explain this theory in ordinary English as how I understand it.

Note to the men : You are welcome to leave a comment if I am not correct!

When you drive on a flat even tarred surface and you keep the prescribed figures (remember that sticker on the inside of the driver’s door frame?) you will be okay.  Now you are heading deeper into darkest Africa and things get a different taste.  The road surface changes to thick sand as you head into the Namib desert or mud in the rainy season in Zambia.  Lekker, man! 

So, hubby taught me the following and most times it gets me out of trouble.  Deflate, deflate, deflate to zero point eight! 

Now what is the theory behind this?  The higher the pressure the less rubber makes contact with the ground and less traction you will have.  The lower the pressure the bigger the rubber surface gets and the more traction you will have.  It all boils down to if you are firmly anchored to the ground the best chance you have for traction and traction means moving forward!  But then there is another bit of sauce that gets added to the mix in the pot – we are not done yet! – when you get back on hard surfaces (i.e. a tarred road or good gravel) inflate again to avoid heat buildup in your tyres. 

You see ladies, It is actually hard work to go off-roading and explore the African continent! 

Some of you will know that the general off-road slogan is drive as slow as possible but as fast as necessary.  Then the tyre slogan should be something like:  deflate your tyres as much as necessary, but as little as possible. 

Further to this, the best of all about lowering your tyre pressure is that it is even good for the environment as it causes less corrugations which again do not prompt drivers to widen the track to avoid the corrugations (you see the green side in me popping out again!).

You see the bigger picture of how all the things just add up in this pot and cooks nicely together?

Important things to remember:

1. Always carry a reliable pressure gauge on your trip
2. And the flipside to that is to carry a trusted air compressor

The long and the short of this post is that a 4×4 wife quickly learns to read things that are not really interesting to her, but you anyway put it into storage as you never know when is the day that you have to scratch in those stored files – and remember if all else fails, read the instructions in the manual!

If you found this of value and need some more driving tips head over to our post; How to negotiate African roads

The post GETTING THE HANG OF TYRE PRESSURE appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

Some of you have read at least one of our articles and for some of you this may be the first one. Whether you are an avid follower of Travelbucket or a fly-by reader, I’m sure some have wondered how we actually do this whole thing they call TRAVEL. So here is our take on Family Travel.

The Travelbucket Team is a team of three members. Dad (Carl) is the brains behind the trips. He is the gadget guy. The one responsible for the vehicle and all camping equipment. What he says, goes. After all, he IS the expert on tried and tested products. He is also the driver, instructor and brains behind the planning of all trips. Mom (Felicity) and owner of Travelbucket Blog is the typical mother hen. She has the responsibility of keeping our tummies full and keeping us hydrated. She is our walking, offline Google on our trips. Her job is to make the long, straight roads interesting, kind of like an entertainer. She has SO much knowledge on the places we visit and will sometimes also add her two cents worth to the planning of the trip. She is also the one documenting and capturing our adventures. And then there’s me (Inge), the only daughter of the BEST parents in the world! I have been traveling since I can remember. I am the one in the backseat. The chatterbox. The one asking questions. I am the student (in many ways) and I am also the one who lurk in the shadows, the reader, the memories maker, the co-writer and the IT support of the team/family.

Now that the introduction is done, I can hit the road and tell you all about what it is like to travel as a family. In short, it is THE most amazing experience you will ever have! Let’s get into the details.
You might be sitting there, reading these paragraphs and think…..”yeah right, traveling with my family, NOT A CHANCE!” You might think it’s not cool enough. That the “old” people will dampen the whole spirit of your thrill seeking adventure. That you would much rather head out on a road trip with your besties with music blaring from your speakers, not having a worry in the world where you will be sleeping tonight or where your next meal will come from. After all, your parents told you not to talk to strangers and that is EXACTLY what you are planning to do! I’m telling you to stop for a moment and think again. Yes, your friends are probably the coolest people around. Yes, you are all grown-up and independent and the world is your oyster, but have you ever thought about sharing a moment with the people who put up with you for 20+ years. People who did not have the opportunity to travel like you do now, because they had to raise a child and see to your education, so that YOU can have what they never could!
I was lucky enough that my parents decided to rather give me memories and make me streetwise than to give me material things. Since I can remember I was taken with to National Parks, small towns and on long roads to nowhere in the back of a Land Rover. I had the most comfortable spot where I had my bed made and I could listen to my own music, read my book and just every now and again check in to let them know I am still alive. That is where the seed was planted and today I have restless body syndrome and I am always planning my next trip, whether it be solo, with friends or with family.

Traveling with family can be SO much fun. For hours you are confined to a small space where your thoughts can travel far, but your words and feelings are shared with only those in the 5 seats beside you. You can have questions answered, things you have always wondered about. You share knowledge of what you have read in articles, journals and social media during the time leading up to the trip. You play old-fashioned games like “I-spy-with-my-little-eye”. You reminisce about the times when you were little or share memories of moments gone by. This is also the time that you share the happenings in your everyday life, seeing that you do live separate lives now. You learn from each other.

Taking a trip as a family is COOL. It’s a way to capture moments, make memories and say thank you. Just being with each other and sharing different worlds brings worth so much appreciation. I’m talking about any trip. This might be a road trip to the next town, a day-outing to the closest National Park, a weekend away to a small town or a few weeks away to a different country. It doesn’t matter how long or short, you are guaranteed to have a great time.

Family travel can be challenging, but if you put aside your differences and let everyone have their place in the sun, you will soon be learning from your mom about the facts of your next destination. Or you might be given advice from dad about the latest invention on the market that will make your life easier. In the same way, you might be their lifesaver when you help them with their camera settings or the shortcuts on their phones. No more blurry photos. No more finger trouble.  This is the time where different worlds come together. This is the moments you will be looking back on. These are the moments you will tell your children about. This is where different worlds come together.

This is family travel! Do it NOW! Don’t wait, it might be too late.

The next adventure awaits you, share it with the people you care about. The people who you take for granted. Take that chance. Get your crew together. Use each other’s strengths, divide the tasks and make the load even. The beautifully painted sunsets are yours to capture. The wide open plains with its yellow grasslands and the green mountains with their snow-capped mountain tops are waiting for you to explore. Head over to the next small town/village to discover a new culture or learn some of the history you have always shied away from in school. Make it fun. Make memories.

Watch out for my next article where I will share some of our personal experiences and trip tips. If I have not convinced you that family travel is the way to go, the next article will blow your mind and you will phone up your bloodline in a jiffy! Part 2 is coming……

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Check your tyres before you drive off. It sounds a bit foolish, but this can safe you some embarrassment if you just walk around your vehicle once to check if all your tyres are still okay and inflated to the correct pressure.  Now you are ready to hit the road and enjoy the rest of your trip.   

Tyre compressors and gauges at garages, especially in remote locations, are not always correct.  Be aware of that.  We have a habit of using our own tyre pressure gauge that we carry in our cubbyhole.   Part of our standard equipment includes a tyre repair kit and the knowledge of how to use when necessary.

When visiting a sandy location remember that it is way easier to drive early morning when the sand is still cold and hard.  When the sand warms up later in the day it gets more difficult to drive and accompanying that fact it also increases your fuel consumption.  This is especially an important fact if you have to budget, and carry your own fuel in remote locations.   When sand is thick and slow deflate your tyres.  It makes a huge difference on your driving ability.  It will also let you look like a pro.

Africa is a dusty continent.  Drive with your headlights on even during daytime.  Doing this you might get stopped by the local police who will tell you that it is illegal to have them on during time.  (At this point smile and be nice and say okay sorry and switch it off).   Switch them off while standing there, but as soon as you pull away put them back on.  This makes your visibility in dusty conditions better to other hectic drivers.  This saved us a couple of times on our expeditions in the past!

Gravel roads are in abundance wherever you travel in Africa. There are two things that you should remember when overtaking a vehicle.    Due to dust you are not always visible to the driver in front of you (remember the tip on the headlights) and move as far right as you possibly can when overtaking.  Drivers are not always in control of their vehicles …  Many a time we were taken by surprise on their moves on the road. 

Look ahead of you when you are driving and keep your eyes on the road surface.  If you see that the road widens at the edges, be sure that you will soon hit a pothole if you are not observant.  Changes in the colour of the tar road – becoming more red/white – is a sure sign that there is a pothole ahead. 

A night drive can sometimes be challenging as you have to keep a look out for all the of the above as well as stray animals wandering onto the road, because of no fences on the farms.  

The long and the short of this is keep your eyes open and be wide awake.  We know that African roads are not always on par with rest of the world, but this is part of the charm of the African continent.  Everything does not always work as they should.  Keep you cool and enjoy the ride!

Also read our post Going solo off the beaten track for more practical advice.

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At first glance the Kalahari is harsh and hot, but once it gets under your skin it is hard to forget the beautiful scenery that was etched into your memory on your first visit.

To make a visit to the Kalahari easier and more enjoyable I am sharing a short packing list for your visit:

1.       The number one slot is filled by a good body lotion. The air is dry in the Kalahari and the water do not treat your skin gently either.  Unless you want to look like the dry riverbed of the Nossob river, pack enough of it.  You will certainly need it.

2.         And while on the lotion and potions pack the sunscreen, especially during the summer.  You will spend most of your time in your vehicle, but even then make sure you cover up with suntan lotion to protect you from the African sun.

3.         Lip balm and eye drops.  Like I said when discussing body lotion the air is dry, you do not want your lips to be cracked and your eyes red and irritated.

4.         Of course if you wear a hat a lot of the sun will not get to your face.  It is still an important item whether it is summer or winter in the Kalahari.  

5.         Pack the bug spray.  This is a malaria free area, but flying insects can be annoying and you do not want to swat them the whole time.  This might just chase away that beautiful cheetah that you were watching through your binoculars.

6.         Speaking of which – binoculars and cameras. A binocular is an important item as you can see far and wide here.  The animals are not always close to the road. And the possibilities to capture “star trails” on a cloud free night is big.

7.         Bird and animal books.  That is what you will be doing here – spotting animals.  You will be amazed at what you will learn when looking up even the ordinary animals. 

8.         Fill up your water bottles in the morning before you leave camp. There are no kiosks selling water and cold drinks as this is one of the less developed parks in South Africa.

9.         An item for the ladies: Wear a sports bra …  At times with all the vibrations on the corrugations, your bones, and more, will rattle and roll.  (Read this one with a bit of humour, please).

10.      At last something to pack for the men.  It is a good idea to fit a seed net for your vehicle especially when you plan to drive the 4×4 trial.  The grass is high and dry and the slightest of heat friction can set your vehicle alight.  Get into the habit of checking regularly underneath your car for dry grass that are stuck … and deflate your vehicle’s tyres, it makes the ride easier. To monitor the correct pressure you will obviously need a tyre pressure gauge!

I hope that this will add to you being a happy camper in the Kalahari and remember to enjoy your visit and the sunsets.

To gain some more insight into the Kalahari also read the Red Dune Route post at Kalahari Red Dune Route

The post 10 ESSENTIALS TO PACK FOR A VISIT TO KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER PARK appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

Be a sissie and slap on the sunscreen, put on your hat and slip on some long sleeves.  Always be prepared for the unexpected when you take on mama Africa’s sun.

THE HOT AND THE SHORT

We all know that we should not embark on a walking trail without a bottle of water in  your backpack, but  this also applies when you are in your vehicle searching for those elusive birds or animals to tick the checklist.  As soon as you start feeling thirsty you are becoming dehydrated.  Remember to consume enough fluids even if you are not very active.

I always have to keep an eye on myself to consume enough fluids, especially when we are travelling, as consuming fluids while travelling brings on other interesting experiences when using public toilet facilities.  The long and the short is that an adult person should consume four to six liters of water per day (including those in foods) to keep the body properly hydrated and healthy.  Remember in extreme conditions you have to up your consumption of fluids drastically.  We found that in Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone, being on the equator where humidity is very high every day, you sweat a lot and we easily consumed up to 10 litres of water per day to keep our hydration levels up to standard and to avoid running into health problems.  Occasionally we did miss our liquid intake targets and like clockwork we ran into health issues!

Also take cognisance that the elderly is more susceptible to heat exhaustion and dehydration.  As we age the skin gets thinner so sunburn and skin damage will happen a lot quicker.   Be on the lookout for the symptoms and act quickly.

TELL TALE SIGNS TO NOTE

So what are the signs of dehydration?

My first signs are normally a headache accompanied by a lethargic feeling.   Signs vary from person to person, but dark yellow urine and a skin that do not return quickly to the original smooth position when pinched and dark circles or puffy skin under the eyes are all indicators of note.

HOW TO PREVENT IT

Wear a hat with a wide brim that provides shade to sensitive areas like your nose, cheekbones and ears.  My nose is my problem area for sunburn, but it is not always easy to protect it fully unless you want to look like the famous cricketer, Allan Donald.

Wear good quality sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.  My Diesel sunglasses has served me well on numerous trips in Africa and Asia.

If you turn from a white crab to a red crayfish from a little bit of sun, slap on the sunscreen and wear thin breathable (i.e. cotton) long sleeve shirts.  For some it may look silly, but it is highly effective!

Remember to cover your feet or slap on some sunscreen, especially when you are on a boat on the water.  Hubby turned from crab to crayfish while on a dhow in Mozambique and learnt this lesson the hard way!

Seek some shade during the heat of the day between  11:00-15:00.  Take a  nap, read a book, sit under a tree, go to a shop and buy your food for the night, do whatever your fancy is for that four hours of the day.  That is when the sun’s rays are the most dangerous.

Damage to the skin caused by the sun is cumulative and you will only discover the damage in later years.

EMERGENCY RESCUE

Keep rehydration sachets such as Rehydrate in your medical kit.  In Africa you will find it almost anywhere, but if you cannot get hold of it concoct your own, like the locals.  The recipe helped me out of some difficult situations in the past:

RECIPE:

1 x tin of Sprite

1 x teaspoon of salt

Let stand until salt is dissolved and drink frequently

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