After selling our Sprite Sunway caravan early in 2005 we reverted to camping with a tent.

We had a small 2.5mx2.5m canvas bow tent stored in the garage, and decided to give it a try.

We did however need a few extra things.  The fully equipped kitchen of the caravan was gone and we had to compensate for that.  So, we bought a foldable gas stand onto which we could attach a gas light (no more electric lights), a gas burner top and a gas braai plate.  The charcoal braai had to stay behind due to a lack of packing space.  We also had to buy two cooler boxes and some ammo boxes to pack all our stuff as we did not have cupboards anymore.

Our first camping trip with the tent was to Sodwana Bay in KZN, and after that a trip to the Natal Royal National Park in the Drakensberg.

We just loved the tent and the flexibility that it offered in going into remote areas even where there were almost no roads.  However, it had a few shortcomings namely:

  • Not enough shelter against the elements when it rained. Cooped up in such a small tent was no fun at all.
  • There was no place for the chairs, crates and cooler boxes when we camped.
  • The car was packed to the maximum when we travelled and felt cramped.
  • Trying to fix a punctured mattress in the middle of the night is not fun, neither is sleeping on a flat one.

Hence, we had to find a midway between the caravan and the tent, and yes, we did.

More about that in our next blog.

Greetings

Pieter & Gerida

Landrovingafrica