It’s a new year and that means new gear. Trust me when I say that your off-brand Temu tent will NOT protect you from those freak, lowveld thunder storms in Boven, or even from gale force gusts on the top of some remote peak in the ‘Berg.
If you got lured into impulse buying a dud at a ridiculous discount this festive season, then read on to find out what you should actually be looking for to kit out your home away from home. Whether car camping at Tranquilitas, trekking through the Drakensberg, or longing for a night under the stars in Magaliesburg, the only decisions you’ll be regretting is not taking these essentials (and not-so-essentials) with you.
Let’s start off with the absolute bare minimum.
The first is a place to sleep. First prize is a good tent! What tent do you need? How long is a piece of rope? Your choice in the tent all depends on your choice in adventure. For the hiking hermits who like to spice things up and sleep somewhere different every night, you might want something that is lightweight and easy to put up and take down.
The Nemo Dragonfly OSMO is so light, the only thing you’ll need to worry about is trying to remember whether or not you actually packed it. At a featherlight 1.2kg, and available in 2-person and 3-person setups, you’ll have some extra grams of space for that one pot that always gets packed, but never gets used.
If your tent doesn’t travel well and is literally only going from the car to your very carefully chosen sleeping spot, then a First Ascent Eclipse 3-person tent is ideal. This bad boy comes with some prime, camping real estate – 2 aptly sized vestibules for gear storage or even cooking during the conditions when the weather isn’t on your side.
Speaking of the weather.
Summer in South Africa means a few thunderstorms are inevitable, and staying dry means staying comfortable. That’s where a hard shell comes in. We have a rain jacket that has a higher water column than most tents – the First Ascent Stormbreaker will have you covered without breaking the bank. If you’re a casual car-camper or a hardcore, ultralight purist looking for some mileage on the legs, this crucial piece of gear will find itself at home in any camping or hiking kit.
So, now you’re dry, and well rested. Well almost.
A bomber tent without a sleeping bag and a mat is basically a high-tech lawn ornament. Ideally, you want to be looking for something that you can tuck into without cooking yourself well-done. The First Ascent Amplify Downlight almost packs down to the size of your crusty, trusty Nalgene bottle, and being a down bag, you’ll have that small bit of extra warmth for those slightly icier evenings.
Pair this with a bomber sleeping mat, and you’ll be golden. For comfort that’ll put your aunty’s 5-star hotel trip to shame, check out the Nemo Tensor Trail Ultralight. If a 5-star Protea Hotel (is that even a thing?) is a bit out of your price range, the First Ascent Aero 5.5 is right up your alley. If this thing could box, it would be in the featherweight category, but at just over a grand, it definitely punches well above its weight.
So, you’re sleeping like a king?
But you’re not living like a king. Yet. When you go camping – whether trekking, or car-camping – it’s always good to take those few pieces of kit that improve your quality of life.
The first item I usually pack is my Jetboil. I am a coffee snob of note and my trusty Jetboil is essentially a high-tech, lightweight, French press coffee maker – I never go anywhere without it. Grab yourself the newly upgraded silicone Jetboil coffee press and start your day right with a good old cup of Joe! And when that’s done, you’ve got yourself an all-in-one cook system that boils water before your morning boskak even hits the floor – don’t forget to cover that sucker up, check out this flow-chart on leaving no trace when nature calls in the great outdoors.
Coffee is a luxury, but water is a necessity.
Pair your hardy plastic vat of a Nalgene bottle with a good water filter if you’re camping out in the backcountry with a questionable water source – Muzz Church has a good beat on what to look for in a water filter. Make sure your drinking water is safe – the only thing worse than dehydration is something that not even Immodium will fix. Even if you do have access to good drinking water, take your Nalgene everywhere. Some of those colours just make the water look like it’ll taste better than the Drakensberg spring water that Woolies uses in their overpriced ice blocks.
Now, the only thing we’re missing is somewhere to put all this. If you’re hiking or trekking, you can skip on some of the luxuries to make sure that you don’t overfill your backpack.
If you’re not into roughing it, then all you need is a duffel bag – for your clothes of course! On a scale of “I need an outfit for every occasion, just in case!” to “I’ll just turn all my underwear inside-out, that way I can get at least two wears out of them” The North Face has some great options for all your outfitting needs!
Remember, at the end of the day, there is no limit to what goes into your pack (or car). If you think you’ll need it, pack it. These are just some of my top priority gear items to keep me going – and have fun doing it. So, if you’re lacking any of the above, be sure to head on down to your favourite gear shop or get those fingers moving and surf over to your favourite online gear shop and stock up!
Oh ja, and don’t forget your headlamp! Trail running down the Wolfberg approach path with a trad rack on your back and without a headlamp after sundown is not only a s**tshow, but downright risky. 10/10 would NOT recommend.
Until next time, see you guys out there!
Tyler.
