After tonnes of research on the internet and endless mind-boggling conversations with all the 4×4/safari specialists in Cape Town, I’ve developed a fairly exhaustive list of things we need to add to the vehicle or take with us. Before you mock and deride, keep in mind that this is going to be our home for 3-6 months. No, feel free to mock and deride.
- Roof rack/ladder: a flat one that allows you to add accessories
- Roof tent: to hide the kids in when out in the Kalahari so they don’t get eaten by hyena, lions etc.
- A big 8 person, 3 room ground tent – a schlep to put up but good for multi-night stops
- A smaller 4 person ground tent – easy to erect for quick one night stops
- Enhanced rear air suspension to stop the vehicle factory suspension from bottoming out when fully-loaded
- 2 spare tires
- Cargo netting to keep everything stuffed into the back, in the back
- DVD machine to keep the kids amused on longer drives
- Garmin GPS and Tracks4Africa maps for offroad trails, road conditions etc.
- Offroad tire repair kits
- Propane gas tank on the roof
- Drawer system in the rear of the car to make it easier to get at stuff
- “Ammo” storage boxes for clothes, food, cutlery
- Camping table and chairs
- Gas cooker bits, cutlery, plates, pots
- 2 x 20l diesel jerry cans
- 12v/220v 40l Engel offroad fridge/freezer
- Snorkel – to keep dust out of the air filter, enable us to make like a submarine in rivers and build our street cred.
- Dual battery system and isolator (one for cranking the engine, the other for the fridge and other 12v stuff)
- “Smash and Grab” window film all around to stop criminals and tinting to stop the sun
- Hi-lift jack to make changing tires easy and get the vehicle off big rocks
- Spade for toilet-related activities and digging the vehicle out of sand/mud
- Solar shower – basically a black bag with a plastic showerhead – luxury
- Safe installed in the engine compartment (for cash and passports)
- Portable winch to winch the vehicle out of mud
- Jerk strap to jerk the vehicle out of mud and two enormous shackles
- 300W DC to AC power inverter (to charge and run 220V stuff like laptop etc.)
- Satellite phone for once we are out of relatively civilized Africa (Namibia, Botswana)
- Tools, air filters, fan/alternator belts, fluids
- Pith helmet and blunderbuss
- 5 very big senses of humour
Things we were told we would need but rejected:
- Offroad camping trailer with roof tent – we decided that lugging an offroad trailer around would add to fuel expense, spare tire complications and a big ground tent would be better anyway. Not to mention additional expense of $10k. We’ll squeeze into the Land Cruiser…
- Retractable awning attached to the roof rack – we’ll find trees for shade.
- Electric winch – expensive and there’s a manual version!
- Bull bar – expensive and we’re going to not drive at night to reduce our risk of hitting bulls of all species.
- Spot lights on the bull bar – no night driving, no bulls hopefully.
- Second roof tent – not enough room left for diesel and water.
- Whole new offroad suspension – Old Man Emu for $3000? Stay on roads and/or drive more slowly…