CAMPING
We have an Eezi Awn rooftop tent mounted on Rhino Racks, plus a retractable awning made in South Africa. We have a DMH Tasman lightweight 3-man hiking tent as a backup option and for trekking.
We are using Denali sleeping bags rated to a comfort level of -5, which have been fantastic. It's damn cold in Southern Africa at night! They also got us up Kili, but I'd hire a colder bag specifically for Kili in Moshi if I had my time over.
We picked up camping gear like chairs, tables, lanterns and the like in South Africa.
We cook mostly on campfires, but also have a Cadac portable gas stove running off a gas bottle.
COMMUNICATIONS
Toy came to us with a UHF radio and antenna. Although the same frequencies are generally not used in Africa, the radio was covered by the carnet, so we left it in the vehicle.
Since we are not travelling in a group and have no backup vehicle to tow us or go for help if we run into serious trouble, we have invested a substantial amount of money in the ultimate communications backup - a satellite phone. A Motorolla 9505A operating on the Iridium satellite network, to be precise. Our service plan is from Satellite Phone Store. Subject to having a clear view of the sky, we will have coverage from any point on the planet. Tis for emergencies use only, as connection fees are very high.
FIRST AID & MEDS
We are carrying a 4WD first aid kit, specifically designed for trips off the beaten track, from First Aid International.
We have added a variety of cold + flu, motion sickness, nausea, gastro and painkiller medication, plus various prescription medication from the Travellers Medical & Vaccination Centre. Do you know how hard it is to find a chemist that will get you a Penthrox inhaler in Sydney!?
FUEL
As to 'why diesel', see the FAQ.
Toy takes 145L, which should give us a fuel range of about 900km on road.
Although we would have liked to fit an enlarged reserve tank, the budget didn't stretch that far. We could carry up to 43L of extra diesel in jerries (about an extra 270 km) for those times when we suspect it may be a long way between drinks. We needed it once, in Namibia.
Diesel in Southern Africa was expensive, moving between $1.10 and 1.30 per litre. In Sudan, it's 35 cents, and its half that in Egypt.
NAVIGATION
Garmin Nuvi 1450T GPS running Tracks 4 Africa maps, with a backup Nuvi 265W. The 1450T died in Ethiopia.
PACKING & STORAGE
Nally bins are strong, stackable, the lids can be bolted down, and they come in a range of sizes to suit your packing space. We used 4 of them for food and 'kitchen' storage, and they have gone the distance. We got ours from Reflex Handling and Storage Equipment.
We have a dust sealed, lockable, military-grade Spacecase for more sensitive gear. It fits in the footwell behind the drivers seat. We got ours from Move Lift n Store, and would never deal with them again. We could have done without the Spacecase.
POWER
We have a dual battery system to power the fridge and various other pieces of equipment without draining the starter battery.
We are also carrying a Projecta 600W inverter so that we can run 240 volt appliances from the 12 volt battery. For various reasons (including the notion of having 240 volts constantly running through the car frame, drowning the inverter during river crossings, etc), we have not mounted this permanently in the vehicle, but connect it directly to the auxiliary battery when we need it.
RECOVERY
Toy sports a Warn 9000lb electric winch, fitted to the ARB bull bar. Plasma rope replaces the usual heavy cable. Steve really likes winching things. We are equipped with 2 snatch blocks, a 3-metre grade 70 (10mm) bridle/drag chain, winch extension strap, tree protector, snatch strap and heavy duty shackles.
We have a pair of 1.2m fibreglass reinforced polyester (FRP) bridging ladders from the Grating Company. Dave offers a 10% discount (off $330 RRP) for anyone who mentions this site. Those ladders saved us twice.
We are carrying a hi-lift jack, shovel, axe, hatchet, and various other bits and pieces. The hi lift jack literally fell to pieces in Zambia, and those pieces then fell off the back of the car, so we had to replace it with a sturdy Kenyan version in Nairobi. So much for the vaunted Hi Lift brand.
REFRIGERATION
Waeco CF-50 fridge freezer with SLD60 fridge slide. We wish we had forked out for the insulation bag.
TOOLS, SPARES & REPAIRS
See our main tool list.
We also have awesome man-toy survival stuff, like a Leatherman Supatool, a Charge and Skeletool, a Muela Kodiak knife, Ledlenser P7s (the light output from these little torches has to be seen to be believed) and a bunch of other stuff. Maxtreme.
WATER
We carry water in a 57 litre Black Widow water tank with 4.8lpm inline pump that is mounted against the cargo barrier, plus an additional water jerry to keep our eggs in several baskets.
We have a silver/carbon based 1 micron inline filter from B.E.S.T. water filters which will be used to filter all doubtful water before it enters the Black Widow tank. We can hook this filter system up to standard hoses or direct to taps using food grade drinking hose and various fittings. We also have a Shurflo 12v water pump so we can filter water where we are filling from containers or water sources without mains pressure.
We love our water setup. Everyone else does too. Seriously, take a filter.
SUPPLIERS - THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
The Excellent: Leatherman Australia and Anaconda Moore Park came through for us in a big way! Thank-you guys and girls!
The Good: First Aid International, Ryda (GPS unit), Reflex Handling and Storage Equipment, B.E.S.T. Water filters, the Grating Company, Travellers Medical & Vaccination Centre, TTI Tools, PJ White & Co, Tracks 4 Africa, and many others.
The Bad: Satellite Phone Store - woeful customer service. And let's not talk about shipping agents in general.
The Ugly (people we personally would never ever deal with again): Move Lift n Store - thanks to contact with an exceptionally rude gentlemen who preached about the terms and conditions of delivery, quite possibly without checking his own website. DC-Battery.com.au - goods not received, emails not answered. And the dude on ebay who took $1,000 of our money and thought we wouldn't notice that the satellite phone didn't show up? Enough said.
We have an Eezi Awn rooftop tent mounted on Rhino Racks, plus a retractable awning made in South Africa. We have a DMH Tasman lightweight 3-man hiking tent as a backup option and for trekking.
We are using Denali sleeping bags rated to a comfort level of -5, which have been fantastic. It's damn cold in Southern Africa at night! They also got us up Kili, but I'd hire a colder bag specifically for Kili in Moshi if I had my time over.
We picked up camping gear like chairs, tables, lanterns and the like in South Africa.
We cook mostly on campfires, but also have a Cadac portable gas stove running off a gas bottle.
COMMUNICATIONS
Toy came to us with a UHF radio and antenna. Although the same frequencies are generally not used in Africa, the radio was covered by the carnet, so we left it in the vehicle.
Since we are not travelling in a group and have no backup vehicle to tow us or go for help if we run into serious trouble, we have invested a substantial amount of money in the ultimate communications backup - a satellite phone. A Motorolla 9505A operating on the Iridium satellite network, to be precise. Our service plan is from Satellite Phone Store. Subject to having a clear view of the sky, we will have coverage from any point on the planet. Tis for emergencies use only, as connection fees are very high.
FIRST AID & MEDS
We are carrying a 4WD first aid kit, specifically designed for trips off the beaten track, from First Aid International.
We have added a variety of cold + flu, motion sickness, nausea, gastro and painkiller medication, plus various prescription medication from the Travellers Medical & Vaccination Centre. Do you know how hard it is to find a chemist that will get you a Penthrox inhaler in Sydney!?
FUEL
As to 'why diesel', see the FAQ.
Toy takes 145L, which should give us a fuel range of about 900km on road.
Although we would have liked to fit an enlarged reserve tank, the budget didn't stretch that far. We could carry up to 43L of extra diesel in jerries (about an extra 270 km) for those times when we suspect it may be a long way between drinks. We needed it once, in Namibia.
Diesel in Southern Africa was expensive, moving between $1.10 and 1.30 per litre. In Sudan, it's 35 cents, and its half that in Egypt.
NAVIGATION
Garmin Nuvi 1450T GPS running Tracks 4 Africa maps, with a backup Nuvi 265W. The 1450T died in Ethiopia.
PACKING & STORAGE
Nally bins are strong, stackable, the lids can be bolted down, and they come in a range of sizes to suit your packing space. We used 4 of them for food and 'kitchen' storage, and they have gone the distance. We got ours from Reflex Handling and Storage Equipment.
We have a dust sealed, lockable, military-grade Spacecase for more sensitive gear. It fits in the footwell behind the drivers seat. We got ours from Move Lift n Store, and would never deal with them again. We could have done without the Spacecase.
POWER
We have a dual battery system to power the fridge and various other pieces of equipment without draining the starter battery.
We are also carrying a Projecta 600W inverter so that we can run 240 volt appliances from the 12 volt battery. For various reasons (including the notion of having 240 volts constantly running through the car frame, drowning the inverter during river crossings, etc), we have not mounted this permanently in the vehicle, but connect it directly to the auxiliary battery when we need it.
RECOVERY
Toy sports a Warn 9000lb electric winch, fitted to the ARB bull bar. Plasma rope replaces the usual heavy cable. Steve really likes winching things. We are equipped with 2 snatch blocks, a 3-metre grade 70 (10mm) bridle/drag chain, winch extension strap, tree protector, snatch strap and heavy duty shackles.
We have a pair of 1.2m fibreglass reinforced polyester (FRP) bridging ladders from the Grating Company. Dave offers a 10% discount (off $330 RRP) for anyone who mentions this site. Those ladders saved us twice.
We are carrying a hi-lift jack, shovel, axe, hatchet, and various other bits and pieces. The hi lift jack literally fell to pieces in Zambia, and those pieces then fell off the back of the car, so we had to replace it with a sturdy Kenyan version in Nairobi. So much for the vaunted Hi Lift brand.
REFRIGERATION
Waeco CF-50 fridge freezer with SLD60 fridge slide. We wish we had forked out for the insulation bag.
TOOLS, SPARES & REPAIRS
See our main tool list.
We also have awesome man-toy survival stuff, like a Leatherman Supatool, a Charge and Skeletool, a Muela Kodiak knife, Ledlenser P7s (the light output from these little torches has to be seen to be believed) and a bunch of other stuff. Maxtreme.
WATER
We carry water in a 57 litre Black Widow water tank with 4.8lpm inline pump that is mounted against the cargo barrier, plus an additional water jerry to keep our eggs in several baskets.
We have a silver/carbon based 1 micron inline filter from B.E.S.T. water filters which will be used to filter all doubtful water before it enters the Black Widow tank. We can hook this filter system up to standard hoses or direct to taps using food grade drinking hose and various fittings. We also have a Shurflo 12v water pump so we can filter water where we are filling from containers or water sources without mains pressure.
We love our water setup. Everyone else does too. Seriously, take a filter.
SUPPLIERS - THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
The Excellent: Leatherman Australia and Anaconda Moore Park came through for us in a big way! Thank-you guys and girls!
The Good: First Aid International, Ryda (GPS unit), Reflex Handling and Storage Equipment, B.E.S.T. Water filters, the Grating Company, Travellers Medical & Vaccination Centre, TTI Tools, PJ White & Co, Tracks 4 Africa, and many others.
The Bad: Satellite Phone Store - woeful customer service. And let's not talk about shipping agents in general.
The Ugly (people we personally would never ever deal with again): Move Lift n Store - thanks to contact with an exceptionally rude gentlemen who preached about the terms and conditions of delivery, quite possibly without checking his own website. DC-Battery.com.au - goods not received, emails not answered. And the dude on ebay who took $1,000 of our money and thought we wouldn't notice that the satellite phone didn't show up? Enough said.
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