ED’S LETTER
This year really started with a bang, and that relaxing December holiday is nothing more than a distant memory. Here at go! Drive & Camp we’ve been running around like blue-arsed flies the past few weeks. Kyle’s family probably doesn’t even remember what he looks like. The man went camping in Porterville for this month’s Weekend Break, searched far and wide for gas braais to test for our Gear section, spent several hours on the phone to get tips for the Camp Boffin piece on storing water safely, and he had to write a feature about Baboons Pass in Lesotho. Cyril had to cut his summer holiday with his family short to fly to a wintry Germany to check out the world’s biggest travel and outdoor show, and in between he had to find out whether the Ford Kuga is a serious off-roader. And that’s not even mentioning all the research he had to do for this month’s 4x4 Professor. Leon in turn had to take his family to the Kruger and show them the real meaning of heat, and he also had to make time to camp with the Armadillo Shack and tow with the Fiat Fullback. But it’s not only here that things are happening. Read our News section to see all the goings-on in the caravan industry. There are a few interesting months ahead and we will keep our fingers on the pulse to bring you all the latest info.
The bakkie is still moving along…
Just a quick note about the Bakkie Project. After we added everything from a bullbar to a steel rear bumper to the Mazda BT-50 (our long-term vehicle) we drove with it so much in the last two months that we didn’t have time to take it for more upgrades. But in the coming weeks there is a gap and we agreed that most of the heavy things were done already. We can therefore now continue to replace its suspension with a system that can carry all the additional weight. We’re taking the bakkie in shortly and will tell you more about it next month. Safe travels!
There’s definitely a high attrition rate if conditions aren’t favourable, and depending on the weather and condition of the road, those taking on the trail have to be prepared to take two days to finish the route as a precaution.