WHERE DID WE PARK OUR CAR?

WE ARE A HIGHLY industrialised and well-resourced, well-equipped state with enough resources, investors and wealth; so, saying that we are a third-world country in this day and age is incorrect. Secondly, we are home to one of the world’s and Africa’s biggest research institutions (CSIR). Finally, we had (and still do possess) some of the brightest, yet most underrated, minds in the world of engineering and innovation. With only those few points mentioned: why is it that we, as a country (or continent for that matter) do not have a car brand we can be proud of? If a somewhat poor country like India can manufacture homemade automobiles in the name of Tata, what then has been stopping or most of us, summer is the only real time we can get out there and commune with the great outdoors in our magnificent wilderness areas. Which means that those of us unused to the ways of the wild need reminding about certain truths. Like, it can get awfully dark out there when the Sun goes down.

But why is this a problem in the average campsite, where bloodthirsty maneating beasts are unlikely to lurk? Try tripping over a tent peg or snagging a guy rope in the dark and you’ll understand. Better still, pack some decent substitute sunshine in the form of the torches on these pages. We’ve assembled a group of some mid-range units that (mostly) fit in a cubbyhole, plus a couple of headlamps that in addition to being able to light up your braai effectively are capable of helping you spot distant objects. Thanks to the rise of LED technology, they’re all compact, efficient and damn bright, too.

* Items all available at Cape Union Mart. Visit www.capeunionmart.co.za

COLEMAN BATTERYLOCK 700 R800

With 700 lumens at its disposal (70 on Low) this unit throws a startlingly effective beam up to 300 metres. Average battery time is 7 hours on the High setting and the only real drawback is the lack of an adjustable beam for when you need to light up a wider area. *

Set on high, the bigger Coleman puts out 330 lumens.