The Botswana Roadtrip That Nearly Wasn't

[Jovan Djokic]

A road trip around Botswana over the Christmas holidays seemed like a perfect way for SWAMBO and I to see the country we live and work in and to quench our desire to be out in the bush, mixing up some camping with some lodge accommodation and seeing what Botswana has to offer along the way. Little did we know how unprepared we’d be for a seemingly simple but exciting trip!

Attached is a PDF with the trip report and some photos, as taken from our online blog, "Road Beneath Our Feet" where you can see more photos and even a few video clips from our trip. Hope it's an enjoyable read and perhaps some beginner campers/overlanders will learn from our mistakes!

Cheers and safe travels,
Jovan.

[Stan Weakley]

Thanks for posting Jovan.

One seldom sees trip reports on trips that are less than a complete success. I think forum members are often just too embarrassed to share the tough times. It seems that you tried hard and in fact succeeded in making the best of a bad thing. I also do not do rain very well!

[RodS]

Thanks Jovan. An entertaining read, and it is very nice to see things through the fresh eyes of a first-timer.

[Rik]

Thanks Jovan, I am not very successful with rooftoptents and rain. Nice trip you had!

[Kalahari Safari]

Thanks Jovan,

What an interesting (camping) trip this turned out the be. Glad you were recovering form the mishaps and going on despite circumspect conditions.

Okay then, Botswana is still waiting

[lekhubu943]

Thanks for a candid but positive report, you adapted really well.

Look, I think most campers might look the part in rain, but at some point we all get miserable. We camped at that same Chobe Safari lodge and Ihaha one December and the rain nearly got the better of us. I did get some nice photos of storms moving over the flats on the Namibia side from Ihaha though.

[kirkfort]

What a refreshing and honest trip report, thanks Jovan. Even the best laid plans can fail when mother nature raises her head. As lekhubu mentioned, you adapted really well,especially the part where you tossed the tent into the bin ( I had a good chuckle), best move you could ever make. Been down that road

[TimmoBW]

Sigh...Gabz people!

Only Joking! Thanks Jovan for a refreshingly honest and very entertaining trip report. PM me when your travels find you in Maun, I'd like to buy you a beer!

[Albert Ross]

Thanks for posting the other side of the camping coin. It is not always sunshine and cold drinks for days and nights on end.
We were actually in Kasane the same time as you (left for Namibia on 1st Jan) Went to Victoria Falls on 30th and game driving on 31st and know all about the rain that came.
Thanks again.

[Jovan Djokic]

Sigh...Gabz people!

Only Joking! Thanks Jovan for a refreshingly honest and very entertaining trip report. PM me when your travels find you in Maun, I'd like to buy you a beer!

Sounds like a plan!

[Jovan Djokic]

Thanks everyone for the comments on my trip review! You live, you learn!
SWAMBO hasn't been put off camping (thankfully), buuuut, she swore she'd kill me if I ever buy another CampMaster tent again!

So our next trip will probably have to wait until we treat ourselves to a decent canvas tent. I'll probably head down to SA to get one as the choice in Botswana is very limited and as such the prices are steep.

Ideally a RTT would be preferred, but seeing as we don't (as yet) have the vehicle for it, a canvas ground tent will probably be the way forward for now. (Frontrunner sell a durable and quite light RTT... "Manufactured with a special Oxford tent fabric (400D)") but it's pricey and I'm not sure how much better than a nylon tent it is.

What do you guys recommend as a good starting point? I'm admiring the Tentco range, particularly the Junior Safari canvas dome tent (2.1x2.1x1.8m), but there's also the Howling Moon range, the Campmor range, the OzTrail range etc etc... But Tentco seem to have the best prices.

Any advice, suggestions, recommendations are welcome!

Thanks again and I look forward to posting a sequel trip review, of a more positive nature next time!

Cheers.

[Kierie]

Thanks for the entertaining and honest report. The brands of canvas dome tents you mention above are all good. The popular ones are Howling Moon, Bushtec, Tentco and Campmor. The material and construction is more important than the brand of tent, so try and get cotton ripstop canvas thicker than 320 grams per square meter. My Bushtec Gemsbok 450gsm 3x3 has gone through tropical downpours on a massive scale, but the weight of the heavier canvas keeps me dry and the thicker canvas offers a cooler interior, plus it holds its own in the wind.

Good luck with your next adventure and please continue posting trip reports.

[DarylB]

I have two 2.4x2.4 dome tents by Canvas & Tent that I've used extensively since 1992! They plus a larger Chobe frame tent (Meru style) have undergone lengthy periods set up as permanent base camps for my work as a wildlife photographer. The two dome tents stood for an entire year in Savuti while the Chobe plus one of the domes stood for another entire year in Kruger, albeit always in some shade. I have never experienced any problems with leaks etc. Yes, they are heavy and bulky but if you want a tent to work in extreme conditions over extended periods, proper heavy ripstop canvas is the only way to go.

[Jovan Djokic]

Thanks Kierie.
Will make sure to look at the grams/sqm (as well as the price) and try find the best combo!

[Jovan Djokic]

I have two 2.4x2.4 done tents by Canvas & Tent that I've used extensively since 1992! They plus a larger Chobe frame tent (Meru style) have undergone lengthy periods set up as permanent base camps for my work as a wildlife photographer. The two done tents stood for an entire year in Savuti while the Chobe plus one of the domes stood for another entire year in Kruger. I have never experienced any problems with leaks etc. yes, they are heavy and bulky but if you want a tent to work in extreme conditions over extended periods, proper heavy ripstop canvas is the only way to go.

Thanks for the info Daryl!

My only "issue", if I can call it that, is the weight, as my RAV4 isnt that capable of carrying too much weight.

Having said that, i suppose it makes sense to get a good (read heavy) tent and then compromise on all the other stuff that gets taken with.

[DarylB]

Thanks for the info Daryl!

My only "issue", if I can call it that, is the weight, as my RAV4 isnt that capable of carrying too much weight.

Having said that, i suppose it makes sense to get a good (read heavy) tent and then compromise on all the other stuff that gets taken with.

Well I suppose it also depends on when and where you plan to use it. If you are likely to be camping in areas where there's a good chance of rain, and lots of it, canvas is the way to go. However if you are likely to only experience the occasional shower...well, things dry out once the sun comes out again!

In my case I camp for months at a time and can't avoid being in places through the rainy season. I can assure you that camping in Kenya during the "long rains" between April and June is no fun if your tent is not 100% waterproof!

On the other hand camping at the beach in Mozambique and getting a bit damp during an overnight downpour...well, the sun is likely to shine the next day anyway!