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Camping is a great distraction from everyday life. It's a break from routine – from work, from home, from traffic, from everything. You get to breathe fresh air, unclutter your mind, commune with nature and try and solve simple problems like how to put up your tent. Camping is a brilliant de-stresser because you're taken completely out of your familiar environment.
Believe me, you won't think about office politics while you're boiling water in a billycan or dousing the chops. Children love camping. Remember all those childhood hours you spent in a tent on the front lawn?
Camping is also affordable. When was the last time you heard someone complaining after a camping weekend that they overspent on their credit cards? Once you've got the basics (and that doesn't include a Landrover Discovery!) the only costs are food, petrol and the nominal entrance fees to the site.
Getting started
If you ask around, you're bound to hear stories about rain in the tent, ants in the food and forgetting the firelighters. Things can go wrong when you camp. And do.
The last time I went I fell into a two-metre ditch. But there are many times when you're out there – I call them ‘camping moments' – that stir the soul and move the spirit. They could strike when you're sitting round the fire, showering in a waterfall, drinking Kaluha coffee at sunrise or just listening to the simple sound of a tent unzipping.
One way to get excited is to check out camping shops (Cape Union Mart, Outdoor Warehouse and Camp 'n Climb have branches nationwide) and outdoor magazines. The past few years have seen a major flurry of interest in the great outdoors – and you'll be amazed at all the good ideas, lovely things and useful information you can pick up.
Be warned, there's an overwhelming array of camping accessories and gadgets (men love this part) available – from rhino lashers to designer safari chairs. So if you're first-timers, stick to the basics and build from there. If you're unsure whether you'll ever be a happy camper, borrow a tent or go with people who've done it before.
Doing it right
The secret to camping is to think practical. You have do pretty much everything yourself – that's the fun part – so make sure you take the glaringly obvious (tent, sleeping gear and cooking equipment) as well as sensible things such as refuse bags, torches, firewood and cooler boxes.
A lot of camping happens around the fire and eating area, so plan your food and drinks in advance, plus all those niggly things that go with it (corkscrews, tin-openers, pots that won't melt on the fire).
Remember: You have to take everything out of the car, set it all up and put it all back again. You won't need hairdriers, heavy furniture, delicate glassware, expensive watches or all 500 attachments that fit onto a Cadac gasring.
Finding your style
Everyone has their own camping style. It's a rainbow thing – like our nation – and crosses the whole spectrum, from Designer Campers, (who pitch their tents right next to their brand-new 4x4s), to Rustic Campers (all we need is a
water bottle and some veg, broer), and everything in between. You get Boy Scout Campers, who love organising team events; Hang Out Campers, who seldom leave the fireside; and Wild Campers, who head into the mountains on foot, armed only with a tin of bully beef and a space blanket.
Some people go camping with old tents, single mattress and everything else on the backseat of the car. Others take awnings, fold-out tables and neatly labelled tupperware (Rice salad. Sliced tomatoes. Braai mix.) I have a friend who won't go camping without a blow-up lilo and three days worth of ice. You'll work out very quickly just what style of camping bends your boerewors, so to speak.
Tales of adventure
Everyone and their cousin has a story about camping that usually involves a long and colourful explanation as to why they woke up with the tent in the trees, drove over the cooler-box or had the best/worst time of their lives.
So take your pick from this selection of truly divine camping spots and see what kind of tales you can come up with.
Right place, right time Choosing where to go is almost as fun as going. Your options are practically unlimited. South Africa has an amazing array of places that range from family resorts and nature reserves to far-flung mountain hideaways and lakeside retreats. You'll find camping spots close to cities, alongside beaches and in the desert. Just as important as where you go, however, is when you go. Rain, snow and wind are not the camper's friends.
You can't always avoid bad weather, of course, but it's generally a good idea to avoid things like hurricane season, summer rainfall areas in summer and so on. If you're in doubt about the forthcoming weather – phone ahead.
