Namibia trip

[Fallow Way]

HI all,

There is a good chance I am off with Woodlore to Namibia later in the year. If there are any of you that have been there, or to similar places, and and all advice is warmly welcomed please:-)

Anyone else on the November trip?

Nomad

[Roving Rich]

ooooh you lucky lucky .....
Enjoy

:-D
Rich

[Gary]

Dont dress like a Big Mac and watch out for Lions!

Did that help? ops:

[MartiniDave]

Nomad

Is there anything in the Woodlore catalogue you haven't ordered yet? :-D :-D

Seriously now, I hope you have a great time, I'm only a bit jealous!

Dave

[Tony]

fantastic stuff, have a good one :biggthump

[Stuart]

I've not been to namibia

but genral advice for any desert is cover up well (including your head) and wear layered loose flowing clothing and good boots

be prepared for the temperature to drop sharply at night

make sure you have a comforatble way to carry lots of water and more then one container to put it in

brush up on your navigation

I imagine you'll probably be traveling by landcruiser though (dont keep the air conditioning on it will make it make you feel much worse when you have to get out and slow your aclimitisation)
the'll be plently of people who know what there doing

your going to love the desert :-D

[Adi007]

Not to mention the fact that using the AC on in the desert will seriously eat into your fuel consumption ...

[BorderReiver]

Not to mention the fact that using the AC on in the desert will seriously eat into your fuel consumption ...

..and overheat the engine :-(

Always carry too much water;and keep toilet paper on your person.

[Mikey P]

- Camelback
- Electrolyte replacment sports drink powder (eg, SiS GO) and a separate water bottle for it (gets sticky)
- Shemagh (sp?) as these are useful for loads of things (this is the two-colour pattern large cloth square you can wrap around the head/neck)
- Good set of sunglasses with neck cord
- Wet wipes
- Rash cream like Sudacrem (for sore bits that have been abrased by sand, sweat, etc), and micropore tape for putting over sore bits on feet
- Something to stop sand getting into your socks/boot tops, like the home-made gaiters you see on the Marathon de Sables runners

- Erm...can't think of anything else

[Ed]

A few small gifts for the locals ;-)
.... coloured pencils for the kids etc.... In my time in the desert I relied alot on local people for advice on camels and routes and as guides..... a small gift at the end of your trip will be much appreiciated and enhance your reputation with them no end. remember.... you may want to go back one day ;-)

:-)
Ed

[JakeR]

Nomad..I have advice for you!

I went there two years ago i have posted up my story here about the Orange River walk we did up in the Kalahari. To cut a long story short...we needed more water everyday than we anticipated! But i am sure the course leaders will make sure of all that.

Mate, it is a beautiful country. Southern Africa will blow you away! Its absolute pristine wilderness. I only went there the once. I normally spend my time in South Africa visiting reletives and the like. But i always take a week or two to explore and never have i been disappointed.

The only advice i can give you is ENJOY! Woodlore i am sure (i hope!) will take good care to make sure you come to no harm. But again take more water than you think you'll need then take a bit more.

If you go out in our winter it will be summer in Namibia and you will never experience such heat! It is basically opposite weather patterns so if you leave in our mid-summer it will be quite a lot cooler.

Anything specific just ask.

Cheers,

Jake

[Tvividr]

Nomad, are you going to the Skeleton Coast / Kaokoland, or up north / northeast towards the Owambo / Kavango or Caprivi Strip areas ?
The environment and the natural resources are quite different in those areas. Your basic equipment should however be more or less the same.

[JakeR]

It is amazing the contrast in environment you will see in just a 100 miles or less. You could be driving through arid rocky terrain and suddenly be hit with absolute green and beauty!

Enjoy.