Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2016 i Go! Drive & Camp

Ican’t recall ever having written an editor’s letter for the December issue while it was 4° Celsius outside. At home in the Cape it’s usually sunny, even if the Southeaster is doing its best to remove some roof tiles. And when I’m in Gauteng it’s almost always pleasant, with the odd thunderstorm or two. But here in Stockholm the worst of winter is yet to come! So what exactly am I doing here? I’m attending the international unveiling of the new Mercedes-Benz bakkie – which you can read more about on page 24 of this issue. I don’t want to gloat, but for a long time I’ve been saying to all and sundry that a double cab is the most versatile vehicle on the planet. Now it seems as if…

In June this year we stayed at the Guma Lagoon Camp on the western side of the Okavango Delta, after we had bought supplies and spent two days in Maun. We had been warned about the troublesome monkeys at reception, and told that we should pack all food away. After we’d set up camp, we took a walk around the area to explore a bit. When we got back to camp we saw that the monkeys had opened our ammo boxes and taken a bite of everything. From the pecan nut pies that we’d bought for pudding to the onions! On the second day we packed all our food away into the vehicle, because the troublemakers were watching us from the trees. We only left the gas bottle and kettle…

In the October edition of Drive Out (#105) we looked at the implications of aftermarket modifications on your vehicle’s warranty. It became clear that you need to do your homework before installation, but it’s completely possible to modify your 4x4 without losing the warranty. As long as you do it the right way, with the right products. But after our conversations with manufacturers and experts, we began to wonder what the safety implications of replacing some of your vehicle’s factory-fitted parts are. Could you be making your 4x4 unsafe, inadvertently putting yourself in danger? To answer this question, we approached some experts in the industry. Here’s their advice. 01 BULL BARS Safety critical components, like bull bars and suspension, enjoy manufacturers’ highest priority for a reason. If you tinker with…

Until now, Ford’s Everest hasn’t really been able to take the fight to the Toyota Fortuner. One reason is that the Everest range only has two models, compared to the eight models of Fortuner. As we announced previously, Ford has decided to rectify the situation with no fewer than six additions to the Everest range. This is the direct result of a R2,5 billion investment in their local plants where the Everest and Ranger are built – and where the latter is exported to no less than 148 markets in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The Everest will be built locally for Sub-Saharan African markets. The new Everest models will include a 2.2 TDCi XLS 4x4 with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The other five models will be 4x2s in…

01 VISIT ONE OF SA’S LESSER-KNOWN PARKS OR RESERVES You’ve been to the Kruger Park, now go and visit Hluhluwe Imfolozi-(KZN), Dinokeng (near Pretoria), Kgaswane (near Rustenburg), Oorlogskloof (near Nieuwoudtville), Anysberg (near Laingsburg), Witsand (near Postmasburg) and Molopo Nature Reserve (near Vryburg). In the quieter reserves you’ll usually see more animals, especially rare bird species. 02 READ A ROAD ATLAS When was the last time you had a cold beer and paged through an old Caltex or Shell road atlas, looking at the places where you grew up? Where’s that town your uncle was born? Maybe you did a school tour to Babanango in 1982 and you wonder what it looks like today. What about Bulletrap in Namaqualand? Go visit those strange places on the map. 03 DO THE BULL…

DRIVE OUT /ESCAPE GEAR DOCUMENT HOLDER An overall for your paperwork When you travel across borders there is always a stack of papers to take along: passports, your vehicle registration, an itinerary, campsite bookings, permits and what not. That’s why this tough document holder, made from the same quality cotton canvas that Escape Gear uses for their legendary seat covers, is such a practical Christmas gift. PRICE: R250 DRIVE OUT JONSSON WORKWEAR SHORT SLEEVE SHIRT Make the Camel man envious When you’re in the bush, you need a tough but comfortable shirt that won’t let you down. When it comes to tough clothing, few manufacturers can hold a candle to Jonsson Workwear. All the hard-working seams are triple stitched and it has two breast pockets, with the…

There’s no denying the high cost of tyres, but what makes the purchase even harder to bear is the fact that they don’t last forever – one day you’ll begrudgingly have to go through the process of buying a new set all over again. Unfortunately, not much can be done about the cost of rubber; but that’s not to say you can’t save money on your next set. The following points will show you how to shop for long-term tyre value. MILEAGE Don’t make the mistake of gauging a set of tyres’ value on price alone. A far more accurate measure is cost per kilometre. If you’re at a dealer, with a pushy sales rep selling “budget” tyres, ask yourself (and the dealer) two questions: 1. Why is the tyre…

From a young age I learned various nicknames for traffic officers, such as “The Fuzz”, “speed sleuths” and “bush mamparas”. But one thing that always made me laugh was the alias that my grandpa used for them: The Knights of the Shady Trees. He justified this name with quotes from Bible, Psalm 10:8-9: “He lies in wait near the villages... His eyes watch in secret for his victims.” Grandpa painted traffic cops as extremely unreasonable and merciless beings. He even told me a story called “The Dominee and the Traffic Cop” as an illustration. One Sunday the dominee raised strong objections to traffic officers fining the poor. They’re taking the food out of those families’ mouths, lectured the dominee. That Monday, a traffic officer who had attended church saw the…

My grandpa loved Christmas. On Christmas Eve he wanted his whole family around the dinner table, and it would creak under the weight of all the food. He prepared almost everything himself, except for one or two salads that a daughter-in-law brought with. Naturally, I inherited my grandpa’s love of cooking at Christmas time. And ever since I left home, I’ve always made a big fuss of Christmas Day. As a true, hospitable South African I don’t just make some food, but rather a feast of meat, vegetables and salads that’s always enough for those surprise guests. HERE ARE FOUR OF MY REGULAR CHRISTMAS DISHES. STEAK FLORENTINE This is an age-old traditional recipe that comes all the way from Florence in Italy. It consists of a piece of quality, aged…

PIET VAN WYK BULL RUN, P. 39 Piet is a freelance photographer based in Cape Town. When he talks about the things he loves most, you’ll find self-drive holidays and his wife come up in the same sentence. He documented this year’s Bull Run. What is your earliest travel memory? I grew up in Windhoek and Swakopmund. In 1972, we hit the long road down to Cape Town in a Ford Fairlane 500. In those days, we still had fuel restrictions and we had to spend a night in Grünau. The best place you’ve ever visited? Thornybush and Sabi Sands. What is your number one travel tip? Remember ear buds, a headlamp and good headlamp etiquette! (In other words, don’t shine the light in someone else’s eyes when you…

BEST TIME: All year around, but naturally the warmer summer months are the most pleasant. Bear in mind that during December lodges and resorts, especially on the coastline, are filled to the brim. Book well in advance. SAFETY: We never encountered any hostility on this trip. We were however warned that the situation is much less stable north of Inhassoro, where the forces of Renamo and Frelimo are more operational. Consult the DriveMoz page on Facebook for the most up-to-date information on the situation. FUEL: Readily available throughout. Petrol is gasolina and diesel is gasoleó – make sure you ask for the right one. CASH: Many places in the south accept ZAR, but it is a good idea to have some meticais for those that don’t, especially in local markets…

The final step in purchasing high-value tyres is to consider the manufacturer’s warranty. Which brand has the most faith in their product? Typically speaking, the industry norm is a 5-year warranty, but some brands go as far as offering a 6-year warranty. HERE’S A LIST OF SOME OF THE PROGRAMMES I FOUND AFTER PHONING AROUND: COOPER TYRELIFE: One of the few warranty programmes that includes a free mileage guarantee as well as a tyre protection plan. Available at recognised TyreLife dealers. HI-Q TYRESURANCE: A free protection plan on all brands sold by Hi-Q, but the programme excludes a mileage warranty. Available at participating stores within the Hi-Q group. SUPAQUICK / AUTOQUIP: A tyre damage guarantee on all Firestone products and select Bridgestone products. No mileage warranty. TIGER WHEEL & TYRE…

THINK OF FLAGS Most artists and many photographers will already be familiar with the Rule of Thirds. In order to create balanced landscape photographs, you should try to move away from the bull’s eye type of composition, where horizons and subjects are instinctively placed in the centre of the image. Instead, aim to place these elements closer to the lines that form when you divide the frame into nine equal rectangles. Take this photo of a waterhole in Hwange as an example. If I draw red thirds-lines over the image, you’ll note that I placed the horizon and the edge of the water as close as possible to the horizontal lines, and the two palm trees at equal distances from the two vertical lines. My subject, the drinking elephant, was…

Four-wheel drive owners looking to buy a winch are somewhat spoilt for choice these days, with several brands available locally. In fact, the number of products and the wide range of prices can leave you scratching your head. Then there’s the question of steel cable versus synthetic rope. Is the much more expensive synthetic winch rope really that much better than a steel cable? Let’s look at some important factors to remember before you spend your money. Weight Traditionally, winches use a steel cable, but there are a few drawbacks with this kind of cabling. If you’re rigging out an overlanding vehicle, every kilogram counts. Synthetic ropes are very light, in most cases weighing less than 1 kg. But steel cables weigh between 15-25 kg, depending on thickness and length.…

Honda recently launched its BR-V in South Africa. It’s a compact SUV that competes with the Renault Duster in Asian markets. What makes the BR-V unique in this segment is the fact that it has a third row of seats to make space for up to seven occupants. Okay, we’re probably talking about seven children, but that would still come in handy if you're in need of a Mom’s Taxi. Locally the BR-V will be powered by a 1,5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine that develops 88 kW of power and 145 Nm of torque. The transmission choice in this vehicle is between a 6-speed manual and a CVT automatic gearbox. The prices vary from R238 900 for the entry level manual, to R288 300 for the top model with a CVT…

It doesn’t matter how often you camp or tour, there will always be some gear that you really want. With Christmas around the corner, we asked a few experts what they are hoping to find under the tree or in their stocking on Christmas morning. We know that not everyone’s pockets are deep enough to park a brand new, kitted-out, tour-ready vehicle under the tree. So we gave them a variety of price categories to choose presents from. There are smaller, more affordable presents, so that you can show your brother who cheers for the wrong rugby team that he’s still part of the family. There’s a more expensive price category for someone who really loves their husband (or wife) and an aspirational price category in which the guys could…

HELÉNE VILJOEN Nikon D4 and Nikon 24-70 mm lens (Settings: f/2.8, 1/400 sec, ISO 400) “At home I usually take photographs of weddings, families and especially children. But when I’m on holiday I love to explore. In April this year, during a dream-come-true trip to the Serengeti National Park, I had some great opportunities to take landscape photographs. I especially like the composition of this one. The scene of the hot air balloon drifting over the open plains perfectly captures the soul of Africa.” VILLIERS SAYS: I also like the composition, Heléne. In fact, I love it! It’s the great balance in this photo that caught my eye. Let’s take a look at how you too can take images like these.…