Yeah, going there as a tourist sounds like one of those things that could cost you a medium-sized fortune. If you do get a gig down there, would it present the opportunity to get a piggy into the sea?

You seem determined to make sure Chop gets frostbite.

99,
Met said woman. He wasn't.

Chop should reenact Shackleton's voyage for our entertainment.

Nah. You forget the early years of this thread, where his goal is to stick a toe into every ocean. Read the part where he wades into the Arctic, he can handle the Antarctic.

I have to say "Antarctic Ocean" is really tilting me. I've only ever heard it called the Southern Ocean.

i feel like "southern ocean" is what people who use the metric system or think Pluto isn't a planet say...

Southern Ocean is what sailors say.

Southern Ocean is what all the literature on the cruise ship said when I was down there too.

So smart people?

I'm fine with calling it by either name, not the kind of thing that tilts me like it does Didsace.

Flying out on Thursday afternoon, so today is pretty much the last day to order stuff off Amazon. Not sure if there is anything else I need to get, in pretty good shape. Might get some USB drives but obv I can pick those up locally as well.

Went with a Kelty Salida 1 as the tent choice after making a little spreadsheet to compare tent weights, packed dimensions, set up dimensions, etc. It's got a nice balance between those. Out of stock from the manufacturer and possibly discontinued, but managed to find one at a local outdoors place. Considering not bringing the stakes since it's freestanding.

My criteria for the tent was:
- under or at least close to 1.5kg
- freestanding
- enough space to have a backpack inside the tent itself
- less than 75 linear cm packed

Going to use the same air pad (Thermarest Prolite) that I picked up in Canada on the Miami -> Prudhoe road trip.

Skipping a sleeping bag in favor of a military issue poncho liner with a breathable SOL Escape Bivvy as backup. This combo is probably a stupid decision and I should likely just go with a sleeping bag, but I figure I can always switch over to one if need be. A bivvy like that isn't meant for any kind of long term repeated use, but I figure I'll end up rarely if ever using it. it's about the size of a very large beer can.

I guess the hiking shoes/boots thing is still outstanding but I can pick those up locally as well. The Merrell Moab 2 waterproof mid hiking boots are my default at this point. Not sure if I need the waterproofing but I decided the extra weight of boots over shoes is justified by the ankle protection and the ability to easily tuck in pants as well. The poor quality of the waterproofing is the primary thing these get blasted for in reviews, so maybe I'll just get the non-waterproof ones instead for improved breathability. Definitely going to miss my Keens.

Decided to go with the little laptop backpack & a small duffel bag for the camping gear. This is compared to either two small backpacks or one large backpack. It allows the option to fly with non-carryon eligible items by checking them in the duffel, and I test-bungeed the duffel to the backpack and it works fine, which is superior to wearing front/back backpacks. The duffel also weighs 1.5kg / 3lb less than the second backpack. This also allows me to always carry electronics in a carryon, which wouldn't happen with a single large bag. Not going to have much room to spare, almost none in the first test-pack. The duffel with all the camping stuff is 3.5kg / 7.6lb, which I'm quite happy with. Should be somewhere between 9kg-11.5kg / 20-25lb total.

Still a lot of stuff on the to do list but much of it can be done over there, so thinking I'm in pretty good shape at the moment.

What to order off Amazon.. maybe replacement lightweight tent stakes? Probably easier to just not bring any and get them in SAfrica if I decide I need them. Maybe a few more USB flash drives, since I'm not going to lug around the 1TB external drive I usually bring? Get a silk sleeping bag liner and ditch the heavy duty SOL bivvy?

They make external "drives" that use flash memory now. Likely a little on the bulky side but still lightweight.

.

Maybe a small water filter, Lifestraw, etc if you haven't mentioned that already.

Great thread, I'm only on page 10 but I'm loving it

Today is my 4th day in Kruger National Park. Currently at the Olifants rest camp eating impala sausage.

Got an E on the cell signal, good enough for the 2p2 app.

Have seen about a bajillion safari animals so far. Had three cheetahs trot across the road right in front of my car this afternoon. Have taken a ton of photos and videos. So, so many giraffe videos lol

Tent is holding up well. All the campsites are rocky red hard dirt, so not ideal, but what can you do. The tent next to mine was raided by baboons the night before last. That got a little crazy. Lots of yelling from the Germans inside.

Probably 2 more days in Kruger, then down into Swaziland.

Favorite animal so far is probably the slender mongoose, dude is one slick customer.

Pics or it didn’t happen!

Where? I don't see any!

Ah, you probably forgot your baboon net, eh?

The teeth look nasty on those guys.

Keeping the cobras away I guess? Do they also fight the boomslangs and like that?

Posted a few photos on Facebook but the cell service is really bad in the park so thread photos will be a little while.

The park deliberately keeps the cell service marginal to prevent the "animal spotted" apps from working well, as they result in accidents and driving issues when everyone races to the same place to see a lion or whatever. I'm in full support, the "catjams" as they call them are already bad enough.

I'm in Skukuza camp for the night. Another rocky dirt site. The camps in the south are far different from the ones in the north. They get a lot more visitors down here, so the facilities are nicer, but it's not worth dealing with the increased number of lolpeople.

Saw more cheetahs today, as well as two prides of lions, infinite regs (giraffe, zebra, elephants, impala, baboons, etc), some monkeys, another slender mongoose, a few warthogs, a tortoise, and an absolutely enormous python that I think had just eaten something. Dude was 5 meters long, no jokes.

It's a little unnerving when you pass by scattered piles of bones. I thought the hyenas were supposed to eat all those.

Sounds like a great start to your journey! Glad the baboons like German stuff more than American stuff, lol.

USA#1 brain does not compute

Subbed.

**** knows what's going on here but it sounds great. Had some extended trips around West Africa as a very young man, its a fantastic continent totally unlike any other.

Lioness stalking an impala just after dawn this morning.

Will post more photos if I ever stop sleeping in this tent and get decent internet. Made an exception for the above because daaaaamn.

This is my sixth night in Kruger. Saw rhinos today. On to Swaziland tomorrow. Already behind schedule insomuch as I have a lolschedule, no regrets.

The camping area is fenced off so most of the animals (at least the lions) can't get to you at night?

Good thinking on planting the bananas around the Germans' tent though.

for quick math just think of 1 meter = 1 yard. it's closer to 3'-3" but you get the idea.

gold - yeah, the camps are fenced off. Here's the current view thru my tent, I'm right up against the perimeter fence atm:




5 - about 15 USA#1 feet or so


Woke up late, lots of howling all night long and super hot. Didn't use sleeping bag, only a fake silk bag liner. Glad I brought that. Ditched the poncho liner combo at the last minute before leaving in favor of a jungle bag and the liner. Good decision.

On to Swaziland!