A Magnificent Loop in the Southern Rainbow Nation (page 13 of 14)

In a sarcophagus, you don’t get the warmth of the other person.

There’s also the scalding hot shower just before bed that helps store up heat.

Putting sleeping bags near the fire helps too...

Why not a hot water bottle?

Personally, it’s more the nighttime urge that bothers me. Especially since your brain only triggers it when you’re on the roof. When you sleep indoors, nothing.

Do we need to keep food away, like with bears (fridge issue in the 4x4)? With 5 people, no choice but a ground tent. If there’s a real risk, I’d rather skip this stop—it’s just a vacation after all...

Avoid citrus fruits—they love them—and there’s no point hiding it; they’ll sniff it out.

Personally, it's more the nighttime urge that bothers me.

A friend told me she just needed to take a bottle of diluted water and prepare everything for a possible nighttime need so it wouldn’t happen 😉.

For the sleeping bag, the idea is to have as little air as possible inside... up to you to figure out how to do it... 😏

Thanks to everyone for these tips and exchanges—I’m jotting them down carefully! 🙂

I’m currently taking a closer look at our itinerary, which we finalized pretty quickly at the end of July , and I’m realizing I might not have studied it properly 🙁.

Okay, I’ll probably have a lot of questions to ask and will likely start a new post.

Guillaume, I see you’re already way more on top of things than I am, even though your trip is for next summer .

For the sleeping bag, the idea is to have as little air as possible inside... it's up to you how you manage it... 😏

Farting in the sleeping bag creates more air but warms you up 😇

Looks like you're already more on top of things than I am, even though your trip is for next summer 😮.

When are you leaving, Isabelle?

I'm leaving for 3 weeks this summer from July 27th to August 17th 😎 so in winter 😮.

The desert part—I only camp there during the southern summer...😇

In winter, I’ve always slept indoors in southern Namibia or the desert part of SA.

There we go! Even before leaving, I’ll have to plan a return trip during the southern summer to really enjoy it😉

Jeff’s idea of an emergency blanket seems like a good weight/bulk/benefit trade-off.

Yeah, I think we’ll need to swing by Le Vieux Campeur 😏

You’re only sleeping a few nights in the south, and at the beginning at that. Check the weather right before you leave and decide then if you need the heavy-duty sleeping bags. Like here, temperatures can swing wildly from one week to the next, from one winter to the next.

True, but I think if I invest in a heavy-duty sleeping bag... I’ll take it out for at least one breath of fresh air 🙂.

Guillaume, it looks like you're already more on top of things than I am, even though your trip is for next summer.

My biggest concern is the 2 nights at Namibrand—there are only 2 spots available, so we’ll need to book as early as possible...

Yes, indeed, some places are very popular, which is why we had everything booked before leaving for Mexico 😎.

You’ll have to go back during the austral summer to really enjoy it😉

Not really—it’s way too hot then!

And for wildlife, the end of the rainy season isn’t great either...

October???

October ???

Okay, I'll give it a try ;)

And without Etosha, April, May...

You’ll have to plan to go back during the Australian summer to really enjoy it 😉

Not really, it’s way too hot then!

And for the animals, the end of the rainy season isn’t great either...

October???

Nope, not possible 🙁. Vacation’s locked in: 3 weeks in August and 2 weeks at Christmas. That leaves just 1 week for the whole year—or maybe 2 if we juggle long weekends around public holidays, but never back-to-back... 🏴‍☠️ Such a headache planning these vacations 😕.

Vacation blocked: 3 weeks in August

So all you’ve got left is to grab your sleeping bag. 😉

No, the goal is to go from Maun to Windhoek via the most pleasant route possible for late October. So I thought of: Maun - Khwai - Savuti - Camp Kwando - Mahango - Khaudum - Tsumkwe - Windhoek 😎

I figured it’d be too hot via Nxai Pan, Makgadikgadi, the CKGR, and Ghanzi 😉

On top of all these great tips, I take my clothes for the next day to sleep with me—it makes getting up so much easier! 😏

Thanks Anne Marie, I’ll take all the great tips! 😊

Hi Isabelle,

What’s the 2019 itinerary? 😛 Just to make us dream a little 🙂

Hello Isabelle,

What’s the 2019 plan? 😛 Just to make us dream a little 😊

Hi Jean François, I’m not sure I’ll make you dream, but I thought you’d already looked toward the Sultanate of Oman 😄. For the program, it’s not set yet. So far, we’ve just booked our flights—that’s already a good start 😆. Actually, we’re waiting to get back from Namibia to see if camping is our thing or not 🤔. So the program will depend on that, but we’ll definitely do the classic northern circuit and will probably head south to Salalah. After that, there’s the Musandam Peninsula, which we like, but with only two weeks, we’ll have to make some choices 😢. What about you? What’s your next destination?