Nerdistan

For many travellers, African safaris are the desired trip of a life-time. Everyone from animal buffs, nature lovers, recreational photographers to adventure travelers will experience the thrill of a safari tour that takes you to the live tour of the African wildlife in their natural habitat. South Africa Holidays provide the best national parks and private reserves, to self-drive or conducted tours with educated naturalists, this is only the start of the best in safari tours.

Kruger National Park is one of the gems of Africa’s great wildlife reserves. Situated in the Mpumulanga Province, to the north west of Johannesburg, Kruger National Park is a favorite destination for safari tours, due to its good infrastructure of roads and facilities. Kruger National Park, has on offer 6 million acres of wildlife reserve boasting 16 different ecozones.When you visit Kruger, you have a chance to see up to 147 unique mammal species and 500 bird species.The Big 5 of African wildlife - lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffaloes, flourish in the abundance of the Kruger Park. Many thousands of gazelle herds and primates such as baboons and monkeys are readily seen. Visitors have on offer a mixture of lodging choices as Kruger Park contains various rest camps. Visitors can spend several days in the Kruger National Park, researching the different regions and driving between the camps setup along the main road. It is essential that all drivers are sensible while at Kruger Park and stay on the sealed roads and not get out of their vehicles while viewing the wildlife.

Directly next to the south end of the Kruger Park is the Sabi Sand Reserve. This is the location of the most deluxe wildlife lodges in all of Africa. The lodges offer guests guided safari tours with naturalists in their game-rich regions of the Reserve. Whether you plan to stay at Sabi Sabi, Londolozi or Singita, all of these lodges will provide the traveler with an unique safari experience in a romantic and lavish setting.

Two hours from Johannesburg is the million hectare conservation region called Pilanesberg National Park. The Pilanesberg National Park has a rich concentration of wildlife including the Big 5 of Africa, is one of the most scenic and to top it all off it is located on the remains of an ancient volcano site. Travellers who love to go on a safari are attracted to Pilanesberg National Park as it provides a malaria-free safari destination.

Camping in cold weather is not for those who are terrified of the cold! It can also be challenging but with the proper sleeping gear and clothing, camping in cold weather can be an enjoyable experience.

Bring the Correct Clothing

Clothing is very important when camping in cold weather - without the correct clothing the camping experience can be extremely poor or at worst life-threatening.

The most essential articles of clothing to pack before going to your camp includes thermal long underwar, thermal or wool socks, ski jackets, heavy warm coats, insulated gloves, wool hats, thick turtleneck sweaters and sweat pants. Jeans are not advised.

Layering your clothing is also a good idea when camping in cold weather, so a lot of extra clothing should be brought with you, a good example might be long and short sleeved shirts, fleece jackets, long pants, wool scarves and extra socks. Clothing should not be skin tight when layering as loose fitting clothing can trap warm air and keep the body warmer.

Shoes and Boots

All shoes that are worn when camping should be insulated and waterproof and it is an excellent idea to avoid wearing tennis shoes or trainers because they will not provide much protection from the outdoor elements.

Hiking boots, or rubber boots worn over shoes are a helpful option. Trousers should always be tucked inside the boots and for added protection duct tape can be taped around the trousers and the top of boots to keep out the cold and snow.

Type of Tent and Bedding to Use

The best type of tent to use at campsites in the winter is one that is designed for all weather conditions and that can be used in any seasons. The tent should be waterproof. The inside of the tent should be kept dry and with warmers.

When camping in cold weather the type of bedding is also important. If you are sleeping on the ground there should be at least two layers between the sleeping bag and the ground or an insulated padding should be used underneath the sleeping bag. To provide added warmth the sleeping bag should be fleeced-lined and a wool blanket can be used inside the sleeping bag.

It is also important to keep the head warm when camping in the cold, so it;s recommended that a hat should be worn while sleeping. Also wool socks and thermal underwear should be worn when going to bed.

Camping at in cold weather is not for everyone but for individuals who are up to the challenge and who include the proper clothing and gear, camping in the cold can be an enjoyable experience.