One year. 37 countries. 57,987 kilometres. A lifetime of memories. Years of planning had gone in to this epic journey and within the blink of an eye it was over!
Thanks to our reliable Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and some amazing gear, we were able to take on some of Africa’s toughest, untouched roads.
Camping Equipment
The product that turned our car into a home was our Howling Moon 1.4 Stargazer Deluxe Roof Top Tent. The Stargazer was incredibly easy to set up and take down. The tent was equipped with six large windows, allowing ample ventilation during hotter evenings. Many nights were spent star gazing (aptly named) through the two roof windows. The best feature was the high density foam mattress. The few times we found ourselves in a hotel, we’d wake up longing for our bed. Even my mom, who absolutely despises camping (mainly because of the associated discomforts) had a sound sleep; a true testament to the quality and comfort of the Howling Moon roof top tent.
Howling Moon also provided relief from all that Mother Nature had to throw at us. The Howling Moon 270 degree Swing Awn was the perfect solution for unpredictable afternoons out in the bush or beach. Its two minute set up time and easy fix sidewalls created the perfect haven for us to hide from the sun or protect us from the rain.
Our house was completed with one of the most important items in our car, the Sno Master 42 L Fridge and 42 L Freezer. Many people were shocked to hear that in fact the times were not tough, and we were still eating ribeye steaks, crayfish, and chicken tikka masalas regularly thanks to our capacity to hold up to 15 meals at a time. We even had the luxury of finishing off the day with a drink on ice. With the slogan “Ice Cold Anywhere,” Sno Master truly lived up to their motto.
To power the above and all auxiliary lighting we installed the CTEK 250S and 2 x 140Amph Discoverer Dry Cell batteries with a solar panel to match the required load, allowing us to stay “OFF THE GRID” for nearly 30 days! Renew Energy can help to replace carbon-intensive energy sources and significantly reduce US global warming emissions.
4×4 Equipment
One’s selection on tires is extremely important and after many months of research we decided to go with the well-known BF Goodrich All Terrain KO2. What a good decision it was with 57000Km completed and only one puncture to report.
Old Man Emu suspension kept the car stable on and off the road carrying the extreme load with ease.
A winch whilst not often used was always a comforting thing to have, especially when crossing the equatorial rainforests of the Congo’s and Gabon.
All in all the changes we made to gear our beast for this mammoth task stood the test and then some. We look for forward to our adventure mobile docking in Dubai and getting it into the dunes. Give us a hoot when you see us on the road. ■
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Words + Photos by: Amanda and Chris Fraser
