Basha In Africa - Silly Idea?
 

I was planning only to take a Basha and Bivvy combo with me for my sleep system, but how will this fare in Africa?

Is the threat from beasties high enough that a proper tent is a more sensible proposition?

My basha is also in DPM, is this the equivalent of wearing a sticker across my head saying 'please shoot me, I'm an elite soldier from your neighbouring country spying on you, maybe I'll even steal your cows while I am at it?'

Thanks

Joel

No Worries, but try a Hammock too!
 

IMO, if you're alone and don't have much gear then you can't go wrong with a decent doss bag, biv and basha - small, light, cheap, easy and versatile.

From a climate/weather point of view, I think you'll be sweet unless you have lots of kit which could get wet or blown away.

Mozzies and other bugs could be a problem but as for big beasties, I think you'll be okay.

If you plan on setting up camp for more than one night, then a tent gives you a bit more freedom in terms of filling it full of your stuff and going for a wander.

I definately agree with you about DPM though - very high profile. Personally I would take an OG basha instead.

Having said all that, if it's size and weight that's putting you off a tent, then the Hennessey Hammocks ( Hennessy Hammocks )are the bees knees! I have an Explorer Deluxe asym with Snakeskins (makes setup very quick), which is a bit bigger than the standard, but more comfy and you can fit a backpack in with you. With some imagination it can be used as a tent too (with bikes or sticks etc) for those featureless sandy areas. It's about the same size and wieght of my Goretex biv and basha together and far more versatile.:thumbup1:

I would go with the hammock or biv & basha - I don't have a tent!

Basha
 

Hi.
These guys do a good OG basha with re-inforced tie points.
Camelot Outdoor Supplies
Cheers.
Dave.

Another vote for the hammock. I bought something similar (though not as good) to the one mentioned above in Thailand several years ago. I used it many times while taking groups on walking expeditions in Hong Kong and the Philippines. In hot and humid conditions they are much cooler than a tent and, providing you can find a couple of handy trees, are much quicker to put up. The biggest problem was having somewhere to store my gear at night but if you are on a bike with panniers this is not an issue.

Iain

You will need a good impregnated mossie net; you can get really good hammocks with good nets for about $100USD. You will definitely need protection from creepy crawlies and insects. Don't forget to check your boots/helmet in the morning if not in the tent!

Agree issue bashas might cause you problems in some countries.

SW

Beasties breaking into the Tent worry you eh?

Not entirely sure if the Basha or Hammock tent would provide more protection from a Hippo/elephant.

I'm fairly sure (from experience) that Leopards are not enticed by hammock tents, and walk underneath
Lions well again I have experienced them swatting Tents with upright walls.

So my vote would go with either the A tent (sealed Basha) or a Hammock Tent.
However I have always thought that a Hammock tent should be strung high for safety, much like a meat safe.

Baboons can undo zips so god alone knows what they'd make of a basha.

I wouldnt stress about which one to take, something that you can put things in and hide away from prying eyes is good.

DPM doesnt go down well in Africa, something plain green is best, and in some instances highly visible can be useful.

Cheers G

Several times I found a scorpion in the sand under my tent in the morning. Once even a snake had snuggled up nice & warm under the tent floor. Only when hiking in the Drakensberg (Saouth Africa) I never had any surprises in the morning when only using a sleeping bag. So I do not consider it a good idea to just use a tarp. The least would be to additionally use a mozzie net.

Or you could set up good All-Round-Defence using Claymores with tripwires, and Agent Orange for area clearance prior to setting-up! Or not, sorry...i'll go back to sleep now (he, he)

I tried camping a few times in Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi with just a thin mattress and mosi net (very dry weather) but after too many close encounters scorpions and spiders (really tough ones) I decided it just wasn't worth the risk of getting bitten/stung with no proper treatment facilities nearby so I opted to sleep in tent instead. Similarly, camping on the beach in Tanzania my mate's girlfriend woke in the middle of the night with a large beach crab tangled in her hair. In Kenya I woke up in a tent with a hippo munching grass 2 feet from my head and was glad of the visual barrier between us.

R

thats exactly what it is, isnt it? :D

Yep, a meat safe, but the height is important.

I have experimented with the tent up about 9ft which was a pain to get into, and attracted an innordinate amount of ants compared to when I moved it lower down... dont know why, Also baboons seemed to be attracted to it, two very fruitless nights sleep, but lower to the ground about 4-5ft off (when youre in) it was ok, I had a leopard walk underneath and he seemed to approve.

The height thing is technically challenging, get up too hight and getting in is interesting, getting out usually painful.

I once had it strung between the Bull bar of my Landy and the rear of a jack knifed trailer, with my bum about 1/2 a foot off the ground, that worked well, and the Lions stayed their side of the fire, me on mine... We seemed to get along just fine.

Hippos are an interesting one, here eye level to me is the best idea, so they do see you, but bear in mind that their eye level out of water is low tot he ground... tie tin foil to string and hand it off the hammock fly sheet dangling near the ground. it may not work but looks pretty.

Lastly, Elephant worry me in a Hammock tent. About the only strategy to combat this is in the above jack knifed trailer example, and to drink yourself stupid with whisky and eat a Garlic loaded meal, preferably a Curry!
This should alert your presence to all inhabitant, and ensure a good nights sleep. The Zimbabwean Chilli Garlic works best. ALthough there is a train of thought that some predators are taking a liking to marinaded prey... man Eaters of Tsavo...

Ahhh Camping in Tsavo.

The new DD travel hammock doubles as a tent nd has a built in mozzy net. Further info below,,,,,,

DD Hammocks - Products - Camping Hammocks Travel Hammock Tarp Survial Army Bushcraft Tent Replacement Lightweight army travelling

What about a rope ladder :cool4: But in the Sahara (or other deserts) - not exactly trees in abundance. I'm just thinking of the Nullabor Plain in OZ :(

Basha in Africa
 

I lived in Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi for 11 years and did many, many camping trips (4 wheels). You meet all sorts of game inside AND outside the game parks (2 wheels not permited in the parks). I would NEVER risk not using a tent, it really is too dangerous. I have had lions and elephants examine the tent at night and move on. They don't seem to associate the tent with man. However I know of a tourist who was killed by a hyena when she was dragged out of the tent by the head as the door was left open for the breeze. ALWAYS zip up. I was never bothered by snakes and scorpions etc (saw plenty) but I've had some serious bouts of malaria because I didn't use a tent with a built in net. In my view, hyenas and hippos are the most dangerous large animals because they're fearless and they move around at night but the mozzie is the really dangerous one. The moral of this story is don't take unecessary risks.

As for using clothing etc in Africa which looks even faintly miltary, you'd have to be mad. I really do mean that. There are all sorts of nasty people with AK47's who would just love to arrest a "spy". I know of tourists crossing into Uganda who had their car searched (why?) and an empty .22 round was found under a seat. They all ended up in a very unpleasant prison for several months. This is not funny. The borders are always the worst. Always be polite, be patient, dress very modestly, never take pictures, smile and shake everyone's hand, and never, ever, have a "colonial" attitude. Don't get me started on posessing illicit drugs. In spite of all that, it is a fantastic place.

Interesting discussion. Everytime I mention the caming around game to South African friends they just kind of snigger at the notion of worrying about it. Than again, for them there is no way of avoiding. Stories of hyena's in the dunnies,etc. Those guys don't seem to fear the hyena's at all somehow. Telling me they're gutless creatures. As long as you're keeping yourself bigger than them. Which counts out lying down offcourse. They always refer to the movie 'the gods must be crazy 2'. Pretty funny viewing really.

Basha in Africa
 

We're getting a little off thread but for those who think hyenas are "cowards", think again. I was driving a Landy over the mountains from Lake Turkana in northern Kenya through an amazing electrical storm at night. I stopped to admire a burning tree which looked like a gas main had been ruptured when the (faithful) dog in the back started going crazy. I had my head out of the window and turned to look backwards. About 6 feet away was a hyena the size a a small donkey. In the flickering light, it looked like it was the animal from hell. It never moved in spite of making a racket like banging doors etc. I have no doubt what would have happened had I stepped out. We left. If you're careful and treat all animals with great respect (it isn't a zoo), you'll be fine. The ones to watch are the 2 legged ones carrying the AK47s. Unfortunately, Africa is now awash with weapons. Still worth a visit, though.

I've been thinking of options on the basis of a hammock and tarp, or some combination thereof. However, I've got a few questions:

1. Where do you put all your biking kit (i.e. boots, jacket, etc) when they're not being used? I'm asking in comparison to a normal tent... :)

2. Do you have be careful about losing warmth since you have no insulation below you?

From what I can tell, a hammock seems to be a viable option in warmer countries, but not so good in colder ones...?

Thanks,

Alex.

I strap my helmet to my bike with a cable lock, as well as my crossfire boots. Drilled a little hole through the calf plastic to do this. Just turn them up side down. The cable is also fed through the arms of the jacket, but when I expect rain I may put it in the tent. Or when I get the drybags, stick it in there.

Hammock tents and motorbikes
 

Firstly just to clarify, there are areas of Africa where it would be virtually suicidal to not use a mossie net. Then there are areas where not closing the zips is asking for larger problems.
My experience is predominantly the mossie, reptile and large mammal problem areas. Ive been stung by a scorpion once and dont intend to repeat the experience.

African problems go like this:
1> They start with thorns, You must use a heavy duty ground sheet of some description, ripstop canvas - heavy, but recommended. these range from tiny paper thorns in large patches, to four sided buggers and onto Acacia style thorns from the 2 inch to 5 inch variety, none of them good, but the small ones are the hard ones to get away from.
2> Then reptiles seeking your body warmth... never lie against the tent wall near a lake (12ft crocodile Lake Baringo got cuddly with me on the other side of the tent wall) Never "slept" so still - loooong night Snakes equally bad but tend to head under the sleeping bag / bed roll / ground sheet.
3> Insects, a mosquito net will eliminate this problem, but to clarify, mosquito's, ants, bed bugs/lice and ticks, building up to spiders and scorpions, they all target high concentrations of carbon dioxide from exhaled air to find their prey.
Note that they also love boots to rest overnight, and beds left out during the day so check before putting boots and helmet on, and pack your sleeping bag into a stuff sac.
The ground sheet should be sealed against the mosquito net to prevent them getting in.
4>Bovine sized herbivores, Buffalo and Hippo, these usually cause untold havoc to your sleep if you dont strongly request that they stay away, at night they are grazing, and your tent, if left there for a week or so will have juicy shoots next to it, they like these, and you wont. here a physical barrier is helpful, such as a tent, or at least tin foil hanging from the mosquito nets
5> Elephants. Well theres not much you can do, but its really cool looking at the footprints around your tent the next morning. Anything that makes a noise is great, tinfoil - pots and pans 505 nitro express... and dont camp under a succulent tree or any fruiting tree in Elephant territory, and camp against your vehicle.
6> Predators its an unwritten rule that if you zip up your tent they will leave you alone, there were some lions in Tsavo that sort of ignored this, and in Tanzania alone at least 50 people are killed by Lions each year (2008).
If youre still not sure about a closing tent, try to imagine this, a Lion was shot in Zambia having hounded and killed several natives, it weighed 500lbs and was 10 1/2 foot long.
Personally I would rather that there was a tent in place that he would adhere to the unwritten rule.
As a last word on predators, it is very well acknowledged that the night is theirs and that were open season if caught walking around at night. One long documented and observed trait is for lions to lie in wait outside doors at night for the first person to exit, they pounce and kill this person, so if youre wise you'll sleep in and be second out of the tent / room / hut. If your gallant, you'll be first.
Remember that you only have to run faster than the person youve just clobbered over the head with a large stone...
7>Be conscious of what bush paths you are thinking of camping on:
-The really flat vegetation free meandering ones that are well worn, and about 16-24 inches wide those are for Elephants, sometimes there are two parallel tracks, you think are car tracks until one crosses over the other!
-Anything cut into and running from a river bank is for hippo's and Crocodiles.
-Ragged flattened down grass is for lesser Herbivores, up to kudu sized and generally run towards water from deep bush, these are often used by predators, and have an unusually small opening going into the bush.
Dont camp on any of these.

Bare minimum for any African Camping trip should be a ground sheet, and mossie net, with a tarpaulin of some description for protection from the sun or rain.

Sorry Tim, going to have to disagree with you on the hyena thing, in a pack of several they are potentially dangerous, however terrified of a cigarette lighter and can of aerosol (but then so am I) individually they are easily scared away.
Unlike dominant baboons, they only attack with their jaws and a large stick is sufficient to keep one at bay, and after one square clout on the head they do slink off. Perhaps I dont display a sense of trepidation, they pick up on this and are intelligent.

I know the Turkana region fairly well (actually havent been there for a few years though) and only ever came across one lion, near Mt. Kulai no Hyena's so cant comment on their size, however a small donkey... thats fairly large for an hyena, hard to imagine.

Willing to place bets that your hippo and tent incident was at Roberts Campsite am I right? Walked through a grazing heard one new years eve without incident, gods were on my side, and I was unbelievable the worse for wear.:palm:


Recently found myself with a motorbike and hammock tent and one tree / fence post, so have been experimenting with using the bike as one support for the hammock... So far eventfully unsuccessful! - with me on the ground and the bike on top on one occasion and beside me on the other, so stayed uncomfortably on the ground and diddnt repeat the following night, but I am determined to find a solution to this.

As for a rope ladder to get into the tent when strung high , usually at about 12 ft, sagging when youre in to about 9ft, I tie a rope from the hammock itself that i climb up, however have not hung one up this high for a while as it was too much effort and I was rather concerned about lions on that particular occasion, I also wasnt where I should have been and wanted to be out of the line of sight and in the general tree canopy.

I am now looking at making my own tent specifically for motor cyclists that will eliminate the need to heavier poles, and use the leaned over bike as the main frame.

As for where do you put your stuff in a hammock tent, in Africa, take note of the bit about things liking to rest inside hot boots and other animals loving the sweaty helmet liner. Either hang off the bottom of the hammock, or inside tied to one corner above your feet.

Yes a Hammock tent does hemorrhage heat, even in hotter parts of Africa a decent warmth sleeping bag will be necessary, and an inflatable/open cell mattress underneath you, preferably velcro'd into place. I prefer the full cotton heavy duty weave base to the Hammock
Above 2500m asl Hammock tents will start to be cold, so you will need to look into wind proof sides, not mosquito net sides

Happy camping Cheers G

Just how accessible are these scenario's? I've only been to western Africa up till now. Is there that much wildlife, or is more a case of ditching the shorter direct routes, and link up the little dashed lines of the road map with heaps of small town along it between visa runs?

Tmotten:

Though in many instanceas very regretable, these scenarios are still very real, though not exactly on the beaten track, in more remote and rural areas they are acessible:

Camp anywhere along Lake Baringo shore for a week and you will experience Croc's and Hippo's at very close proximity. Same can be said for along the mid/lower reaches of the Tana river and lake Turkana and if youre really dumb on South island too...

Lions : Camping in Lake Nakuru national park and The Abadares are easily a starting area for wild encounters, I have a fond memory of being watched fly fishing for trout by a lioness, sort of surreal day that.
If you are erm "lost" (your honor) and camping outside Shaba or in the Mathews range in Northern Kenya you should comes across Lions at close quarters.
But more pertinently Southern Tanzania, Lions are a problem, and the locals know it, anywhere between Lindi and Namaga (not to be confused with Namanga), Basically anywhere South East of the Selous

Its not the places that many people go and obviously the National Parks are no go areas for motorbikes but the rural areas are - and in East Africa there is no physical boundary to a National park (except Abadares) its what differentiates East Africa from Southern Africa as a wildlife mecca, its natural, not fenced in.

You mostly will not have encounters (and consequently problems) with wildlife if you stick to the main Overlander route through Africa, however if you Circle around and through East Africa you will have a completely different perception of the world and more specifically an environment where man is not the dominant species. However this alone is a major undertaking in itself

Cheers G

I totally agree, there are so many places you can find animals, it depends on what you are looking for.
It’s quite fun trying to track animals.

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