camping gear for west africa
 

Hye,

I'm planning to ride from Burkina up to France, and wonder about a camping gear. My plan is to by a 50cc moped as it seems to be easier with paperworks, easier to fix, and will probably make the trip different! But as it is a "small bike", I want to travel light, and would avoid to carry useless things. A friend of mine did the trip a while ago, and maybe need his tent 2 time in Mauritania, anywhere else, he managed to sleep in villages, asking after to the village headmaster (sometimes invited, sometimes paying a reasonable fee). I might do a loop in Togo and Ghana, and maybe in Guinea also. After reading many travellers reports, I've noticed that many people carry a camping gear.

Does anyone have experience travelling without camping gear/tent and sleeping in villages in these aera?

Thanks for your help!
vince

I can understand what you are saying and when I was in West africa sometimes I didnt even put my tent up, however once you get down towards Ghana Malaria is alot more common and sleeping in a tent is a good way to keep the mosquito's out, you can get really small compact one... remember it will almost certainly be too hot to sleep the whole night wrapped in a sleeping bag, infact I never used mine in Ghana and surrounding. Have a great trip

can agree with this. carried my tent all the way to Mauri without using it. Now I am further south I used it the past couple of days and have no longer been waking up with mosquito bites. A lot less grieff than a net too. My tent is small and can be pitched inner only which gives me great views of the night sky and early mornings.

if you are travelling slowly a tent will be useful for the desert routes where you can't make the next town.


[This message has been edited by DougieB (edited 17 January 2005).]