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Camping in Nature Reserves

One of the most rewarding camping trips to make is a trip to a game reserve where the campers are permitted to walk on hiking trails in the reserve, and a particular gem is the day hike.

With a small planning effort, to make sure you move around within the gate and movement guidelines, and also so that the reserve management know you are there, your stay should be trouble free. In South Africa, game reserves close the gates before dark and open them at sunrise. It is most unpleasant driving large distances and missing the gate closing time, so plan ahead. With a bit of communication, it is also possible to move out of the reserves earlier than standard times, if you should wish to get home a little earlier.

When travelling to a reserve or game park with hiking trails within it, one can take advantage of camping sites within the reserve, so one can park the cars at a camp site and move around from there, or one can park in the reserve parking lot and strike out immediately. The latter option is a good one if hiking the multi-day trails and staying overnight at the huts on the trail. Parking cars at the camp sites is a great option for members of the party who want to come along and camp but who are not thrilled at the prospect of a multi-day hike. With the shower and kitchen facilities at some of the game parks, this is most attractive to those who like their camping to be more luxurious. Sitting on a comfortable chair next to the fire with a delicious meal and plenty of firewood, followed by a guaranteed water-proof sleeping area is more attractive to many people. In this way, friends and family who would normally not come out camping can be enticed into the great outdoors. It is also an excellent wrap-up to a good hike to get back to a happy, active camp filled with smiling friends and family who are pressing cold drinks into weary hands and eager to hear about all the hike’s interesting events.

If the party is not split up, most game parks have shorter day trails and often have guided walks that set out from the park offices at set times or by arrangement. Some of the most rewarding walking for me was ranger-guided free walks in areas frequented by all the big five, but that’s another story. Other treasures are game viewing hides and day-walks. These allow the campers to make excursions out of the campsites and into the wild without making the planning and physical demands a genuine multi-day hike makes on the party.

For day walks, a small, sturdy pack can be purchased that is designed specifically for day walk use. Most of the time one pack is required for every three or four people on the walk, as a rough rule. A few nut snack packs, some chocolate and drinks are carried in each pack, along with sunscreen, spare hats and any guide books that may be of interest. Each person must carry a water bottle. It is almost mandatory to do water planning on day hikes, as the risk factors are lower than on multi-day hikes. Weather planning is also a good idea, especially in winter. However, since most day hikes start and end near the park offices, it is easy and convenient to write your names in the walk register. If the walk is far from the offices, it is generally not too onerous to drive up to the offices and fill out the necessary paperwork. This is a step never to be skipped, as anything can happen in winter, and very threatening weather can be a killer in some instances. Also ensure that you have proofed your campsite against animals, though people around the camp site are a sufficient deterrent to most marauders.

With admin and planning complete, the day walk is a special treat to be savoured. There is no rush, the start and end points of the hike are known. The day hikes are generally popular and well-walked, so losing one’s way is rare. The area and views around the hiking route is probably not more than 10 or 20 square miles and so anyone with a map can become an expert quickly and easily. There are often well-appointed rest areas, some even with tables and well-placed under shade trees. With a short route, frequent stops can be taken, so hiking does not become a sweaty endurance test filled with pain and misery. The more comfortable the walking, the more memorable the hike can be.

It isn’t recommended that the party strike out cross country, off the marked and maintained trails. Though it may not seem like it, the damage done can be considerable. If a few people do it, vague trails appear and can be misleading. With planned trails chosen carefully to minimize erosion and any ecological damage, any excursions off the trails can cause a great amount of damage. Walking off the trails also makes for difficult, non-contour walking and increases the chances of getting lost and walking much further than you intend. The difficulties inherent in using a GPS handset to navigate while walking is the subject of another story, but take it from me – stay on the trail.

On one’s return to the camp, should there be power outlets at each site, a frosty cold drink is likely to be had. I always enjoy sitting in a shaded, comfortable chair at the end of the day’s walk, with the prospect of fire-grilled food, starry nights and that special quality to the air in the wild outdoors at nighttime.