Okely dokely, so with the big adventure getting closer where am I up to in my preparations and what do I still need to do?
I have ordered new Upper control arms and torsion bars from Calmini in the US. I recently had a two inch lift installed on my Nissan Navara D22, and whilst the ride quality (and height) has been drastically improved, the larger diameter shocks are contacting the factory UCA’s. Thanks to the lovely lads over at the Navara.asia forums I have ordered some new UCA’s which provide a larger space for the bigger shocks, they also give a better angle from the ball joints which means more clearance to the bump stops which in turn allows for more down travel = more comfortable ride. The torsion bars are just a heavy duty upgrade of the original bars. These will be getting installed as soon as they arrive!
I recently purchased a Blackwolf Turbo 240 Plus tent. Why this tent? I saw a friend use a Blackwolf 240 on a previous trip to Inskip and it looked incredibly easy to set/pack up and also looked like it was constructed to last. Why the “plus” version? Well, camping for a month I thought it would be nice to have a bit more room and looking to the future I thought I would more than likely want the extra space more than I would regret having it. I purchased the canvas version due to the longevity of canvas and in particular the heavy duty flooring that this model possesses. Canvas once prepared (watered in) is incredibly water proof and it also has the benefit of being more breathable than the cheaper tent material which means it should be (slightly) cooler in summer!! I also read plenty of positive reviews such as this one from Blokespost. I also purchased an 18*24ft Tarp to go over this tent (and my mate Arthur’s tent – who will probably also be buying the same tent).
I have installed a triple battery system into the navara, similar to the regular dual battery set up, but running from the Ctek D250s charger to a on/off/on 3-way marine switch and then to the battery in the engine bay and an anderson plug in the tray for charging a third battery. I went with this charger and this set up so I could install a solar panel (still to come) on the canopy roof and charge a 3rd (removable) battery during the long days fishing on the beach to power my camping fridge, a waeco cfx 65.
I have started purchasing some dry food items each time I go to the supermarket, things like tin tuna, muesli bars, 2 minute rice and chocolate so far. Just adding a couple items each time will mean I don’t get such a shock when I go to buy all my groceries a few days before I go. Since these things have such a long shelf life, there is no reason not to start stocking up on them in advance when they are on special. I plan on buying a vacuum sealer in the near future, and will pack all my meat, some precooked meals and possibly some vegetables/salads using this nifty little device that can extend the shelf life of food considerably, with some reports that when stored at 1-3 degrees, red meat will easily last an entire month! I probably wont stretch it quite that long, but probably 3 weeks – see how we go.
I will also need to buy a few new bits of fishing tackle, and maybe just maybe a new rod and reel combo for the occasion, but that’s just a given since its a camping and FISHING holiday right?
1monthonfraser 