Shade, Dressing and Number 1
A gazebo and annex for comfort and convenience.
In this Article
So, someone once told me that when it comes to camping, it’s smarter to deck out your living area rather than your bedroom. And let me tell you, in the southern parts of Africa, shade and privacy are like gold. It’s one thing to have a wildebeest give you the side-eye while you’re holding a spade in one hand and a bog roll in the other, but it’s a whole different ball game when it’s your fellow campers!
Quick disclaimer: The products I mention are ones I personally use and love. No sponsorships here, just good old-fashioned recommendations.
Gazebo
Now, besides our super comfy 4-sleeper rooftop tent mounted on our trailer, we have a few essentials that make life a tad more comfortable and a lot easier. First up, our trusty Gazebo. When we pack, the gazebo and chairs are always the first to come out and the last to go back in the trailer. This setup is invaluable. Picture this: it’s a scorching day in the Kalahari desert, not a tree in sight. Quickly setting up the gazebo creates instant shade, protecting you from the harsh African sun. Or imagine arriving at a campsite in the pouring rain. Having a dry place to stand and contemplate your next move or to sit and play a hand of cards while waiting for the weather to pass is priceless. And then there’s the wind… Breaking the wind is as easy as hanging a side panel on the gazebo.
Gazebos come in all shapes and sizes. We’ve recently switched from the easy-up type to a pole frame gazebo. Surprisingly, it takes us the same amount of time to set up or take down both types. The big difference? It’s easier to set up the pole frame gazebo single-handedly. And from all my research, pole frame gazebos seem to fare better in high wind conditions.
To complement our setup of a gazebo and rooftop tent, we’ve added an annex to the mix. For the easy-up gazebo, we had a portico add-on, but for the pole frame gazebo, we’ve gone with a bow/dome tent that connects directly to it.
Now, we don’t use this annex as a living or sleeping space, but it doubles as an emergency shelter if something happens to our primary rooftop tent. Instead, we use it to store our baggage, as a dressing tent, and as a spot for our porta-loo. The dome tent is tall enough for me to stand up straight, making dressing a lot less awkward than in the rooftop tent. I’m not a neat freak, but having a place to store bags and hang towels makes camp life so much easier. Plus, fewer things to trip over!
Annex – Bow Tent
The annex tent also houses our porta-loo. When we set up camp, we make sure you can climb from the rooftop tent directly into the gazebo, then we add some side panels. This setup is invaluable for those midnight calls of nature, especially in unfenced camps. Recently, we were advised, “Please keep an eye on your children at all times. We have wild dogs here, and they are very fast.” So, we feel much safer for those midnight bathroom trips.
While a gazebo or a gazebo with an annex isn’t required for camping, it does make life easier, especially with kids. And as a bonus, it provides dry spaces for those foul weather days and shelter when there aren’t any trees or campsite-provided shelters (small lapas), which are becoming quite popular at campsites.
Happy camping, and may your adventures be packed with plenty of shade, heaps of privacy, a cozy dry spot, and an endless supply of fun!
If you would like to add to this, please join the discussion on the Forum.
