Real
Namibia |
Sleeping in your car
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Comfort in the car Don’t sleep in your car anywhere other than in a camp site. If you dream that you are at sea and can feel the motion of the waves, wake up and turn on the handbrake. Make sure that the car provides enough room for you to stretch out without any bits sticking out. If you are sleeping anywhere where there are baboons, for instance most parts of Namibia, except camp sites and certain parts of the Namib that can’t be reached by car, lock the doors and close the windows so that you have about one centimeter of air space. If you like a good workout in the morning, use your car lights liberally after sunset. |
You should also
read
Getting around
The route
Offroad vehicles
Namibian roads
Gravel roads
Water
Fire
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“Municipalities will not be happy about your sleeping in a car park or alongside the road as this might lead to crime against your person and car. They too will have a number of suggestions concerning quality accommodation for which you can pay.”
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camping vehicle. |
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Bad
camping vehicle. |
There are good places to stay and there are bad places to stay: the same applies to your car. If you plan well, your car can be a mobile sanctuary. If you don’t, all your bohemian aspirations will not save you from the richly deserved label, ‘downright stupid’.
There are two categories of ‘stupid’ that pertain to accommodation in vehicles: the first is the place where you choose to park, and the second is the type of car in which you choose to park.
A number of romantics come to Namibia expecting freedom and altruism on the part of everyone. In the real world, the land has been divided up between farmers of various types, traditional authorities, municipalities and the government. All of these parties have a very proprietary attitude towards their land.
Farmers will be concerned with the idea that you might be a) a poacher, b) a stock thief or c) the sort of tourist who starts ill-advised and destructive fires. Traditional authorities will harbour the same sentiments. They will also want you to stay in a camp site, for which they can extract a fee.
Municipalities will not be happy about your sleeping in a car park or alongside the road as this might lead to crime against your person and car. They too will have a number of suggestions concerning quality accommodation for which you can pay.
The government will harbour similar sentiments towards you as farmers and traditional authorities.
In short, if you want to sleep in your car, anything other than parking in a proper camp site is a risk. In fact, the only person who will welcome your sense of freedom will be the occasional passing criminal.
As far as the car is concerned, unless you are a midget or accustomed to long haul flights, most cars will be remarkable uncomfortable. If you arrive during the tourism high season, it will also be cold. So assuming you want to a) sleep in your car and b) do so comfortable, you need the right car.
Namibians are expert at sleeping in cars. In fact seeing a van, combi or canopied pick-up decorated with floral curtains does not mean that it is a transvestite or that it belongs to a rather determined decorator. Actually it means that its owner sleeps in it from time to time.
Interestingly enough, if you peek through the curtains, you may even see that any corrugation has been evened out with a board. You may also notice a mattress. The first rule of sleeping in a car is to make sure that you have room to stretch out and that lying down will be comfortable. Vans, combis and canopied pick-ups are excellent choices.
As a point of interest, many vehicles have handy roof racks that not only serve as devices for carrying goods. Just check that the weight specification for the roof rack exceeds your own weight.
The second rule is to be prepared. You will want a number of items to complete your night in the car. The first is a decent sleeping bag and pillow. Some form of lighting always comes in handy. Obviously this should be electric, and nothing that relies on an open flame or gas. Don’t be too tempted to use the car’s lighting system as there is nothing quite as unpleasant as waking to the prospect of push-starting your car.
Other than that, all the standard rules of camping apply. In fact, your only problem will be where to put all the stuff that you packed for your night out, while you sleep.
In this regard, you may want to consider one of those specially equipped camping cars. Depending on your choice, these will come equipped with a roof tent on the roof rack or a separate tent which you erect as you move from place to place.
Another useful device is a trailer, though this complicates the matter of parking and can lead to wild laughter on the part of everyone except yourself if you unhitch it on a slope.
There is a certain boyish romance to sleeping in the car. Whatever you do though, do it sensibly.