Quad Trip, Day of Reconciliation-Weekend 2013

[CorditeCrazy]

Thanks Camo, I was wondering how much a scaled map help navigate around private property and other obsticles. The trip did sound like fun.

[wombat57]

Sound like a great way to spend a day. If you travel to fast you will miss out on some interesting sites.

[HadEnuf]

Thanks Camo, I was wondering how much a scaled map help navigate around private property and other obsticles.

I have used government topo maps (Chief Directorate : Surveys and Mapping) with software called OziExplorer in live navigation mode whilst seconding canoeists on several rivers. This of course is fine in a car with a passenger seat for your PC, but will only be of use on a quad if you are really lost and stop and turn on your PC with connected GPSr. The benefit of using a live mapping situation is when you want to see your overall position which can be very difficult on a GPSr screen. Of course there is no topographical-related navigational assistance available to users of raster maps (purely an image). Not so with the vector maps on GPSr's as we use in cities on a regular basis. Typically as you zoom out on your GPSr, the less detail you see.

Raster maps are also brilliant for following pre-planned routes visually on a map. I have used my now defunct iPaq with OziExplorer CE to visually follow tracks previously recorded by myself that are superimposed on a 1:50k map image. Great for repeat trips to unfamiliar territory, but not as useful if it's your first visit to an area.

I got the entire country 1:250,000 and 1:50,000 maps from the Surveyor General. All I had to do was pay for the CD's that were used at the time. I have heard of people who have couriered a Hard Disk to them and they dump the maps to it for you.

Tracks4Africa maps are awesome for "out-of-the-way" destinations such as game reserves and rural regions. They have minimal road details in urban areas. The Garmap series of maps used to have a so-called Topo map product which showed contours, etc, and also farm boundaries around the country. I'm not sure if it is still available.

[camouflage762]

Continued from post #10

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Arrived safely at Gun point shooting range. The owners son & a friend were also going to camp overnight. We did some shooting with my NEA and their shotgun.

Two very responsible young men they were! Firearm safety was excellent!

Soon after we had a typical Highveld summer thunder storm. The cloud formation with the moon in the background was an awsome site!

Ended the day with a braai & a couple of cold brews. Aside from a few mozzies it was an excellent eventing.

One of the benefits of the quad was the ability to recharge laptops/phone/gps etc. Also having a set of headlights available made braaing in the dark much easier.

It felt kind of strange: I have quite a few hikes over the years. Usually at the end of the day one is tired & sweaty. To have a braai and a few COLD beers was a rare occasion.

Sitting watching the stars I realised that it had been a very good day. I was not physically tired and had eaten well!

I felt like I had somehow cheated!

No matter though the trip back the following day was a breeze. I filled up the tank (I was on reserve on arrival) loaded up and set off by about 06h00.

As I now had a known route it was enjoyable to sit back, and enjoy the scenery. I was struck by the amount of land that was being cultivated by hand. Lots of groups of women digging and hoeing in mielie (Corn) fields. I suspect that the land, possibly owned by someone else, is simply being used as it is not secured?

Either way it is a source of food for some. It is interesting to notice land that is cultivated mechanically vs by hand.

ALong certian sections of the railway line I came across security guards. Men & women in high viz vests, who, I assume were meant to guard against cable theft. Everyone smiled & waved.

I noticed the one female guard had a long gun slung over her left shoulder, possible a shottie?

[camouflage762]

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All went well up until I hit a bump hard which disrupted my cargo. I lost a cooler box lid & my left saddle bag was chaffed through by the tyre.

Lesson learnt: Pack better, check your cargo often. Ride more cautiously.

By the time I noticed the re-arrangement of my cargo I was about 5km from home.

I then noticed that my fuel my back on reserve. I need to carry more fuel.

Cleaning the quad at home left my driveway smelling strongly of swamp & sewage!

However the high pressure washer made short of all the muck.

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If there are any Gunsiters in/around/near Alberton, feel free to contact me so we can arrange outrides to some shooting ranges.