Blog: Toyota vs Ford … Bush Lapa vs Conqueror

…then we have Hyundai vs iKamper vs Leatherman vs Klipdrift …. all fervent, egotistical warring banters and although harmless and entertaining to witness, it should be curtailed by the opposing factions, especially around the campfire at night. Let’s face it, all campers and overlanders love discussing vehicles and equipment and that’s cool … as long as it does not take on a “mine is better than yours” flavor nor dominate your limited time to experience what we all came to seek – the magic of wild and remote Africa.

It does have its place though as there is nothing more entertaining than watching and listening to egos at play and this is especially true after a couple of Klippies n’ Coke enters the battlefield. You know, …. my 4X4 is the best by far and my multitool will last longer than yours and finally, the best of all, it takes me 5 seconds quicker to close my rooftop tent than you can yours.

Admittedly, I too have been an egotistical partaker in this kind of banter because I am a fan of the nostalgic, aesthetically pleasing authoritarian overlanding trailblazer, the Land Rover Defender (…. I say with tongue in check, of-course … oh dear!)

Then I met two of South Africa’s most loved and respected legends and authorities of African Overlanding, (yes! those boys, pure magic …. you all know who they are…)  in fabulous Mapungubwe and here is where one of them schooled me on this topic. Discussing their amazing just completed trip to Gonarezhou, I mentioned the topic of vehicles and as I began to try and champion Land Rover Defenders once again, he put up his hand, interrupted me and said,

“It is not and never should be about the brand of vehicle you are driving; it’s all about the experiences you will have, the moments you will encounter and the memories you will make, and they have nothing to do with which vehicle you were physically sitting in at that point in time”.

Well, I had no comeback to that, felt totally excommunicated and frankly …. rightfully so!

There is a massive truth in what he said and sure, there is nothing wrong with loving and swearing by your choice of overlanding vehicle whatever it may be, but we must never forget we all have our own personal preferences and choices which are dictated by our own budgets, lifestyles, personalities, needs, taste and our own “fits for purpose”.

No doubt, the adventurer who rocks up in Nxai Pan with say a 20-year-old Isuzu double cab can most certainly experience much more, see much more, and enjoy much more than the chap who rocks up in a fully kitted R2 million Landcruiser with all the latest gadgets and bells & whistles. But then again, a R 2 million Landcruiser is a bucket list item and, chances are, he can probably go further and deeper into the African yonder to seek out even more of those experiences. The point though is that if they find themselves at the same locations, which 95% of offroad vehicles in any case can if driven correctly, and if it is about the experience for both of them and not the brand of vehicle, then Africa will deliver to both, the Isuzu and the Landcruiser owner, equally.

So, the same argument applies to all brands and price points of any equipment like tents, mugs & cups, multitools, torches, trailers, solar panels, batteries and even …. coffee.

Hey … with respect to the make and brands of anything, if your whole group is using the same, …. well then … have a blast and knock yourselves out! …. I am sure the barking geckos will get bored to death though, go silent and disappear leaving you with a 100% captured audience,

Perhaps the answer is to get the best quality product for the budget you have OR, more importantly, the budget you are prepared to set aside for any item you need and then, rather concentrate on and enjoy the experience and adventure that lies ahead for you. Leave the ego behind when others in your group may not agree with your choices or perhaps cannot make your choice for their own personal reasons …. well …. perhaps fire it up just once over a single Klippies n’ Coke, but that’s it, move on!

Agree? Yes? No?

Harry Nicolaides

Wannabe Wild Camper