Camping – Day 2 - Serendipity: The Off the Grid Outdoor Adventure

Dark o’clock Sunday Morning

Has Off-Grid Camping Officially Become My Way of Life Now?

I warned you in my last post to appreciate the absolute feral gangstas Sage and I had morphed into this weekend.

Why?

One word: camping.

For those of you who havn't been tracking my ongoing camping saga — camped twice… hated it. Loathed it, even.

Yet somehow, there I was, again, still determined to see the attraction.

Rustic but clean

Kitting Up for Camping Adventures Like a Pro

Having accepted that camping might actually have to be a thing now — you know, cheaper weekends away, more locations to explore, yada yada — I decided it was time for an upgrade.

This time? Oh, I went fancy. I splurged on a blow-up camping mattress from Shein — huge leap from my original sheet of rice paper pretending to be a mattress.  (Purchased, of course, for a “wild camping” trip that was cancelled because… rain.)

And because I was fully committing I had also since purchased a fleece blanket — a slice of heaven compared to my paper-thin sleeping bag, also bought for that same doomed wild camp.

I was almost looking forward to another good old South African camping weekend getaway.

Donkey Geyser

From Reluctant Camper to Camping Gangsta — in South Africa, No Less

But this time it was taken up a notch and graduated to feral status.

Because the night before, Sage and I had realized that we were literally the only campers in any of the designated sites.

No neighbours.

Just us, the great outdoors, and the unsettling awareness that if something went wrong… well, there’d be no one to hear us scream.

Trailblazers? Maybe.

Gangstas? Could be.

Irresponsible? Almost certainly.

Camping Security: The Waterfall Alarm System

We pitched our tent near a waterfall because, apparently, nature’s white noise is the perfect security system for drowning out every rustle, snap, and “what-was-that?” when you’re sleeping in a glorified fabric bubble in the middle of nowhere.

Sure, I had a brief oh-crap moment when it dawned on me that it was just us — two women — camping alone. But, oddly enough, I calmed down pretty quickly.

And no, we definitely did not plan to be the only ones out there. But waking up alive? Absolute rush. I felt hardcore, weirdly proud… and maybe just a tiny bit empowered.

The Sturgeon Moon

Feral. Gangstas. Unstoppable idiots… hear us roar. (If you can, over the waterfall.)

Disclaimer: My inflated opinions about our precarious night in the wild do not reflect those of Sage, who may have already blocked me on WhatsApp and vanished into witness protection

Oh, and there was a full moon, a sturgeon moon to be precise (because every day is a school day when you’re hiking with Sage).

It lit up the campsite more than usual, which felt… well… almost serendipitous.....@Serendipity.....

Alright, alright — pipe down, I’ll stop.

Sage busying herself in the kitchen

We had set up camp, had dinner, and gone to bed early. Why? Because we love an early start. We wanted to be up at “dark o’clock,” packed up, and on the 5 km hiking trail just as the sun peeked over the horizon.

Car packed, ready for the hike

Did I actually sleep?

Not really.

Did I binge Netflix in my tent all night instead?

Obviously.

And as always, from about 9 p.m., my bladder (the actual organ, not my hydration pack) started filling up.

From that moment on, it was just me, desperately willing the morning to hurry up so I could actually make a break for the toilet.

So… same old, same old. Except this time I wasn’t lying on  hard, unforgiving ground., questioning my overall mental stability.

Because if you’re gonna suffer, might as well do it comfortably.

The Serendipity 5 KM Hike

The first few kilometers of the route were repeats from the previous day, but starting two hours earlier makes all the difference.

Same scenery, same terrain — but just crisper, moodier, cleaner and then there is that morning light.

Once the route split, similar trail, but somehow new adventures.

Two Trails, One Happy Camper

All in all? Two days. Two incredible trails. One camper slowly mastering the art of comfy camping hacks.

Campsite Rating

THE SITE ITSELF

A patch of really dry grass and sand — you know, the old-fashioned South African campsite vibe.

Honestly, we need more of these back-to-basics spots… but that’s a rant for my next post.

AMENITIES

That “power point to charge devices” they mentioned? Not a thing. Luckily, I’m new to camping but old to life, so I assume “camping” means totally rustic, and anything extra is a bonus.

There were sinks, work spaces, and designated bonfire areas.

COMMUNAL AREA

There was a communal area with a braai and some basic seating. Functional, not fancy.

TOILETS & SHOWERS

The toilets and showers near our section were fine — very rustic, but fine.

Donkey geyser, soap, and toilet paper provided.

The ones further up the hill? Perhaps avoid if you value your soul.

ON A LAST NOTE

Sure, the place could do with a serious recharge, but when you’re paying under R200 for a patch of grass and getting two gorgeous hikes thrown in, you’re not exactly signing up for 5-star anything.

Verdict? Trails: 10/10.

Management: solid “could do better.”

And to Sage — my ride-or-die, my partner in poor decision-making, my fellow feral gangsta. I am forever indebted to you for being just reckless enough to say yes to anything I suggest, no matter how shady, suspicious, or wildly impractical.

May our adventures never end, our common sense never improve, and our stories always sound like the plot of a slightly chaotic travel documentary.