Need passenger for 12 monts in Africa

[asp1910]

Hi,

I've purchased a land rover and am kitting it out now, will be heading to Africa for a year starting around November 2011. I'm looking for serious travel companions, hopefully for the entire trip. I've found people that want to come for a month or two, but not a year so far...

Interested?

(originally posted in the wrong forum and re-posted here)

- Andrew

[xcmountain80]

Subscribed

[Zaskoda]

I'd like to know more. Here are the first questions that come to mind:
- Estimated departure date?
- Any purpose, goals, or intents of the expedition?
- Any proposed routes, points of interest, etc?
- Cost and budget considerations.
- What type of equipment should a companion provide. Are you looking for someone to be copilot or to tag along in another rig?

Tell us more! =)

[lx450landcruiser]

Hell im interested whats the scoop?

[asp1910]

OK, to answer a few of the questions....

The trip is currently planned to start November 2011 and last for roughly a year. If I find the right travel partner, this date can be flexible but I doubt I can be ready much sooner.

I have no specific points of interest (yet) but want to get to as many different places as I can and "experience africa"... I'm doing a trip and June and have been really focussing on that one first, so the itinerary should be worked out in detail this summer. Since I've been hoping to find somebody to come along with me, I've delayed this a bit so I can be flexible. I also know that the political landscape can change rapidly, so detailed planning very far in advance might not make a lot of sense. I'm honestly still reading a lot about this as well. Since I'm in Belgium now, I would drive through spain in the fall and cross over from Gibralter in November, work down to South Africa, then back to Europe again a year later.

I would be quite happy to find other vehicles to come on some or all of the trip... safety in numbers... but I'm not honestly expecting to find that. Mostly what I would like is... company. Seriously. I want to do this trip, and don't know anybody (yet) that wants to do it with me, so I'm looking further afield. If I don't find anybody, I'm still going solo, but company is always better. I guess I'd meet people during the trip, but I think I'd get kind of lonely on my own.

The more a travel companion can bring to the table, the better... if I have multiple people that are wanting to come along, this will obviously become a factor in my decision. At the moment I've been talking to people, but nobody that seems to have the resources, time, and strong desire. Taking a year off is a huge thing, I understand, so not for everybody. The bare minimum that I would require is that I have a notion I could get along with the person (how? not sure), that they can provide for all their own personal costs (hotels, meals, visas, park fees, immunizatioms, insurance, etc), half of the running costs (fuel, repairs) for the trip, and that they convince me they're serious about the trip. I've read the figure $40 USD per person in a few places for an average daily budget, so I figure a year long trip will be at least 12K USD for my companion. Note that you can likely do an overland truck tour for about the same money... but if you come along with me you get a say in what we do...

What am I bringing to the table? I'm providing the truck ('97 110 defender 300tdi) that I recently purchased for the trip, and all of the basic expedition gear. I've picked up a roof tent and have started in on the basic repairs and modifications. I am still on the learning curve for that, but I have more than a year so that's OK. Since I'm planning on going solo if I can't find anybody, I'm planning on buying all the needed gear. I figure the trip will cost me $15K more than my companion... but then again I'll have a fully equiped expedition vehicle at the end of the trip so it's not all wasted money.

Just to be clear up front, I'm not going to be a tour guide... I'm looking for somebody to pitch in 50% of the money and effort during the trip as well as doing a lot of the reseach and non-vehicle related leg-work in the planning as well. In other words: a partner.

Well if that's not scared you away, feel free to ask more questions! I'm not sure I have many more answers at this point, but I'll try.

- Andrew

[1leglance]

Are you planning that both of you will sleep in the Roof Top Tent? That could be interesting...

[asp1910]

Well I'm definitely sleeping in it, and there's room for 2. It's the Eezi-awn series 3, 1400 (w) x 2440 (l) x 1300mm (h).

http://www.eeziawn.com/s3roof.html

If the other person wants to bring their own tent, they're welcome to do so.

- Andrew

[diesel toyota]

Hi, I am interested to see what's going on now with your search? I am retired from now from military, and am interested to know more details and if you found someone yet?

OK, to answer a few of the questions....

The trip is currently planned to start November 2011 and last for roughly a year. If I find the right travel partner, this date can be flexible but I doubt I can be ready much sooner.

I have no specific points of interest (yet) but want to get to as many different places as I can and "experience africa"... I'm doing a trip and June and have been really focussing on that one first, so the itinerary should be worked out in detail this summer. Since I've been hoping to find somebody to come along with me, I've delayed this a bit so I can be flexible. I also know that the political landscape can change rapidly, so detailed planning very far in advance might not make a lot of sense. I'm honestly still reading a lot about this as well. Since I'm in Belgium now, I would drive through spain in the fall and cross over from Gibralter in November, work down to South Africa, then back to Europe again a year later.

I would be quite happy to find other vehicles to come on some or all of the trip... safety in numbers... but I'm not honestly expecting to find that. Mostly what I would like is... company. Seriously. I want to do this trip, and don't know anybody (yet) that wants to do it with me, so I'm looking further afield. If I don't find anybody, I'm still going solo, but company is always better. I guess I'd meet people during the trip, but I think I'd get kind of lonely on my own.

The more a travel companion can bring to the table, the better... if I have multiple people that are wanting to come along, this will obviously become a factor in my decision. At the moment I've been talking to people, but nobody that seems to have the resources, time, and strong desire. Taking a year off is a huge thing, I understand, so not for everybody. The bare minimum that I would require is that I have a notion I could get along with the person (how? not sure), that they can provide for all their own personal costs (hotels, meals, visas, park fees, immunizatioms, insurance, etc), half of the running costs (fuel, repairs) for the trip, and that they convince me they're serious about the trip. I've read the figure $40 USD per person in a few places for an average daily budget, so I figure a year long trip will be at least 12K USD for my companion. Note that you can likely do an overland truck tour for about the same money... but if you come along with me you get a say in what we do...

What am I bringing to the table? I'm providing the truck ('97 110 defender 300tdi) that I recently purchased for the trip, and all of the basic expedition gear. I've picked up a roof tent and have started in on the basic repairs and modifications. I am still on the learning curve for that, but I have more than a year so that's OK. Since I'm planning on going solo if I can't find anybody, I'm planning on buying all the needed gear. I figure the trip will cost me $15K more than my companion... but then again I'll have a fully equiped expedition vehicle at the end of the trip so it's not all wasted money.

Just to be clear up front, I'm not going to be a tour guide... I'm looking for somebody to pitch in 50% of the money and effort during the trip as well as doing a lot of the reseach and non-vehicle related leg-work in the planning as well. In other words: a partner.

Well if that's not scared you away, feel free to ask more questions! I'm not sure I have many more answers at this point, but I'll try.

- Andrew

[FjFairlady]

Sounds like a "Trip of a lifetime." Good luck

[UK4X4]

Things to concider !

I'm fine with my wife in 1400mm wide RTT

for two un-attached males for a year it will be an uncomfortable pain in the rear.

To choose your partner you will need to try and describe yourself- your back ground and what you hope to accomplish from the trip.

A race there and back-
weeks in the serrengeti taking photo's of dung- weeks of sitting on a beach smoking dope -

V's visiting local schools and doing presentations, talks.

Every ones view of what they accomplish along the way will differ.

A
spending 4 hours waiting for a lesser spoted rock warbler to call out to a mate

B watching 3 hyena fighting a lion over a kill..........

I'd sign up for B as A would drive me barmy !


many a childhood friend has fallen out with his best friend on a 3 month trip.............a year will be dificult.

You need to try and outline what you personally wish to accomplish and so hopefully like minded people will apply.

No good travelling with a wanabe missionary

when you are beer swilling party monster who intends to shag his way across the continent !