GEAR

SOPHIA VAN TAAK

BARRYDALE HAND WEAVERS CUSHION COVERS

When you buy something from this weaving mill in the Little Karoo, you’re supporting a community where employment is scarce. You can even go onto their website and find out more about the specific weaver who made the creation you just bought.

There’s a lot to buy! Everything from serviettes to placemats and blankets, all made from locally grown cotton and woven by hand.

These cushion covers (50 x 50 cm) are available in red, light blue, dark blue, white, charcoal or grey stripes. R340 barrydaleweavers.co.za

FEAT. SOCKS

A pair of socks is no longer a boring gift – especially not these! Feat. has a huge range of designs: Choose traditional stripes or classic South African themes like whales, elephants, rhinos, the beach huts at Muizenberg… even Cape robin-chats!

Also, 20% of the profit is donated to the WWF. From R110 featsockco.com

KINDBRUSH

Take a moment and think of the number of plastic toothbrushes you’ll throw away during your lifetime if you replace your brush every three months as your dentist recommends…

The Kindbrush is here to change that. It has a handle made from bamboo, sourced from a sustainable plantation in China. When the time comes to throw it away, you simply break it into small pieces and add it to your compost heap.

Kindbrush is still searching for an alternative to the nylon bristles, but this attractive brush is already a step in the right direction. It’s available in five colours, and in different sizes for adults and children. From R75 thekindbrush.com

ESMA MARNEWICK

SAPMOK FLIP-FLOPS

A flip-flop is a flip-flop, right? Not really. These are made from 30% recycled rubber, and the cork detailing gives them an earthy, serene vibe that makes them stand out in a sea of other brightly coloured slops. They’re so neat, you could wear them to the office! And they’re comfortable. You don’t need much more from a flip-flop. R280 sapmok.com

VIVOLICIOUS TIGHTS

These tights are designed and stitched locally. The designs are inspired by nature (flowers, fynbos, giraffes), they’re made in limited numbers to keep them unique, and a percentage of sales is donated to the Flower Valley Conservation Trust.

The fact that these pants are tested by ultra-distance athletes is an additional selling point. You can wear them in the mountains, to gym, or if you need to pick up the kids at school. From R829 vivolicious.co.za

SPOT IT! CARD GAME

This game (for 2 – 8 players) needs to be in every holiday house, caravan and camping crate. Once your kids can identify pictures, they’re old enough to play.

It contains 55 cards with different pictures: spider, cheese, lips, igloo, cactus... Any two cards will have a picture in common. There are five different games, but the goal is always the same – the first one to “spot” the corresponding picture wins the card. R180 takealot.com

TOAST COETZER

HANDMADECATTY

Agoodold “catty”issomething youruncleon thefarmmakes foryouwhen you’re eightyears oldand youvisiton holiday. He choosesthe wooden forkhimself,then he cutsstripsoffa tyre tube for theelastic part, andhe uses the tongueofanold velskoen to create acradle for asmallstone.

Butnot allofushaveanuncleon afarm… That’s whywe have UncleInternet.You canbuy acatty (elasticandall)from outdoorandallsales.co.za forR50, or from takealot.com forR189. REMEMBER: Onlyuse it to shoot Coke canson acornerpost, notthewhite-eyesin afigtree…

CLASSICKHAKISHIRT

Youmight notbeinthebush everyday,but that shouldn’t stop youfromdreamingthatyou’re agamerangersomewhere in theLowveld.

Wearthisclassic khakishirttothe office andpretend your colleaguesareimpala. (Who’s thelion?You’rethelion!) Thisshirt evenhas epaulettes, so expect asalute or twofrom securityguards.

KhakiFever’s shirtsare madein Hoedspruit. In other words, they’re “bottled at thesource” ofallthingsbush.Specialreaderoffer:Shortsleeveandlong-sleeveshirts formen and women R200each. khakifever.co.za

MEATFORTHOUGHT

Withbraaiingasthe numberoneactivity of thefestiveseason,it’s worththinkingabout whereyour meatcomesfrom. Knowingyour meatcomesfroma farmthatembracesorganic guidelinesisgood foryourconscienceand yourhealth.

Lowerlandis afarmnearPrieska inthe Northern Cape,whereBertie Coetzeeandhis teamproducequalitylamb, porkandbeef,as wellaswine, nutsand flour.Theyalsodeliver inthebiggercities. 0833499559(Bertie); lowerland.co.za

AFRIKANISRUM

Ginhas haditsmoment inthesun forlong enough. It’s time forrum to shine!Afrikanis Premium African Rumhastheiconic Canis africanis dogasits logoandisproduced by Dawidand Karliende WetfromGraaff-Reinet. It costs R475perbottle. If you’re not arum drinker,youcanorderhandcreamorliquid soap(R90each)or afunky “Loyaltothebone” T-shirt(R350). afrikanis.co.za

JONMINSTER

FIRSTASCENT JOURNEYTEE

Mostofusarenot competing to winthe Cape Epic – there’s no need to wear a skin-tight jerseywithpocketswhen you’re outriding yourmountain bike. This wonderfully airy teehasbeendesigned forall-day comfort. Thearmsare agreat length,two thirdsofthe waydowntotheelbow, andtheunderarms areseamlesstoprevent chafing.Thebackis scooped forextracoverage whenyou’reseated on your bike andthefabricis lovelyandlight, offeringairflowandsweat-wicking power inabundance. R699 firstascent.co.za

LEZYNEBAREND MULTI-TOOL

Carryingtoolson amountainbike isa hassle.You endupwith abagunder your seat(notgreat with adropperpost)or an unwieldybundleofstuffstrapped to yourframe. Lezyne hastriedtosolve this problemwiththisnifty multi-tool thatslides into theopenendof yourmountainbike handlebars.Ithas11differentsteelbitstha shouldcover youfor most trail-side repairs. It only weighs85 gand youdon’t feel the extraweight in yourhandlebars at all. The bestthingaboutthe toolis that it’s instantly accessiblewhen youneedit, andquietand invisible when youdon’t. R995 twowheelstrading.co.za

KILLATKOTAMOON

In bike mode, thisbagattaches to thefront of your handlebarsandhasenoughspace forallthestuffyou’d usuallystore in your pockets.When you’re on foot,untuck the strapanditbecomes ahiporshoulderbag forhikingandexploring.Iuseminetocarry asmallcamera,lightweight jacket,and acoupleofenergybars. Thereare plenty of coloursinthis cottonduckfabric,and arangeof coloursinmore hard-wearing ripstop nylon. It’s local,lekkerand priced rightfor yournext adventure. R595 killatgear.com

MARTINETTE LOUW

ROCKRABBITTRAILRUNNING PACK

Thislightweightpackismadefrom astretchy, moisture-wickingfabricand has10pockets: Youcan carrytwo soft500ml waterbottles (R300 forbothif yougetRockRabbitones), another2-litrewaterbladder(notincluded; anyafter-marketbladderwill work)plusother necessities like yourcar keys,cellphone and ajacket. Never bestuckonthetrailwithout atissueagain!

Availablein greyornavy withteal,lilac or coralaccents. R1399 rockrabb .co.za

KAROO FARMBOX

Duringtheoppressivedroughtinthe Karoo, Lani Lombard andherson-in-lawLouis Steyn –bothfromCradockintheEastern Cape –cameupwithabrightidea: Fill boxeswithquality products from the region to supportfarmersand entrepreneurs.

There’sa rangeofboxeswith different products to choosefrom: wool slippers; mohairscarves, socksandblankets;leather belts andmakeupbags;booksaboutthe Karoo; roosterkoek grids;boer soap… There’sevena boxwith abeachtheme! FromR1999 karoofarmbox.co.za

UZWELOBEACHBAG

Do youwanttolookstylishon the beach andalsodo yourbitfortheenvironment? Thisbeachbagismadefromrepurposed bannerfabric,anditmeasures57x49x 19cm,sothere’s plenty of space foryour sunglasses,towel,sunscreenand(reusable!) water bottle.There’sa rangeofpatterns available, fromthisprettycoral colour to leopardprint and tropicalflowers. 490 uzwelo.co.za

KYRA TARR

ZERO BARS

These proudly South African shampoo bars are the ideal gift for any hiker or travel fanatic. (Solid toiletries are all the rage at the moment…) Not only are Zero Bars compact (50 g) and easy to transport, they also have zero plastic packaging and use no water to produce. Each bar lasts up to 70 washes and contains a mixture of solid shampoos and natural ingredients – they’re much kinder to our waterways than regular shampoo. From R75 zerobar.co.za

BLUE BEE COCKTAIL SYRUP

This handcrafted honey- and sugar-based syrup, made in the seaside town of Kleinmond by Christo Bezuidenhout, is a tasty addition to any drink. Try their popular Rose Geranium flavour, made from roses grown organically in Christo’s own garden. Other favourites are Lime & Toasted Spices, and Passion Fruit. From R150 bluebee.co.za

PIERRE STEYN

CARMA QUIP BRAAI APRON

This company, based in the suburb of Durbanville in Cape Town, has built its reputation on comfortable and durable self-inflating camping mattresses. This braai apron is their latest innovation – it protects your clothing from fat spatter and also doubles as storage for your braai grid when you’re done flipping chops.

The exterior is made from a waterresistant material, while the inside is made from PVC that can easily be wiped clean. Once you’ve folded the apron, it can look after a grid up to 500 x 400 mm in size. R495 carmaquip.co.za

ZARTEK ZA-748 TWO-WAY RADIOS

If you’ve ever driven in a convoy in a place like the Kaokoveld in Namibia, you’ll know how crucial it is to communicate with each other – especially if there’s no cellphone signal and WhatsApp. This set of two-way radios from Zartek is perfect if you’re in one vehicle and you need to explain the driving line to your father-in-law in the other vehicle. The two compact handsets cost just a bit more than R1 000 and you don’t need a licence to use them. They have 16 pre-programmed channels and a reach of between 2 km and 6 km depending on the terrain. Choose a catchy call sign and head for the bush! R1 099 zartek.co.za

HI-TEC GEO-TRAIL PRO HIKING BOOTS

These light and tough hiking boots were my find of the year. They tackled hikes in the Great Karoo, Little Karoo and on the Garden Route without hassle, and they’re still looking good. It almost feels like you’re wearing running shoes. The upper breathes easily, there’s ample protection in the heel and toe areas, and there are no friction points that normally create hot spots. So, no blisters! The blue colour might not be to everyone’s liking, but they’re also available in khaki. R1 299 hi-tec.co.za