Eswatini Adventure Bike Trip, July 2024

We headed to Eswatini, from Centurion, for the weekend of 12 to 15 July 2024, it's supposed to be winter, but we had day time temperatures reaching above 31 degrees Celsius. The route to our destination, Foresters Arms, was all tar, a bit boring, but sometimes you just want to get to the destination. Foresters Arms is a retro country hotel, the rooms are well appointed and really clean, the highlight is definitely the food, we were treated to a full buffet breakfast and a 5 course meal every evening. A great weekend of riding, with an epic group. We started the morning with a quick ride through the pine forests, great to have finally been on the dirt again. From there we headed to the famous Ngwenya Glass works, a truly skilled and passionate team that operates there. Next was the epic twisties through to Maguga Dam and from there we headed to the Maguga Lodge for a delicious lunch. For the trip I joined the Proudly Meerkat crew, again the highlight was the incredible people. After lunch we headed back to the forest trails, the views never disappoint. The riding is fast, with varying terrain - the perfect place to be out on your adventure bike, in my case a 2021 KTM 890 Adventure R. After dinner it was 1st time for some good old rugby, South Africa vs the Irish. With us watching rugby in the Forester Arms pub, with some great Swazi brew, being the local Sibebe lager - a really nice beer. After another incredible spread, with full tummies, we then headed into the night for a night ride in the surrounding forests, what an incredible experience. We stopped to experience the silence, serenity and magnificent African night sky - definitely one for the memory bank. As with anything, all good things need to come to an end and the Sunday morning we did the final bit of dirt to the small border post at Waverley - definitely the border crossing to do, as we were done in under 10 minutes. Navigation: I've been using a UleFone Armor 8 Pro 4G Rugged Smartphone for my navigation needs, with the OsmAnd+ routing and mapping software. Main reason is the OsmAnd+ software is a lot more responsive and accurate than the Garmin Zumo XT ever was. I used the SP Connect Universal mount to attach the phone to a SP Connect mount, which I 3D printed. It offers an AMPS adapter that houses the SP Connect phone mount, this is attached to a Vanasche Motorsport GPS mount for the bike. A GPX route file wasn't created, as I was joining and organised ride and used the navigation to see where we were and find alternate routes, while out and about. Luggage: I packed light for this weekend trip and used the Kriega US40 RackPack Drybag, the bag offered plenty space for my clothes, accessories and tools, which I put inside a Kriege OS-6 Adventure Pack and strapped to the rear rack, using the Kriega OS Rack Loops for the day riding. I used the Giant Loop Zig Zag handlebar bag to carry some basic tools and Alpine ear plugs and the Uswe Outlander 9 hydration bag and 2l Uswe bladder, in the bag I had some snacks and a cap, for the harsh African sun (it's even brutal in winter). Riding Gear: Helmet - Arai Tour X-5 (Adventure Grey) Boots - Alpinestar Tech 7 (Enduro version) Pants - Leatt Flow Tour 7.5 (Stealth Colour) Jacket - Leatt Flow Tour 7.5 (Stealth Colour) Gloves - Leatt X Flow Adv 7.5 (Stealth / Short) Tyres: I used the Mitas Enduro Trail XT + on the front, for added grip and the Dakar version on the rear, for added longevity. Tech Used: Cardo Packtalk Edge, in-helmet comms. I primarily use the Cardo Packtalk Edge to listen to music, streamed from Spotify, and take and make the odd phone call to my wife and children, I avoid work related calls when I'm away on the bike. A lot of rides enjoy syncing their comms to chat along the way and stay in touch on the trail, I prefer not t do this as I what to enjoy the "helmet time" as much as possible, to get away from the daily grind. Insta60 Ace Pro Action Camera - I opted for this one for my current use, I have had may GoPro's, the Insta360 X1 and One R, but prefer the Point of View, battery life, flip up screen and stability of the Insta360Ace Pro. Garmin InReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator - There is a lot of talk that the Garmin InReach is a waste of money and time, as rarely do the emergency services in South Africa respond, I'm well aware of this. My reason for buying and using this to for my family to be able to track my riding and when I do arrive at a camp or need assistance and there's no cellphone signal, then I have the ability to share my position and message them to let them know I'm ok or if I need assistance, it's a lot easier for them to then make the necessary arrangements. Tips and Tricks: I always carry an extra set of straps, they come in handy if you need to strap extra gear to a full bag. I use the Kriega OS-Mini Cam Straps, as they easily attach to my Kriega luggage. For this trip I packed my tool bag inside the main luggage bag and then attached it to the bike when we reach our destination. This works well if you have a base, that you're riding from, as you have less separate bags attached to the bike. Group Riding - on this trip we used the "Corner Man System", with this the lead rider slows down at a turn or intersection and the rider behind them stops to show the other riders which direction to continue on, what workswell is if the corner man puts his bikes indicator to how fellow riders the correct direction of travel. The corner man waits until the sweep rider arrives and they continue. At the next turn or intersection the new rider behind th e lead, then stops and this continues throughout the ride. This great to keep the group moving and all riders have a chance to be out of the dust, by being upfront. Here's a quick edit video of the weekend, please Like and Subscribe, more videos on our YouTube Channel. https://youtu.be/b944RDcP6Iw?si=fBm3IGOzIx2u3Cgz