Can I use my own camping gear, like my own sleeping bag and backpack?

You can use your own camping equipment and backpack if you prefer, BUT please discuss this with your guide. The equipment that Nature Trails Ltd provides to participant is carefully chosen for African wilderness trails and is often more suited for wilderness trails than participants' own camping equipment. This includes carefully designed backpacks which are the right size for group equipment, camping mattresses that are resistant to African thorns, etc. If you would prefer to bring your own equipment, you can bring it but when you arrive, please check with your guide whether it is suitable, and you can still decide to use the equipment we provide instead.

What will we do each day during the wilderness trail?

In today's world, we have become familiar with having plans, and a schedule and agenda. A wilderness trail is the opposite of these things. It is an experience of living in the present, an attuning ourselves to what is needed right now in the moment. We practise letting go of planning, and of trying to control our time with a schedule and agenda. In nature, these things do not exist, and wild being live in the present moment. 

However, there are a few things that will happen on most days. These include the basic elements of wilderness camping, which your guides will explain to you. A wilderness trail is participatory, so you can expect to join in with group activities like setting up camp, preparing food, collecting firewood and water, doing Nightwatch, tending the fire, and washing the pots in the river. Each day there will be some space for silence and reflection, and some walking. Every trail also includes some opportunities for solitude, and for facilitated group conversations (called Council or Indaba). Apart from these things, every day and every trail will be unique, depending on what happens in nature and in the group. Instead of trying to impose our ideas onto nature, we experience what arises spontaneously. Because this is so different to how Western culture usually works, this itself can be a transformational experience for many participants.

How heavy are the backpacks we will carry on the trail?

You will need to be able to carry a backpack weighing about 15kg-20kg, including your share of the group's food and equipment and your personal water. In Umfolozi, the distances we usually walk with full backpacks are not very far—you will not carry a heavy backpack all day—but you should be prepared for it to be quite heavy. If you are not physically capable of carrying a backpack of this weight, please discuss this with your guide and it may be possible to ask other participants to carry some of the heavier weight.

Although backpacks can be heavy, participants always manage, or we share the weight among the group. We are experienced with guiding groups of all ages, genders and fitness levels, from teenage girls to people in their 70s and 80s, and everyone manages. If you have concerns, you are encouraged to discuss them with your guide or group leader.

How fit do I need to be?

You will need to be averagely fit. You do not need to be athletic to participate in a wilderness trail with Nature Trails Ltd. We often have participants who have never hiked before. As with any adventure, a greater level of fitness can make the experience more enjoyable for you. However, your guides will make sure that the group stays together and moves at the pace of the slowest, so you do not need to worry about being left behind.