Kit for a trip to Morroco?

[vtrdaz]

I'm trying to compile a kit list for a trip to morroco - any of you chaps think of any essentials we should take (apart from spares)?
Any input would be great - if you've been is there anything you wished you'd taken but didn't?

Cheers chaps

Darren

[Lee_D]

Check out our very own Thermidorthelobsters pages at

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[bullfrog]

I am currently building a vehicle for a customer for this very reason.
I am fitting a decent fridge (dont get an ambiant one)
A dual fuel cooker (unleaded or cooker fuel)
A spare single burner unit with spare bottles.
An ARB front bumper with winch
Roof rack with hi-lift, awning, spots and sand ladders.
False rear floor and safe
Water and fuel tanks and holders
Sat nav, Fan, Phone holders
Uprated suspension and bigger tyres
Under body guards and a snorkel.
A decent compressor.
First aid kit.
Puncture repair kit.
Good length strops etc
Small planks as this are handy to jack off of.
You can get water containers that fold up so when empty take up very little room.
Army rations are nice and easy to cook.
Its not hard to prepare a meal but sometimes simple and quick food is great. Its also well made so has all the nutiants you will need.
Look for a table that has feet that adjust ( you can use the small caravan type feet for these.
A decent folding chair.(same with feet)
I will post some pics as I go (2 weeks work, to give you some ideas)
Get stuff thats good quality but light .
The chap I am building this for is going in a group of 4 vehicles so there should always be someone to help.

[vtrdaz]

Cheers chaps - antoher thought is a roof tent a necessity ot luxury - we've already got a good tent for when we go hiking (no i don't wear a bobble hat :lol: ) so do we need one?


Darren

[Roofus]

Drove round the sahara a couple of years back.......

Roof tents are great......however......once set up you can't drive into town? I camped in a standard tent & never once regretted it!

In your first aid kit......if you can, add several syringes & needles. Sounds dramatic.....but should you (god forbid!) need an injection for any reason, you'll know the needle is sterile.

Savlon spray.

Ensure you take some Dioralyte aswell....not just good in the event of rehydration after a dodgy tummy! But also very good for general rehydration if you start to lag in the heat.

Ensure you take some anti-bacterial hand wash.

Take a couple of those cake nets (funny net umbrella things you put over a cake!) The moment you start to cut meat & prepare food flies appear from nowhere! Handy to prepare your meat under!

When buying meat try to buy from stalls with fridges, chances are the fridges aren't plugged in......but there will have been less flies on it! & watch the butcher closely, many tried to bulk up the weight with off cuts of bone & fat!!!

The most essential bit of kit I can suggest is a pressure cooker! Fantastic for making tough meat edible! We used to throw the meat, any veg we had, can of tomatoes & some spices all in together! Best stew ever.....add the local bread which is truely superb....& you have a great meal!

I'd thoroughly recommend a thermarest......comfy & take up no room at all!

Don't stress too much on vast expense on the vehicle. You know it...so take spares you think you'll need! My L200 was completely standard except for A/T tyres & a snorkel! Shocks were standard & survived no problem.....I watched a poorly loaded 90 break two OME shocks! Make sure it has a good service & that the radiator & cooling system are in tip top condition! My highest recommendation are fuel & air filters! My snorkel protected my filter pretty well.....but the diesel can be very poor! So don't be overly surprised if you see a 'wee' bit of black smoke!

The top tip I was given was simple.......If it has the ability to have fur or dribble or both DON'T touch it! Strays are rife in built up areas.....particularly cats (Literary all over! The smell can be overpowering!) DO NOT TOUCH! Everyone in our party was struck by stomach bugs except myself & my partner....& we were the only two who strictly observed the above rule!

You also may want to take some exercise books & coloured pencils....you're liable to be mobbed by kids as you drive round & personally I'm not a fan of handing out sweets!

A truely fantastic experience! Amazing country, friendly people! Enjoy!!!! A once in a lifetime experience! Just amazing!

[Roofus]

I had another thought.......take spare windscreen wipers! Thank god I did....the sand eats them & on the drive back through spain we got hammered in a rain storm & pulled over & changed the wipers!

Couldn't think of much else.....but if I do I'll post it! Did find a few photo's of camsites though!  :D

[freeagent]

I went to Morocco last summer in the Disco...

you do not need mud tyres.

they are crap in sand (just dig you in deeper) and are not needed in the Atlas mountains... the best tyre to fit is a strong A/T, BFG's seam to be the best choice.

are you going as part of a group? if so, don't go too mad with the spares and spare tyres, every town has a tyre place or 4x4 repair shop, punctures can be fixed for a couple of quid, and mechanical work is cheap and usually of a reasonable standard.

unless you really think you need it, a winch is a waste of time, theres usually nothing to winch off, i went with a group, and not one winch was used.. at all.

a good fridge is a must, so is a reliable method of inflating your tyres, after airing down for the sand.. don't bother with a 'truckair' they're crap... the T-Max ones seam ok though...

make sure you take loads of imodium... don't ask me how i know..

take bags of cheap boiled sweets and biro's, you'll get mobbed by local kids, and thats what they are after...

take a supply of tinned, or even better, dried food, shopping is 'limited' as you get out of the cities and towns... suddenly supernoodles look really appealing!!

a couple of good spades, and a pair of sand mats will come in usefull..

most important thing i reckon is servicing and car prep before you go.. do all the wheel bearings, belts, oils, brake pads, make sure you're shcks are in tip-top condition...

as rufus said, a standard but well preped vehicle is better than a ridiculous challenge spec truck thats been poorly maintained... the more 'standard' it is, the more likely you are to get it fixed if something breaks..

my disco was pretty much bog standard, the only thing i'd change next time, is fit a snorkle and some slightly stiffer rear springs.. but thats only because we've got a rooftent..

i'll post some more when i get time...

[paul and sam]

freeagent you said in your post aboout sand mats do you have any info about where to get  any of them? many thanks

[vtrdaz]

cheers chaps some very intersting and useful tips  :lol:  :lol:

[bezzabsa]

all the posts and no one mentioned LOO ROLL lol :D

[mmgemini]

I'm trying to compile a kit list for a trip to morroco - any of you chaps think of any essentials we should take (apart from spares)?
Any input would be great - if you've been is there anything you wished you'd taken but didn't?

Cheers chaps

Darren

Are you going to the Donington 4x4 show by any chance. If so call over and have a look in my Defender.
As Freeagent has said nothing wrong with standard as long as you've prepared and serviced the vehicle.

I can't comment on North Africa, I haven't been but Southern Africa is wonderful. Sit back and enjoy while you can.

Sand mats. I have the roll up ones that look like a long rubber link mat. Mine came from Footloose 4x4. Sorry I can't comment on how good the are as I've not had to use them.  :roll:

I don't recomend giving sweets to children. you see if the next vehicle that comes along and doesn't have sweets the people often stone them.

[vtrdaz]

I might just do that - when is Donnington?

[freeagent]

freeagent you said in your post aboout sand mats do you have any info about where to get  any of them? many thanks

I actually used a cheap set of Waffles, bought from Ebay for £30... they did alright, ultimately all you want them to do is increase the vehicles footprint in realy soft sand, which they did.



Nobody has mentioned a good first aid kit yet, i don't think...

oh, and another top tip....

When you change your money up at the border, you'll get a big pile of 200 Dihram notes (worth about £35ish, cant really remember) the adverage price for anything in Morocco is about 10 Dihram.. and nobody has any change..

when ever you go to a fuel station, or if you stay in a hotel, always pay with large notes... you can then build up a stock of smaller notes to pay for food, drinks and odd bits...

[thermidorthelobster]

If you download the book of our trip (free) you will find some lists of what we found useful, useless and missing out of the kit we took.

[gords]

If you download the book of our trip (free) you will find some lists of what we found useful, useless and missing out of the kit we took.

I assume you get a share if the hardback is purchased? (otherwise I'll download )

[mmgemini]

I might just do that - when is Donnington?

Feb 18th we should be in the vehicles on display bit.
Look for a BT grey Defender 110 SW reg J 16 TMH

[vtrdaz]

Chaps
Thanks again for all the info - lists are being compiled as i type......... :D

[thermidorthelobster]

If you download the book of our trip (free) you will find some lists of what we found useful, useless and missing out of the kit we took.

I assume you get a share if the hardback is purchased? (otherwise I'll download )

Thanks for the offer, but the entire cost goes to Lulu for the printing, as it's 250 pages in full colour, bound hardback.  Financially the download is the better option!

...although, I'm working on a paperback version...

[gords]

...although, I'm working on a paperback version...

How far have you got?  

[thermidorthelobster]

It's reformatting the images which takes ages.  Just finished the body, now I need to add a cover...  give me a couple of hours!

[thermidorthelobster]

It was 90% of the way through uploading the 250MB PDF and the connection dropped out, and it won't resume, so I had to start the upload again.  Hopefully will have a book ready by the end of the evening, unless I fall asleep first.  8)

[thermidorthelobster]

OK, just published the damn book, and they've taken the servers offline for maintenance.  I'll post the link tomorrow!  :twisted:

[thermidorthelobster]

Finally!