RUSS Archives - Nikela: Helping People Saving Wildlife

Where’s the African Jungle? 4 Trends Showing Our Future.

Jan 30, 2017 · by Russ · In: #NikelaAfrica, endangered, Human Wildlife Conflict, Nikela Blog Tagged: African Jungle, consermerism, Destroying nature, farming, global warming, mining threat, over population, population growth, RUSS

“Really? Most of the African Jungle is gone and the demand for resources is sky rocketing? I need to rethink my Mining Engineer biases.” You know how you think Texas is filled with Long Horned Cattle and Cowboy? Well, it’s the same with Africa. There should be tons of Jungle and Bushmen. Right? Remaining is very little African Jungle and mostly beautiful cultures wearing farmer digs or working for middle class sun glasses. So what, it’s just old trees and loin cloth, isn’t it? I found it represents much more. Additional Perspective I’ve also observed large growth trends in Consumerism, Westernization,…

Travel Africa: Cool Land Rover Gear You Can’t Live Without

Dec 30, 2016 · by Russ · In: Land Rover, Living in a Landy, Nikela Blog Tagged: #NikelaAfrica, GEAR, OUTFITTING, Overlanding, RUSS, South Africa, Travel Africa

Posts of kitting our Travel Africa overland vehicle started Our African Retirement Estate on Wheels, then Land Rover TD5 Right Vehicle? followed by 5 Essential Vehicle Modifications and now Cool Gear. Storing and Preparing Food Hooray, if you travel Africa you won’t have to forage or survive on crackers and tuna fish! Depending on locality and the right storage options, you can pretty much eat normally. It’s amazing at the creative ideas people have come up with to satisfy needs in small spaces. Our setup includes an incredible 90Lt fridge, side wing window shelves for cooking/cleaning/recovery/camping paraphernalia, Landy items, and drawers…

5 Essential Land Rover Modifications to Travel Africa

Nov 21, 2016 · by Russ · In: #NikelaAfrica, Land Rover, Living in a Landy, Nikela Blog Tagged: Defender Modifications, Land Rover Defenderr, Overlanding, RUSS, Traveling Africa, VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS

Your Land Rover modifications depend on how much stuff you need for your choice of African Travel. Basically your travel plans, comfort needs, off road expectations, and of course your budget determine the modifications. Some people shell out tons of money for a frame up rebuild; $150,00 plus. Others add a few extras on old stock vehicles; $12,000 – $30,000 including the vehicle. Whatever you do, here are the essential modifications. Hopefully I can get into the details later. Patience! Long Range Tanks for Water and Fuel Expanding the volume of your life line fluids is the most important Land Rover…

Land Rover Defender – Our African Retirement Estate on Wheels

Sep 28, 2016 · by Russ · In: #NikelaAfrica, Land Rover, Living in a Landy Tagged: Defender TD5, Land Rover Defender, Landy, Personal Discovery, RUSS, Saving Wildlife, Second Wind, Traveling Africa, Vehicle

Confidence in the bush with “all” the comforts of home. Let us show you how this Land Rover Defender became our home while traveling Africa searching for people saving wildlife. I first pictured OVERLANDING in Africa as driving our old 2001 Land Rover Defender through deep sand or muddy impossible Jungle from the Sahara to the Cape. Actually, Margrit and I spend 80% of our time on tar or gravel. Traveling to magnificent places and meeting people who save wildlife throughout Southern and Eastern Africa. But there are still a lot of raw places left. So we prepared for hard core!…

Tracking African Wildlife – New Perspective

Mar 22, 2016 · by Russ · In: leopard, lion, Nikela Blog Tagged: endangered species, RUSS, Tracking African Wildlife, wildlife conservation, Wildlife Tracking

Unique encounters while tracking African Wildlife for 5 days on foot. Looking down there is a fresh track in the soft sand. I can’t keep the grin off my face, “This is the right front paw of a female Leopard!!” Feeling a bit smug the next thought hits me hard, “BUT WHERE IS SHE NOW?!?!” Walking in the bush for 5 days learning from two wonderful Shangan trackers and other protectors with guns, we have become pretty comfortable with the African Wildlife around us. But this track is less than a few hours old and the reality of the bush…