Recently I spent most of a Sunday wandering around the Joburg Outdoor Lifestyle Show held at Nasrec.
It turned out to be a rather enchanting day all round and apart from the fascinating array of motorbikes, boats and 4x4s, I came across a few fabulous finds that most homeowners would probably love to have.
No longer available only in classic black, Weber charcoal braais now come in a range of new and trendy colours including bone, grey, lemon grass and brick red.
1. Weber's trendy range of braais
No longer available only in classic black, Weber charcoal braais now come in a range of new and trendy colours including bone, grey, lemon grass and brick red.
I would never have thought a braai to be particularly good-looking, but I developed an instant desire to own the lemon grass Weber, although the bone coloured one, I thought, would better match the colour of my home's walls and look great in the courtyard.
New features of the Weber® 57cm One Touch® Gold Premium Grill include a charcoal measuring cup, lid-mounted thermometer, weather-proof handle, protective heat shield, and new style wheel covers. These are priced at around R2 999.
And what caught my eye as well was the portable turquoise braai, which is a lighter shade of the colour of my roof - and I love to colour code home accessories. The Weber® Smokey Joe ® range of portable grills also come in gold sage and original black. It has a 37cm cooking diameter and made me instantly yearn for a beach holiday but would be perfect for braaing on a small balcony, patio or for picnic outings. They are affordable and range in price from R599 to R799.
Weber also has a wide range of gas grills to choose from, which are ideal for easy cooking outdoors on your veranda - click here to have a look.
What's so appealing about the Scampibraai is that it is lightweight and packs easily into a portable bag plus it comes with various accessories like bread pan and casserole pot.
2. Pack-in-a-bag Scampibraai
It must have had something to do with the first warm, summery weather that day and growing up with a fondness for braaing and the outdoors, because I couldn't help but stop at the Scampibraai stand buried amongst the diving gear and exotic destinations.
Hennie Bekker gave us a demo and 'yes I do want one' and have definitely added it to my wish list. What's so appealing about this braai is that it is lightweight and packs easily into a portable bag. It's made of aluminium, so it doesn't rust or corrode. It's easy to assemble and you can buy additional accessories like a griller plate, camp oven, casserole pot, bread baker, Potjie and thermal pots.
The basic set consists of braai, dome, bag and braai pan, which costs R1 850 for black, silver and aluminium. I loved the idea of being able to bake my own bread or make a pizza.
The boma braai with grill was also most appealing and made me think what fun it would be to have in my kitchen courtyard. This is priced between R1 340 and R1 550 depending on your choice of steel or aluminium.
The Scampibraai is ideal for outdoor cooking at home, camping or easy picnic braaing.
The IGLOO coolers on wheels come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours to suit almost any taste and purpose.
3. Cooler boxes on wheels
I loved the IGLOO cooler boxes on wheels. I simply hadn't thought about it before and how much easier than lugging my heavy one around.
These come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours to suit almost any purpose.
For something colder, Yukon Cold Lockers come in various sizes and are ideal for virtually any kind of trip you may wish to take - whether it's out camping in the bush where you need a larger freezer chest which can keep food cold for between 7 and 14 days depending on the model you choose or for a fishing trip to keep your catch on ice.
They are designed to keep the cold in, with a thick insulated locking lid and a built-in drain plug.
These are available through various retail stores and camping shops including Makro.
The Cadac Paella Pan has a Teflon surface that will last for years and a large cooking area making it an economical way of cooking for a big family or group of people.
4. Cooking outdoors with Cadac's Paella Pan
Not just for camping, picture being outdoors on a lovely spring evening on your balcony, patio or in the garden making a delicious paella for friends and family.
The gas cooker can be set up easily and with the paella pan you can easily whip up other dishes too, such as a delicious pasta or risotto. It is also ideal for making a full English breakfast on the veranda or for taking away on a holiday trip.
The pan has a Teflon surface that will last for years and a large cooking area making it an economical way of cooking for a big family or group of people.
Great for sports action photography, these Action Cameras are aimed at extreme sports enthusiasts and come in a wide range of options designed to suit almost any budget.
5. Capture action shots on camera
Great for sports action photography, these Action Cameras are aimed at extreme sports enthusiasts and come in a wide range of options designed to suit almost any budget.
I immediately thought of photographing my dogs' athletic ability when catching a ball in the air or my African Wild Cat kittens climbing a tree at amazing speed or snorkelling in Mozambique when a whale shark swam by a metre under me.
My camera can never capture these magical moments the way I'd like to remember them, so I've now added an action camera to my list of fun and desirable things to own.
6. Be at home in the bush
The Conqueror Companion off-road camper trailer has a huge bed, L-shaped kitchen with drawers and wash-up basins plus an all-round awning.
For those who like to take their own 'home' away with them, the range of caravans made me realise caravans have come a very long way since I last stepped inside one.
But the Conqueror camper trailers were my favourite - I could just imagine setting up my holiday home in some idyllic bushveld destination. I peaked inside each assembled one and the upstairs double bed with view window looked truly inviting.
I liked the L-shaped kitchen counter and swivel mixer taps and the shelves to hold wine glasses. There were kitchen drawers and lots of space to pack other items and clothing.
I've never thought of myself as a camper but I'd love to own one of these off-road campers and, of course, a rugged 4x4 to go with it.
PREPSOL is an environmentally friendly water based cleaner ideal for domestic cleaning and degreasing.
7. Degrease your driveway
This is a product designed to 'degrease anything that moves' but apart from motor bikes and cars, it is also ideal for cleaning grease stains off your garage floor and driveway.
PREPSOL is a water based cleaner used by the off-road motor cycling, motor car racing, and bicycling fraternity as well as for domestic and industrial cleaning and degreasing. It is environmentally friendly, cleans easily and can simply be washed off with water.
It is available at various retail stores including Builders Warehouse, Mica and Midas.
So I had a great day which was rounded off with a hair-raising adventure course being driven in a Toyota Fortuner, up the side of a truck, down the other side and reversing back up - it looked and felt like a sheer vertical drive, impressive and never to be forgotten.
The concept of 'outdoor living' at home and on holiday is almost never ending in its options - there is something for everyone - and living in such a beautiful country really should be inspiration to all of us to 'live a little more in the great outdoors'. - Julia Hinton
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