No doubt your bakkie has been the hero of many hunting expeditions. After such an excursion, a good coating of Karoo dust is its badge of honour. After all, what’s the point of having a rugged set of wheels if it doesn’t get dirty from time to time?
However, any avid hunter knows the importance of keeping dust on the outside and out of your canopy. For the safety and enjoyment of everyone involved, guns should be kept as clean as possible, not to mention the fresh produce of your adventure.
So how can a bakkie driving huntsmen prevent a sandstorm from settling in the rear?
Follow these tips and tricks, and you’ll soon find the dust content of your canopy significantly reduced:
Create a positive atmosphere
No we are not just talking about the good vibes when doing a road trip. The key to preventing dust from coming into your canopy is to create a positive atmosphere in the canopy. Air naturally moves from positive to negative atmospheres so when you’re cruising along a dirt road, a natural positive atmosphere forms at the back of your car. By trying to seal your canopy you create a negative atmosphere inside the canopy and hence the dust naturally moves from the positive to the negative. Break this and there will be very little dust inside your canopy! So just how is this done?
1. Just a smidgeon on the side
Open your canopy’s side sliders by just about 1cm either side. This will prevent dust from creeping inside as you drive.
2. Put in a canopy cab slider
All of our canopies come with the option of putting in a cab slider at the front of the canopy. Opening this window up when driving on a dirt road provides airflow into the canopy, making a positive atmosphere inside and thereby reducing the amount of dust intake!
3. A bit of padding goes a long way
Dust often gets kicked up from rear wheel arches or tailgates. You’ll probably find it impossible to seal these gaps off completely, but a bit of rubber can help a lot. We have tailgate rubbers which can be applied to reduce the gaps where dust can come in through your tailgate.
Some rough-and-tumble Karoo drivers even wedge mattresses into the tailgate in an effort to prevent sand from hitching a ride. You know, those pink mattresses.
4.Do a thorough gap-check
Before you head out on your hunt, or whenever you see your canopy getting dustier than usual, check the entire load box for little openings.
You’ll be surprised where dust particles find a way in. Make sure to look underneath and in all the hard-to-see nooks and crannies. Seal any holes or gaps up with polyurethane.
5.Make peace with a bit of dirt
Unfortunately none of these methods of dust prevention are completely fool proof. To keep your hunting equipment 100% dust free, cover everything with plastic sheeting for longer drives. Covered crates also make excellent dust-free storage.
Putting you bakkie through its paces is one thing; finding a canopy full of dust at the end of a hunt is quite another. After all, any cloud of dust caused by your driving exclusively belongs in your rear-view mirror.
Wishing you all a happy, dust-free hunting season.
Contact us today for more information about the best canopy for your vehicle.