Crossing the Makgadikgadi: A Journey Across the Largest Salt Flats

TLDRThe Makgadikgadi is the world's biggest salt flats, nearly lifeless and as wide as Portugal. Crossing it requires careful preparation, as running out of water, getting stranded, or running out of food could be fatal. The surface is like a crème brûlée, with a thin layer of salty crust covering a primeval ooze. To cross it, vehicles need fat tires and weight reduction.

Key insights

⚡️The Makgadikgadi is the largest salt flats in the world, almost completely devoid of life.

💧Crossing the Makgadikgadi requires careful planning as running out of water could be fatal.

🏜️The surface of the Makgadikgadi is like driving on a crème brûlée, with a thin layer of salty crust.

🚗To cross the Makgadikgadi, vehicles need fat tires to prevent them from breaking through the salty crust.

🛠️Weight reduction is essential when crossing the Makgadikgadi to avoid getting stuck in the primeval ooze.

Q&A

Why is crossing the Makgadikgadi dangerous?

—Crossing the Makgadikgadi is dangerous because running out of water, getting stranded, or running out of food could be fatal. Additionally, the surface is like driving on a crème brûlée, with a thin layer of salty crust.

What precautions are necessary before crossing the Makgadikgadi?

—Before crossing the Makgadikgadi, it is necessary to ensure that you have enough water, prepare your vehicle with fat tires, and reduce weight to avoid getting stuck in the primeval ooze.

What is the surface of the Makgadikgadi like?

—The surface of the Makgadikgadi is like driving on a crème brûlée, with a thin layer of salty crust covering a primeval ooze.

Why do vehicles need fat tires to cross the Makgadikgadi?

—Vehicles need fat tires to prevent them from breaking through the salty crust on the surface of the Makgadikgadi.

How important is weight reduction when crossing the Makgadikgadi?

—Weight reduction is essential when crossing the Makgadikgadi to avoid getting stuck in the primeval ooze underneath the salty crust.

Timestamped Summary

00:00The Makgadikgadi is the world's biggest salt flats, almost completely devoid of life.

00:12Crossing the Makgadikgadi requires careful planning as running out of water could be fatal.

00:24The surface of the Makgadikgadi is like driving on a crème brûlée, with a thin layer of salty crust.

00:30Vehicles need fat tires to prevent them from breaking through the salty crust.

01:26Weight reduction is essential when crossing the Makgadikgadi to avoid getting stuck in the primeval ooze.

Browse more