My Name is PJ van Huyssteen and this is how I learned to love Outdoor Exploration

Hi there, I’m PJ, and my venture into the world of outdoor exploration and camping began on a maize farm near a small South African town, where the vast landscapes and the call of the wild were an integral part of my upbringing. Childhood days (after school of course) were spent building makeshift camps in the woods, casting lines into the waters of a small dam, and exploring our whole farm from edge to edge shaping my love for the outdoors from an early age.

Teenage years.

As my teenage years unfolded, camping became more than a hobby; it became a second way of life. On weekends, holidays, or any excuse we could find my friends and I were organizing camping trips in the woods, immersing ourselves in the simplicity, quieteness, and beauty of nature. It was at this time in my life that I quickly learned the importance of organizing and packing the right gear for the trip. And no two trips are the same.

Time to Study.

University brought with it an annual pilgrimage to the ultimate wilderness experience – two weeks of traversing the untamed landscapes of Botswana together with my family, where wild camping meant leaving behind the luxuries of modern life and coming face to face with the true wilderness in the African sun. It was during those transformative years that I learned the true essence of self-reliance and the understanding that a certain crucial gear forgotten at home, can seriously lower your chance of survival. For example, if your plan includes crossing the entire Central Kalahari Park from North to South or Vica Versa, and you don’t have extra Jerry cans full of fuel for your vehicle, you can find yourself in a very dangerous position. You don’t want to get stuck without fuel for your vehicle where there is no cellular signal, no water, lots of sun, and lots of hungry predators that can easily turn you into prey.

Life as an Adult

Fast forward to today, and I find myself married to my lovely wife, and our lives blessed with the arrival of our daughter. Camping and traveling have become not just a passion for us, but a source of relaxation and family bonding time. Every opportunity we get, we find ourselves on the road exploring the area around us, new campsites we’ve never been to before, and just venture into the unknown.

In all the time my wife and I have spent on our little explorations, we’ve noticed that capturing all of these ventures is so important if you would ever like to share them with friends and family. So we’ve picked up the necessary skills over the years in photography and editing to truly bring the venture to life for anyone who wasn’t there to experience it for themselves.

So, welcome to VanHuys Ventures, where my love for the outdoors meets a desire to share the wonders of camping and exploration with kindred spirits. Join me on this journey as we embrace the freedom of the open road, the joy of setting up camp under the stars, and the thrill of discovering nature’s hidden gems. Here’s to a life well-lived and a wild adventure awaiting at every turn!