KINGSLEY HOLGATE COLLECTION

Kingsley’s Legendary Bulawayo Bag In Kingsley’s words…

My old Melvill and Moon Bulawayo bag, handmade from 100% 510g heavy duty cotton canvas with leather handles, must surely be the most travelled Melvill and Moon bag in the world.

The design was taken from an old, character-filled bag belonging to a farmer from the Matopos region that Rob Melvill spotted at the entrance to the Bulawayo Club’s infamous watering hole many years ago. The bag had belonged to the farmer’s father and clearly had been used on countless adventures – the canvas faded from years under the African sun with many repair patches and well-worn leather handles. It became the inspiration for Melvill and Moon’s ‘Bulawayo bag’.

What a journey my bag has had over the past 20 years. Thrown up onto the tops of trucks, into boats, strapped to old bicycles, chucked into light aircraft or helicopters, shoved onto roof racks, carried on the backs of donkeys, camels, and squeezed between grub boxes and fuel jerry cans. Dug into by curious customs officials and belligerent soldiers with beery breath, often used as a seat or pillow and sometimes even for security – on a chair propped up against the door of a third-world hotel room that had no lock.

A bit frayed, tattered and stained, some of the corners now reinforced with leather, it has travelled to every country in Africa and evocatively named places like Casablanca, Timbuktu and Agadez in the Sahara and Ras Xaafun, the most easterly point of the continent in war-torn Somalia on the Horn of Africa. It’s also gone around the world following the Tropic of Capricorn; travelled from Cape Town to Kathmandu tracing ancient Silk Roads through the Caucuses, the vast Dasht-e Lut of Iran and the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan; and made it through 30 countries from the southern tip of Africa to Nordkapp in Norway’s Arctic circle on a 300-day journey called ‘Hot Cape – Cold Cape’.

Imagine the scene when more recently, there I was – the Greybeard owner – at the lost luggage counter of Istanbul’s shiny new Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, showing them a photo of my old bag and patiently explaining that apart from some dirty clobber, the contents included two well-worn size 14 veldskoene, the remnants of a bottle of rum, a dented enamel mug, an old Zulu talking stick, a ‘gris-gris’ necklace made from small leather pouches containing charms and verses from the Koran (to ward off evil) and two bags of raw frankincense, the beautiful smell from which far outweighed the odour of unwashed socks – and that whilst the bag had been checked in at Mohammad Haji Ibrahim Egal International Airport in Hargeisa, Somaliland for a flight to Addis Abba, then Cairo and onto Istanbul, it was nowhere to be seen.

I’m sure the Bulawayo bag is ‘blessed’ because two days later, there it was, safely delivered to our lodgings in the old city of Sultanahmet near the Hagai Sofia and the Blue Mosque – all the contents intact – and smelling sweetly of frankincense, my 10th anniversary gift to Sheelagh.

Back at Afrika House, my old Bulawayo bag, blessed by the Zen of Travel and now washed and dried in the tropical sun of KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast, awaits its next adventure, trip number 42, with many more to come.

The Bulawayo Bag

A tribute to Kingsley Holgate’s Bulawayo Bag that he still travels with after 42 expeditions, over 20 years.

This Bulawayo Bag is a replica of his original bag, but with some modifications: a side pocket that can carry the journal, that is part of the range, and a false bottom for hiding cash and special documents.

Featuring Kingsley’s embroidered signature and motto, “Life’s a great adventure” and crafted from heavy-duty canvas with oil impregnated pull up bovine leather trim, the Bulawayo Bag is a perfect companion for your weekend getaways or short expeditions.

The Sheelagh Handbag

Named after Kingsley’s partner and fellow adventurer and made to her specifications.

Sheelagh is an integral part of every detail of Kingsley’s expeditions.

The Sheelagh Handbag is a side-slung, crossbody design. Featuring buckle closures to secure your belongings away from nimble little fingers at border posts.

Made for movement, built for peace of mind.

THE EXPEDITION JOURNAL

This Expedition Journal is a replica of a large journal that we donate for each of Kingsley’s expeditions. Kingsley calls it “The Scroll of Peace and Goodwill”.

Throughout the trip people sign the scroll and write a message, presidents, chiefs, military leaders and ordinary people sign. Photos are also pasted in, the journals spanning 20 years are truly pieces of history. On more than one occasion the scroll has got Kingsley and his team out of sicky situations by being able to show the military and even bandits the journal.

Even Nelson Mandela signed one of them. This Expedition Journal includes a write up from Kingsley in the front and is designed for chronicling the details that make a journey unforgettable, carried by Kingsley Holgate himself.

Whether you’re mapping a route through Africa or scribbling thoughts on a city café napkin, it’s made for chronicling the details that make a journey unforgettable.

The Border Pouch

Designed for efficiency at every checkpoint and border crossing.

The Border Pouch is a slim, rugged document holder made from canvas and leather.

Designed for keeping the multitude of documents in, such as your passport, permits, car papers, and health documents.

No more panicked rummaging at the border, the Border Pouch also slips into the Sheelagh Handbag.

The Passport Holder

Compact and durable, this canvas and leather passport holder protects your most important travel document in rugged conditions.

Designed to carry two passports and a pen, slip it into your Border Pouch or keep it close at hand.

It’s the kind of piece that tells stories over time, just like your passport.

Laundry Bags

The Large Laundry Bag – “Dirty Clobber”

This large drawstring laundry bag is made from canvas to keep your worn clothes separate from your clean ones.
It’s practical, breathable, and tough. Ready to be tossed into a 4×4 or a hotel room corner with equal ease.
As Kingsley says, its perfect for all your dirty “clobber”.

The Small Laundry Bag – “Odds & Socks”

Perfect for socks, underwear, or lightweight garments, the small drawstring laundry bag is the compact companion to the larger version.
Keeps your suitcase organized and your travels clean and simple.

Bedroll with Covered Mattress

Our heavy-duty sleeping bag, perfect for a night camping under the stars.

Made with Waxed Egyptian Cotton, it comes lined with cotton sheeting and a covered foam mattress.
Featuring solid brass YKK zips and heavy-duty buckles to secure it closed, it rolls up to fit perfectly inside its’ sand ripstop bag.

Kingsley also carries one of our trusted Bedrolls with him on every journey, a steadfast companion that keeps him warm through the chill of wild, starlit nights.

The Whole Kingsley Holgate Package

The whole Kingsley Range bought as one piece consists of the following signature pieces.

  • The Replica Bulawayo Bag
  • The Expedition Border Pouch
  • The Passport & Pen Holder
  • The Expedition Journal,
  • The Large & Small Laundry Bag

*Please note that the Sheelagh Handbag and the Bedroll with Covered Mattress are not included in the Whole Kingsley Holgate Package and are sold separately.