ArcherCornfield

Africa

 

Packing tips for African or Indian Safaris

General travel and packing tips for safaris:

    • We spray Permethrin (available online and at REI and some drug stores) on our shirts, pants, hat, and socks before travel. One soaking will repel bugs for several washings, usually long enough for the trip. Some vendors including ExOfficio sell clothing which is already treated with Insect Shield repellent technology (Permethrin).
    • We pack our clothing in packing cubes (we use Eagle Creek’s) to keep clothing and other items organized in our bags.
    • Toiletries: Bug repellent, sun screen
    • Head lamp or small flashlight for early morning drives and walking back after dinner
    • Sturdy duffle bag. Tour companies often supply these, but we have encountered rips and broken zippers during trips with these. We prefer Eagle Creek duffels and bring duct tape for emergency repairs
    • Bring "clean cash." We have found that in many areas of Africa people won't accept worn or old-style US bills. We generally tip with US bills and make sure to order "clean cash" from our bank before we leave home.

Linda’s minimum packing list:

    • 3-4 linen shirts. Quick dry shirts are also great, but I prefer the feel of washable linen in Africa and India. LL Bean, Land’s End and Eddie Bauer are good sources
    • 2 tee shirts for evenings and sleeping
    • 2-3 pairs of pants
    • Compressible fleece jacket for cool mornings and evenings
    • Safari vest to carry sundries for the day
    • Packable rain shell for rain and wind
    • Hiking boots or sturdy walking shoes (my favorite boots are L.L. Bean's Trail Model Hikers)
    • 2 pair thick socks (I also use sock liners to prevent blisters and wash these often)
    • Sandals or comfortable shoes for evenings
    • Sun hat (Linda’s current favorite are the Tilley hemp hats)
    • 5 pairs of quick-dry undies (Ex-Officio has great quick-drying underwear). In Hemmingway-style camps women will most likely be washing undies out by hand.
    • 2 sport bras for bouncing game drives
    • Umbrella for rain and privacy in case of emergency “calls of nature”
    • Day pack
    • Toiletries: shampoo (I have more than once had to wash my hair with bar soap), hand wipes for use during game drives
    • Motion sickness medication. If travelling long distances in a truck (for example, to or from the Ngorongoro Crater), I tend to get motion sick and appreciated OTC meds.
 

David’s minimum packing list:

    • 2 Pair 5.11 Taclite Pro pants (wear one, pack the other)
    • 2 travel shirts (wear one on flight days)  [cotton, or lighter weight rip-stop versions of the 5.11 Tactical® Long - sleeved shirt ]
    • 2 linen shirts. Quick dry shirts are also great, but I prefer the feel of washable linen in Africa and India. LL Bean, Land’s End and Eddie Bauer are good source.
    • 2 tee shirts for evenings and sleeping
    • Compressible fleece jacket for cool mornings and evenings
    • Safari vest to carry sundries for the day
    • Packable rain shell for rain and wind
    • Hiking boots or sturdy walking shoes
    • 4 pair hiking socks (David's favorite is Smart Wool)
    • Baseball hat
    • Sun hat (David's current favorite is the Tilley T4 or T2 for a wider brim)
    • 5 pairs of quick-dry undies (Ex-Officio has great quick-drying underwear)
    • Camera pack

 

Electronics and camera equipment

    • Digital SLR (we use Nikon D300s, which has low noise at ISO800 for fast shutter speeds)
    • Long lens: We use Nikon’s 80-400 VR lens. We have found this to be the most helpful range during safaris. Most camps offer bean bags with which to steady the camera on top of the vehicle during game drives. In a pinch, folded clothing can also be used.
    • Short-mid lens: We use Nikon’s 18-200 VR. If the animals are close, we switch to this lens.
    • Compact point-and-shoot camera for videos and close action. More than once we have been caught with the long lens on and the animal shows up too close to focus on, so having another camera handy will save time. When an animal shows up close, you don’t want to be fiddling with changing a lens.  The Canon Digital Elph's with a view finder or the Canon G10 have worked very well.
    • Plastic bag or pillow case to protect camera from dust while driving and changing lenses
    • Enough batteries for 2 days of steady shooting with VR, without recharging. (typically 3 batteries)
    • Electrical Chargers. Sometimes there is electricity in the room, sometimes you need to bring your electronics to a central location for charging camera, laptop, phone, or other batteries.  Instead of the single battery charger that comes with the camera, we prefer to use the Nikon MH-19 Multi-battery Charger.  It charges two batteries in sequence, unattended, and can also charge from any 12V DC lighter socket on safari vehicles, or from 12V solar chargers.  On trips to wilder areas, we have also used solar chargers. We have left a few camera batteries at camp with our solar charger in front of our tent while on game drives.
    • External hard drive. We download photos every day (or even twice a day) to an external hard drive. We use the Epson P7000.
    • Note pad and pen. We try to make notes of the locations, animals, plants, birds, etc. during game drives and associate them with photo numbers. At the end of a few days of game drives, the notes come in very handy while reviewing photos.