February 2017
Packing is an art that is developed over time as result of experiences in wild places. What to pack, how to pack, preparation and general trip management are fundamental to the success and overall enjoyment of your safari experience. Equipment choices for a walking safari are different to a purely vehicle-based safari, and packing decision-making substantially increases for self-sufficient activities such as backpacking.
Especially in the beginning of learning curves, we find that we are caught out by things that become obvious with experience. We often see that the wrong equipment is brought, too much is packed, it fails, or important pieces are left out. The below observations remain consistently true:
“Penny-wise” often leads to “pound-foolish”. All equipment is not the same, and this is often discovered at an inconvenient time during a trip.
Good equipment is purpose made, regardless of intention it does not suit every application.
Certain equipment is similar to insurance – It seems it will never be used, however when needed, the money we parted with, was well spent.
Advice and opinions abound, it is wise for the buyer to validate the advisors experience. Resorting to using internet forums to obtain information, often produces unvalidated, inaccurate or poor advice.
Partly because we have spent lots of time on unforgiving BIG mountains, we utilize the mountaineering philosophy of travelling light, remaining comfortable BUT always been appropriately prepared.
For regular walking safaris pack the neutral colored clothing or the shades of the African bush. Good colors include browns, greens, khakis, dark blues, grey, etc. Two points:
Although many animals are color blind, bright colors are intrusive in the bush.
Certain colors, whites, neon colors, black, bright pinks, etc. are picked up by animals quickly.
Although the bush is mostly warm or hot, it can get cold, and this is especially true when the sun goes down in winter. Consider packing a beanie, scarf and warm jacket for travelling on game-viewers on winter mornings. Due to the environment, adventure sandals are better than thong sandals [flip-flops] and you will want to wear relaxed clothing whilst you are in camp.
With regards footwear it is well worth your taking your time to read through our blogs focused on:
For a typical walking safari based in a tented camp, we suggest the following: -
In areas with malaria risk, we suggest taking prophylaxis. In the evenings consider applying a DEET based insect repellent, wearing light weight long sleeved shirts and pants. Citronella, mosquito bangles and related soaps are scientifically proven mostly useless. It is worth you reading our blog focused on malaria.
If you are going to be undertaking a wilderness backpacking experience with us it is worth your reading:
With over 30 years of active experience in the outdoor space, we are able to assist you make the right decisions. Drawing on the findings of hundreds of trips, and having made fair share of learnings, we are able to offer our clients diverse, broad insights. All our wilderness safari clients receive comprehensive packing lists and attend preparation presentations.
We hope that working through this has helped. We look forward to spending time with you, and creating active, exciting, immersive, connective, safe and impactful experiences, that will result in your eagerly planning your next adventure on your journey home.
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