What to pack for safari?

[gtkim]

Here is an old thread that was very useful.

pandce.proboards.com/thread/445583/safari-packing-tips-bring

[gtkim]

Aug 24, 2015 21:01:16 GMT -5 @32flavors said:

Aug 24, 2015 20:40:45 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

I would certainly take more than an iPhone on a trip like this, but that's just me. I took a DSLR with a 25x300 lens and found tk sufficient; wouldn't have minded a 400 lens but it was heavier than I wanted to deal with. I guess it all depends on what you really want and how much you care about photos, but odds are you won't be getting that many amazing shots on an iPhone.

If I am a novice and have no experience with a camera am I really going to be able to capture photos that justify the cost of buying a camera just for the trip?

My concern is that I can capture landscapes with my iPhone or things withing 15-30ft but I won't get a close up of a elephant that is 100 ft away.

Don't buy a camera - rent one!  I rented the lens I took and am SO glad I did.  I was able to capture a few things on my phone but they simply don't compare to what I was able to get on the camera.

[iammalcolmx]

Aug 24, 2015 8:45:04 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

Did your tour operator not provide suggestions? Ours gave us a detailed list and you might have one too if you haven't looked through your packet of stuff in a while.

I don't know if Kruger has tsetse flies but in Tanzania we were advised not to wear dark blues because they are attracted to the color. I brought a lot of lightweight wick-away clothing and loose, long pants (similar to these but mine can be rolled up to capris-length). I had long-sleeve wick-away shirts I could layer over things if I didn't want to slather on bug repellent, and to keep the sun off my skin as needed. I also had sturdy trail running-style sneakers plus flip flops to wear around camp.  It's a fine balance between covering up to keep sun/dirt/bugs off of you but not overheating in the high temps.

A hat can be useful.

I packed one Patagonia dress that I was happy to have once I got to Zanzibar and might be good for your city time.

If you're staying in a luxury lodge, I'm sure they provide laundry services so plan accordingly and try to bring as little as possible.  Oh, do pack enough underwear though or plan to wash your own as in some areas it's not culturally acceptable for them to wash it for you.

Other things we packed:
sunscreen
bug repellent
binoculars
travel journal
small book of animals in the area so we could look them up/mark them off as we saw them

You should have seen the way I jumped away from flies Our driver was finally like " Those aren't the flies, LOL!!!" Also the woman at the lodge told me to walk backwards if I saw any animal. I got outside of my tent and heard a noise so I backed up, it was a Gecko H was so done with me.

[iammalcolmx]

Aug 25, 2015 11:10:58 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

Aug 25, 2015 11:03:52 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

You should have seen the way I jumped away from flies Our driver was finally like " Those aren't the flies, LOL!!!" Also the woman at the lodge told me to walk backwards if I saw any animal. I got outside of my tent and heard a noise so I backed up, it was a Gecko H was so done with me.

Meanwhile I was probably naive in thinking, "Oh, the staff will totally protect us from whatever large animal I hear rustling outside our tent."

Did you have any fun on the trip?

Oh yes, when the Elephant bumped my tent I just turned over and went back to sleep. It really was awesome even for a chicken like me. The scenery on the drive from DAR to Mikumi was just amazing. I am trying to figure out how to get to that Four Seasons in Serengeti without taking a little ass airplane.

[definitelyO]

definitely take a better camera than an iphone. I went ages ago and am kicking myself for only having a point and shoot. you see a lot of animals - some up close but some further away. a better camera will make all the difference IMO.

depending where you stay yes, they will do your laundry, but DH had some of his laundry done at Tarangire Park and they dried his clothes over the fire - he reeked of smoke...

[sunnysally]

We went on safari last September/October. Our first day at the lodge was quite warm but most of the following days were chilly so make sure you pack a few long sleeved shirts. Our lodge did provide fleece lined ponchos. I wore a lot of my hiking clothes because they are easy to pack, dry quickly, and are comfortable. Many people wore jeans, but we did not on game drives. I also recommend a sports bra, game drives are bumpy! I brought a sun hat and also a buff that came in handy for containing my hair, protecting my face from dust, or covering my ears if I was cold. We did a walking safari so I brought closed toed walking shoes and made sure to have a neutral toned outfit for that. The color of clothing didn't really matter on game drives. The lodge we were at provided bug repellent, but we did bring our own that we bought in Cape Town. It is cheap and you don't have to worry about liquid restrictions. I brought a small bag on the drives with lip balm, wet wipes, and binoculars. I never had to use the bathroom while on a game drive, but some of the women did. If you use toilet paper you are expected to bring it back with you so an empty zip lock might be a good idea.

[definitelyO]

I took hiking boots and tevas.

[Deleted]

@32flavors, we leave for our safari in less than a month and I have already started pulling together my clothing and stuff in little piles in my guest room

Based on the feedback in the other thread (thanks for pulling that link gtkim ) I pulled together a little medical kit that is more "advanced" than what we usually bring with a few goodies mentioned in the thread.

I also second RockNVoll with a little traveling dress (mine is also from Patagonia), a good camera (we upgraded but didn't go crazy because neither of us is going to learn enough about cameras before the trip to use a super advanced camera), we are bringing lots of outdoorsy hiking type layers so we can adjust as the days temps change, and for footwear I am bringing 1 pair of sanuk sandals and 1 pair of trail running shoes. My hiking boots are a bit intense, so I am leaving them at home since much of our safari time will be in vehicles - only a little on foot.

Oh yeah, and we have purchased a few great guides to African wildlife that we have been reading beforehand to get ready...some of which we will bring with us. And a rite in the rain travel notebook to not down experiences too.

And - bringing my trusty day pack so I can keep my essentials on me.

Are you CRAZY excited? I still can't believe H and I are going.

[Deleted]

@32flavors love that your safari is a girls trip!

If you like reading, Circling the Sun is a fun historical fiction read set in Africa in the 1930s and will get you all jazzed to be on the continent.

I'm right there with you on the camera - as a non-photographer I want to have lovely pictures but I am not buying a $1,200+ fancy pants for the trip because I will likely never use it again.

Oh, and make sure you bring your own binoculars.... We always do that for our nature trips and I have gotten that recommendation for Safari. I have a pair I love (reasonable weight and good amount of zoom).

[gtkim]

Aug 27, 2015 22:12:22 GMT -5 @sfgal530 said:

@32flavors, my only thought on renting versus buying is that renting is still crazy expensive, and quite frankly you might find that you over/under rent and you don't have time to try it out. I rented a 400x telephoto lens, picked it up the day before we were set to depart, and discovered it was WAY more lens than I wanted. So I had to rush at the last minute and buy one (which, admittedly, I love). I'm that horrible person with the nice camera that generally runs on autofocus or manual, but honestly the lens is the biggest thing - you want a better zoom than the iPhone IMO.

You mentioned you're doing a Kruger luxury lodge - do you mind saying which one? If it's one on a private reserve a zoom camera is less important, but if your drives are in the national park I think a zoom lens is a must.

You make a great point here.

I actually rented my 400x lens for much longer than the actual trip to play with it before we left, and I'm really glad I did.  It was perfect for the trip, but I honestly wish I'd had a second camera with my everyday lens too because there were cases where the lens I had was too much.

In terms of pricing, I felt the rental pricing was reasonable considering how long I had the lens and it was a fraction of what it would have cost to buy.  Now of course i loved it so I'm in the market for a used one but that's a different story.

Talking about all this makes me want to plan another trip.  It really was an amazing adventure.

[sfy]

Re shoes: we were barely outside of the car, I just wore Toms. I wore pants that were sort of cargo style (minus the pockets) and lightweight long sleeved tops. I also brought a top layer and a scarf (South Africa in November). I used my phone for my pictures because DH and DS were hogging our shared Nikon, but their pictures were much better so I do think it's worth getting/renting a camera.

[Deleted]

Bit of a tangent....but loved this Prince Harry article that I stumbled across today:
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3215556/Harry-Lionheart-Remarkable-images-conservationist-Prince-declares-way-life-want-here.html

@32flavors
WinterWine
@sfgal530
RockNVoll

[Deleted]

Aug 29, 2015 10:35:23 GMT -5 @mx said:

I'm definitely an atypical safari taker for this board, but I've taken driving or walking "safaris" in almost 20 national parks in various African countries. I put safari in quotes because it's not really referred to that way out of the east/Southern Africa region.

I think if you're not a serious photographer you're much better served by a heavy, pricey pair of binoculars than a lot of camera equipment. I enjoy taking photos, but I'm under no delusion that I'mthe next Ansel Adams I do pretty well with my phone when I really want to capture something and I love having binoculars for seeing far off animals and birds.

I typically do a trip to a national park as an add on to a business trip when I'm already in Africa so I don't usually pack a lot of special stuff, but the binoculars are worth the precious space they take up in my carry on.

Yep I agree with this. I'm also atypical in that all the safaris I went on in different countries were while I was living in South Africa and were added on to other trips.

So like mx said I don't think it's super necessary to go out and buy any special clothes assuming you have the basics like a pair of tennis shoes, a light sweater, etc. But yeah I think binoculars are a great idea. I have a dslr camera now that I love, but didn't have it when I lived in South Africa. If you think you want to get in to photography and will use it a lot in the future, then I say buy one, but if not I don't think it's necessary and I got a lot of great shots with my iPhone while I was living abroad. 

[Deleted]

@32flavors - here our the binocs we both have for nature walks & travel. Binocs can be a bit tricky / confusing to buy online, so I hope this reco helps!

Carson JK Series Close-Focus, Waterproof Binocular (JK-842, JK-042)
We have the 8x42mms and they work really well - too much zoom can be hard to handle.

[Deleted]

@32flavors & WinterWine - this is also great.

www.riteintherain.com/side-spiral-kit-yellow-universal

We use this kit for all of our travels that take us into nature.