We leave in a few days for Africa. So, you know what that means.
Packing panic. It’s a thing. And for me, it’s a repeat thing.
It’s not like this is my first African safari. Or even my second. No, this is the third time we are going on safari. You could say, we really, really, really like it.
I should know the drill by now.
Even still, in the last few months, I’ve vacillated between, “Nope, I have gobs of clothes, I don’t need to buy a single thing for this trip,” to “Oh my damn, I have nothing appropriate to take on safari, I better buy a whole new wardrobe.”
I have a few excuses. First of all, it’s a really long trip. We are going back to Serengeti Bushtops in Tanzania for eight days and Mara Bushtops in Kenya for five days (plus a couple of days in Zanzibar and one day in Nairobi on our way home, and a whole lot of time on very long flights). All told, I have to pack for 18 days, which is a LOT of days.
(Oh, and I have actually packed for an 18 day trip before).
Secondly, I’ve lost a little weight since our last trip two years ago. Not a lot but enough to go down a size or two.
Third, I’ve purged my closet several times since our last trip and got rid of things I thought I’d probably never wear again, ie: clothes bought specifically for a safari. (Except my safari jacket. I wear that thing all the time).
And fourth, I also tend to buy really cheap items to take on safari (t-shirts from H&M or Old Navy, linen or cargo pants from Gap Factory or Kohl’s), and well, those don’t generally hold up that well. Which is fine, but obviously necessitated some shopping.
In case anyone is wondering, the reason I buy cheap, fast fashion stuff for safari (besides the cost, obviously) is that these clothes are going to take a bit of a beating. It’s not that safari is extremely physical (it’s not like your climbing a mountain or something) but you are getting in and out of a very tall Land Rover multiple times a day and walking through some dusty brush, primarily, at least in my case, to squat and pee.
You also really only need a couple of outfits since they do daily laundry at the safari camps we stay at. So the cost per wear is actually pretty high. Plus, if anything does happen to my safari clothes during the trip, say a laundry mishap or a tear from getting in and out of the truck, I won’t be bent out of shape about it.
I actually learned this lesson the hard way on our first safari to South Africa, where I bought these really nice $100 hiking pants from Athleta. I was so excited about these pants, I can’t even tell you. I ordered them online and put them right into my suitcase, still encased in plastic and everything. When I went to put them on our first morning in Sabi Sands, I saw (or felt, actually) that there was a big tear in the fabric, right across the right butt cheek. I was crushed. I used my little in-room sewing kit and stitched them right up but they were ruined, in my book. Lesson learned: no expensive, fancy safari clothes.
A few other considerations:
Colors: White and light colors are a bad idea since they show dirt so easily. And dark colors like black and navy attract mosquitoes and even tsetse flies, which hurt like hell.
As for agitating the animals with bright colors? Animals are mostly color blind, so the sight of bright colors doesn’t send them into a tizzy at all. Plus, you’re in a truck most of the time, so they just see you as part of a large, dark mass, and most likely think we’re all just another large animal. But, having said that, I tend to stick with neutral colors like gray, tan, olive. Especially if you go on a walking safari, when you definitely need to blend into the surroundings a bit.
Weather: It’s going to be pretty warm while we are on safari, highs mostly in the mid to upper 80s, lows in the upper 50s, low 60s. Still, I wear long pants and bring long sleeve shirts to help avoid bug bites. And a hat for sun protection. But not a pith helmet, or any other colonialist gear that smacks of racism and oppression.
And even though it’s the short rain season in the Masai Mara and Serengeti while we are there, we don’t need to bring waterproof gear. They usually have rain ponchos in the trucks (along with binoculars, which is why we don’t bring our own).
Dinners & downtime: This one is tricky and all over the map. Each camp has its own vibe and the dinner attire varies. Sometimes people wear the same clothes they wear on the game drives, which is fine. At Savanna Lodge in Sabi Sands, people (including the staff) got a bit dressed up for dinner (sundresses or linen pants and camisole tops for the women, pants and button up shirts for the men).
I try to just go with a happy medium and bring something nice, then wear it over and over and over again.
Here’s my safari packing list
Clothing
- 3-4 t-shirts
- 2 long sleeve shirts (I’m taking two lightweight button downs to wear over t-shirts in the morning)
- 1 sweatshirt/fleece (I’m taking my olive cargo jacket)
- 2 pairs of cotton trousers/pants – a pair and a spare while the other is being washed.
- 2 light dresses/2 dressy tops/1 pair of jeans – for dinners while on safari and time in Zanzibar & Nairobi.
- A scarf – good for blocking dust or sun or bundling up on a chilly morning.
- 4 pairs of socks
- 6 pairs of underwear (I also bring a net lingerie bag for our socks and underwear to keep them together and it just to make it a bit less embarrassing.)
- 3 bras (including one sports bra – VERY bumpy roads. I wash this by hand before dinner and let dry overnight.)
- Sunglasses (for the dust as well as bright sun)
- Pajamas/linen pants for hanging out in our tent.
- Hat
- Swimsuit
- Lightweight, durable, waterproof shoes (I’m taking this tennis/hiking shoe hybrid pair I already have. Not terribly lightweight, but durable.)
- Sandals for around camp/wedges for dinner & city
Toiletries/First Aid
- Anti-malarial medicine
- Sunscreen
- Antihistamine (for bug bites/stings and allergic reactions)
- Aspirin for pain/headaches
- Mosquito repellant (I especially like the wipes or toilette versions)
- A couple of large Ziploc bags (to keep things like your camera dry or free of dust)
- Pepto Bismal plus something stronger (we travel with Cipro after the Great Peruvian Giardia Adventure of 2013)
- Band aids/antibiotic ointment for blisters, cuts, scrapes
- Personal toiletries in small travel sizes, including hair and skincare products, or formulas that aren’t liquid, ie: powder or stick sunscreen, solid shampoo/conditioner)
- Minimal makeup – really, just the basics: tinted bb cream, mascara, tinted lip balm.
- Prescription medications/spare glasses and contacts, in my case.
- Tissues — (I found having little packs of these in the pockets of my jacket VERY useful when “checking the tires” — ie: peeing – during those 6-hour game drives.
- Antiseptic gel or wipes (handy for washing your hands when there’s no water around)
Gadgets and Gizmos
- Converter plug to fit local sockets (if needed. We did not need one on our last trip to Bushtop. All the plugs were universal.)
- Camera (with zoom lenses/tripod/whatever. I just use a Canon point-and-shoot)
- Extra memory card for your camera
- Binoculars (Again, we found we didn’t really need them and our safari trucks had them)
- Spare batteries and/or battery charger for electronics (Bushtop’s safari trucks even had USB ports to help keep batteries charged)
- I-Pad or Kindle for all your entertainment needs
- Cell phone. I don’t take my computer but I will take my cell phone. But, while the camps do have wifi, but it’s always a bit iffy. I try to just unplug and be in the moment, which is what safari (and any vacation, really) should be all about.
