Submitted by SafariADV on Wed, 2017-09-13
The suitcases to leave on an expedition must be strictly limited to the indispensable and it is best to bring soft suitcases that you can load more easily on the off-road.
It is also useful to carry a backpack with all the travel material you need, such as the guide, the books, the camera, the documents, and personal belongings.
It is better to arrange the suitcase with separated bags that, in addition to dividing garments, protect them from both the ground and any unwanted guest; they are usually made of canvas or acrylic material and close with a zip, they are ideal for traveling or if there is little room for luggage.
Our clothing includes only t-shirts, trousers, shirts and fleeces of neutral colors, usually beige and in various shades of green; this is because, especially for safaris, these are the colors always recommended to better integrate with nature.
Better not to wear camouflage clothing, usually in Africa it is used by the army, and no bright colors, but above all it is best to avoid dark blue and black, the favorite colors of the tse tse flies, that have a very painful puncture.
Comfortable shoes to walk, better if closed, for the night it is best to wear ankle boots, especially if you have to walk in the grass or if you want to go on a walking safari.
Usually the temperature change is high, especially during the winter months, ie from June to September, so better to wear warm clothes and in several layers.
Better to bring a hat or cap and not forget the sunscreen, African sun can trick you and, even on non hot days, you can burn yourself.
We usually leave with a well-stocked medical kit, along the way it is easier to find some traditional doctors in some villages that use plants to prepare strange groats, rather than a pharmacy; so we carry all that could be useful as an antipyretic, broad spectrum antibiotics, a skin irritation cream, mineral salts supplements, lactic ferments, anti-vomiting and antidiarrhea medicines, and patches of various shapes.
In our suitcase, we never miss our reflexes, our Go Pro, the binoculars, books to identify animals and plants, maps, the satellite GPS and phone, especially if we travel to remote areas where the cell phone is only a pocket camera and at max. it can be used to recognize the stars and constellations, having previously downloaded the appropriate applications.
Finally, we always carry torches for the evening, both those to be worn on the forehead and the ones to be held in the hand.
