Packing for a Safari

A safari is an interesting travel option as you generally have to fit all your needs into an average size duffel bag that weighs a max of 44 pounds (sometimes only 35 pounds – so confirm with your safari group), so you have to pack carefully.

Here are some suggestions for how to fit within those restrictions.

Clothes

Most safari camps have laundry facilities however it is usually discouraged to wash your underwear in shared facilities. Plan accordingly.

I strongly recommend most of the clothing below be of a good breathable quick-dry fabric for easy laundering

• 2-3 pairs of pants (quick dry is very important for these as your pants will get dirty quickly in dusty areas – make sure the whole thing is quick dry, too. Many waistbands are not quick dry in otherwise optimal pants)
• 2-3 long sleeve shirts (sun protective is great too)
• 3 layering t-shirts/tanks
• jacket (preferably with zippered pockets for all your stuff)
• PJs (check the weather at night where you are staying, the temp difference between night and day in dry areas can be massive)
• underwear, socks (with extras if you don’t have good access to laundry)
• sports bras are suggested for women on safaris
• scarf, wrap or shawl
• bathing suit and cover-up
• Towel – I recommend this one that can be used for the pool, showers, and even as a cover up – https://amzn.to/3ew2hiL – it’s the lightest and thirstiest I’ve found for the size.
• comfortable closed-toe shoes, if they are washable you score extra points
• flip flops or water shoes for in camp and using the pool and shower
• rain poncho/umbrella
• wide brim hat with a chin strap; sunglasses
• laundry tablets or sheets (especially if you need “Free and Clear” detergents like I do)

Pro Tip: Do not plan on wearing black, dark gray, dark blue as they attract biting flies. Some bright colors might make animals more alert to your presence, so may be unadvisable IF YOU ARE LEAVING THE traditional safari areas where the animals don’t seem to care at all since you are in a vehicle. White is should be avoided as it gets dirty very quickly and depending on the makeup of the soil in the area, may not be able to be cleaned. It is very safe to stick to colors like khaki, olive, cream and other pale/dusty colors (including blues and greens). I wore lavender and dusty purple and had no issues other than dirt colors not matchi

You can wear shorts, however, plan to put a lot of sunblock on your knees. 🙂 Since the roof of your safari vehicle probably opens, it can be sunny INSIDE the vehicle, which I hadn’t considered until I felt that burning fireball on the back of my neck.

Toiletries and more

Make sure to put any liquids in a TSA-approved type clear bag (a ziplock bag for this should be fine despite restrictions on plastic in most of Africa)

Traditional toiletries

• shampoo, conditioner (extra conditioner for dry/windy areas – I did not bring enough)
• prescriptions, preferably in original bottles (with a photocopy of med info)
• toothpaste, toothbrush, floss
• deodorant (might want to bring extra as monkeys really seem to like to steal this)
• brush/comb and hairbands as needed (again, I’ll mention wind, and riding around in open vehicles. “Hair by Range Rover” is not a recommended look – although it might be better than “Hair by Sea Lion”)
• cleanser/soap (preferably a moisturizing one if in dry areas)
• tissues
• baby wipes – LOTS – it’s super dusty if you are in any of the dryer areas
• toilet paper – depending on where you go, many bathrooms might not have any. When that happens, no one will hear you yell.
• lip balm/vaseline
• sunscreen (and aloe)
• moisturizer
• tweezers
• cough drops
• q-tips
• razor/shaver (preferably non-electric; if electric, check power requirements)

Travel toiletries

• dry shampoo can be really useful if you have some or can get a small size, doesn’t count as TSA liquids and is lighter than regular shampoo)
• earplugs – animals at night are noisy (Wildebeest seem to be playing a never ending game of Marco Polo at night)
• wet wipes & hand sanitizer
• Pain killer, anti-nausea, anti-histamine, anti-diarrhea, and other common meds
• moisturizing nasal spray and eye drops (it can be quite dry)
• motion sickness medication
• flying insect net head protection – I like this hat that has a HIDDEN mosquito net built-in – https://amzn.to/3xcBFvC (many similar hats the mosquito netting is just stored on top of the hat which, to me, looks dumb
• Deet insect repellent – Ben’s Wipes are really convenient – https://amzn.to/3nqtTMq, or the small travel size bottles https://amzn.to/3k0gQyW
• anti-malarial pills and/or altitude sickness meds, if applicable
• cooling bandana/neck wrap IF it will be hot AND dry where you are
• laundry needs: a small container of Dr. Bronners soap for washing clothes as needed – also can be used as handwash and for cleaning other things (even as shampoo in a pinch), and/or laundry washing strips (if you, like me, need no-dye no-scent – these are available – https://amzn.to/3aJQV9I)

Tech and more

• waterproof dry bag, plastic or ziplock bags (if allowed)
• water bottle and sling (this sling is made from recycled material and has lasted me through at least a dozen trips so far – https://amzn.to/3norbqt.
• flashlight – something like this can be used as a flashlight or lantern and fit in your pocket – https://amzn.to/3sGydGo or one on a headband is nice too (https://amzn.to/3C7sApN – this one is a little more expensive than the cheap ones, but the color will be helpful for finding it in your other stuff)
• passport with your yellow vaccination card (if you need YF vaccine)
• printed itinerary, visas, hotel info
• cash for tips, ATM card to get local money
• binoculars 10×42 is a good tradeoff for distance/weight for a safari – I like these and they’re pretty affordable https://amzn.to/3C4VoPu
• back up power – you may be in the jeep for hours and hours at a time and if you are taking pictures will likely need more juice at some point. This one worked great AND almost seems safari themed with the paw print charging status indicator. https://amzn.to/3A6w5vQ
• long usb cords with extras – on my trip many people lost or damaged usb cords, so we were sharing, and sometimes plugs are far away so longer is generally better (but have some shorter ones as backups if you need them)
• camera and lens cleaning cloth (can be very dusty) – a dust blower is also recommended
• power adapters – this set has plug adapters from Type A to Type M (very comprehensive) – https://amzn.to/3dzzlr1
• journal/writing paper, pen/pencil (pencil isn’t the best choice if you intend to write while in the vehicle as you’ll likely smudge it if it’s too soft, and then you can’t read your meticulously taken notes, and will get “The Sads”.)
• travel pillow if you are picky (many safari places have just one type of pillow)
• eye shades if you may want to take a nap (The ones I bought are no longer available, but these look similar. My hair is very smooth and fine, and this stayed on my eyes over night). The most important thing is to get ones that have cups over your eyes, otherwise the strap can pull it tight over your eyeballs, which many people find really uncomfortable).

Other necessities

I always recommend a few other things. Namely my random items kit and a health and safety kit sized for travel that come with me pretty much everywhere.

And as usual, keep a copy of your passport somewhere you can get to it if the original is lost.