Packing for an African Safari

If you're heading over to Africa anytime soon, you might want to check out this article I wrote for Explore 64: Gearing up for an African Safari.

A light-hearted look at what you need to think about packing if you’re just popping over to Africa on vacation. Based on my safari in not-exactly-a-bargain Botswana. As you’d probably expect, the key is to travel light.

For a trip like this, it's important to get things that are lightweight, practical, and useful enough to take up some valuable space and weight. There are also some unique factors to this part of the world that influence what you need to bring along. My smart moves: indestructable shorts and a Buzz-off hat. My goof: no binoculars and not enough memory cards for the camera.

Balled-up Waterproof jacket

The two things that kill you when you are packing are weight and bulk. You can avoid both, and still have a waterproof jacket, if you get one that reduces down to nothing and can be stuffed in a little case.

I picked up one from Sierra Designs a few weeks ago at REI when I needed to spend my yearly rebate on something. (REI's not exactly cheap, but at least you get some of that money back in you're a member.) The thing was hanging on a little hook, in a nylon case a little smaller than a 12-ounce soda can. The whole jacket fits into there once it's rolled up, so it takes up very little space in your pack or suitcase.

I took it for a test run last weekend when I went on a short trip. It was easy to fit into my pack and I got to try it out when a rainstorm hit. The jacket repelled the water surprising well for something that weighs next to nothing. It was $30, about the price of a low-end fleece, but far easier to pack. Definitely pulls its weight. Search "Sierra Designs Microlight Jacket" at REI Men's Shop

Or get the women's version here: Sierra Designs Microlight Jacket - Women's

Hanging Travel Toiletry Kit

When you're traveling on business or on a short trip where you'll be in a nice hotel, you can pack pretty much any kind of toiletry kit as long as it will hold your stuff.

When you're backpacking around and staying in cheap hotels, however, the best bet is one of these handy Eagle Creek toiletry kits that hangs open, letting you get to anything without setting it down anywhere. When you are staying at a bamboo bungalow that costs $5 a night, forget about finding a long wide counter or vanity where you can spread out your grooming aids. You'll be lucky to find a place to put your toothbrush. With these babies you can hang it anywhere, then pull out your things from a wide variety of compartments. There are separate places to fit different items and a mesh area that breathes. Easy to pack up at times when you always seem to be in a state of packing or unpacking.

I had one of these with me on three trips around the globe, each lasting at least a year, and only had to replace it once. Definitely worth the $32 it will cost you at REI.com. Just search for "Eagle Creek Wallaby."

A flashlight that never needs batteries

If you're going camping or traveling for an extended period, a flashlight (torch) is an essential item. The problem is, they go through a lot of batteries, meaning you have to carry spares or run the risk of your flashlight fading out at an inopportune time. For me, that time came when I was halfway up a Java volcano during a hike that started at 3:00 a.m.

If you're concerned about the environment or just get tired of buying new batteries, one easy solution is to switch to a perpetual flashlight. A flashlight that needs no batteries. There's not even a crank to deal with: you just shake it back and forth for about 30 seconds and the charge lasts a good 20 or 30 minutes. When it starts getting low, you shake it again and you're recharged.

I'm no engineer, but they work through a coil and magnet mechanism that, in theory, should not wear out. I have had one of these die on me, but I think it was a faulty on/off switch, rather than the charger. I've had another one I've been using for three years, with not one acid-filled battery to dispose of.

These flashlights used to be curios you saw in the Sharper Image catalog, but now they're everywhere. I've bought a few on eBay as gifts for as little as $10 and have even seen them for sale on those little gift flaps on a credit card bill envelope. If you want to be more secure about the quality, however, you can get one from
Magellan's (Freedom Flashlight) or REI.com (search for Nightstar) for $25 to $30.