What To Pack - Africa Overland Tour

Shopping at local market		An afternoon stroll		Elephants cooling off

Packing for an Africa Overland Tour

Although it may seem fairly simple to pack for a holiday, you will find that packing WELL is not simple. A good rule of thumb is to spread everything you are planning on taking, out on your bed. Then put half back in the cupboard and take the other half with you on your African overland tour. Many clients make the mistake of taking too much luggage; you will be surprised how quickly you get used to walking around in the same clothes day after day. Remember to keep some space as you might want to bring back a number of souvenirs and local crafts!

Please bring a duffelbag, or a backpack with an internal or removable frame. Suitcases are not suited for overland travel. You will also find that a small daypack is handy for your day to day necessities. Please take your sleeping bag & toiletries on the plane with you, to make life a bit easier in case your luggage is delayed.

Africa Essentials:

• Sleeping bag
• Roll matt or self-inflatable mattress. It will be handy to bring a spare patch and some glue!
• Sleeping sheet (to use inside your sleepingbag for extra insulation or on top of your sleepingbag in warm conditions)
• Good torch and spare batteries. Many overlanders favour the headtorches. However, please bear in mind that replacement batteries for head torches are difficult to find in Africa.
• Sun glasses
• If you wear contact lenses, bring spares. Also bring glasses as you might find the dusty dry conditions hard on your eyes.
• If you wear glasses, bring a spare pair.
• Mosquito net if you are planning on sleeping under the stars.
• Washing line
• Writing material & diary

Toiletries:

• Your normal toiletries
• Insect repellent
• Lots of sunscreen
• Hat
• Lip balm
• Contraceptives

Africa Outdoor Clothes:

It is not advisable to wear white whilst on an overland tour as it gets dirty very quickly. Do not bring your most expensive new clothes on your overland tour as conditions can be rough.

• Open shoes (flip flops/rafting sandals)
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Bathing suit/swimming shorts
• Towel
• Light cotton tops/t-shirts/sleeveless tops.
• Sarong, you will find these very practical as they can be used as a towel, a skirt, a sleepsheet, you name it. Available all over Africa.
• Long-sleeved tops (light) for game drives or safaris (this will protect you from mosquito's & sunburn)
• Cargo trousers / track suit pants for evenings and cooler days
• Shorts/light skirt/dress
• Waterproof jacket and a sweater (the nights are cooler than the days)
• Socks
• Underwear
• One set of smart clothes for a night out

Photography:

• Camera (underwater, digital, SLR)
• Relevant batteries and chargers
• Memory cards large enough as you may not be able to get them anywhere else
• Film for your camera

Small First Aid Kit:

A comprehensive medical aid kit is provided for emergencies. Clients are required to bring their own basic first aid kit which should contain:

• Pain killers - paracetamol, panado
• Rehydration sachets for diarrhea
• Anti diarrhea medication
• Anti histamine tablets or cream
• Antiseptic cream, e.g. Betadine
• Plasters, sterile dressing pads
• Eye drops
• Tweezers
• After sun treatment
• Water purification tablets
• If you use any medication, please ensure you have enough to last you for the entire tour, including an emergency quantity.