Traveling to Africa Tomorrow! Thoughts on Packing for my Adventure…

The last few days have been filled with activity, from cooking Thanksgiving dinner to rushing around purchasing last minute supplies and packing. I received my Eagle Creek ORV Trunk on Friday (thanks to Sarah at Austin-Lehman in Montana for hurrying to FedEx on the day before Thanksgiving to send it to me in New York City)! It definitely has a good capacity and I dig the separate storage areas as well as an isolated dirty clothes area at the bottom of the bag. Impressively, I actually packed most of my clothes in it Friday night. I usually throw things in my suitcase on the morning of a trip. Then again, most of my trips aren’t 2 week long complex and active adventures.

Every store was overrun with bargain hunters this weekend but I still managed to find all of the remaining items on my list (save one)! Since it is now winter in New York, it was pretty much impossible to find a decent selection of shorts! As is to be expected, there are weight restrictions for luggage on all of the flights I am taking. Between JFK and Cape Town the restrictions are typical – 2 pieces of checked luggage weighing no more than 50 lbs each is allowed per passenger. However, the smaller planes for our flight to the remote game reserve where we will be going on safari are a little more strict. You can check only one soft-sided suitcase or duffel bag with a maximum weight of 44lbs (20 kilograms) and bring aboard one small carry-on bag (purses and camera equipment count toward this). Not only do I pack at the last minute, but I typically overpack – worrying about whether or not I’ll need something once I get to my destination. I also plan to do some shopping while I’m in Africa so I can bring back souvenirs for my family and friends, so I didn’t know how I would be able to handle the weight restriction. Carmin set my mind at ease by assuring me that we can safely store extra bags in Johannesburg and just take a small bag with us containing enough clothes and supplies for the safari portion.

Thanks to the packing list in the wonderful pre-trip planning document Carmin sent me, I had an easy time packing just the things I needed. I knew exactly how many pairs of shorts, pants, and t-shirts to pack as well as whether I’d need other clothes for dinner in the evenings or a swimsuit. According to the document, the majority of clothes I need are for active days. Specifically recommended were loose light-weight fabrics, quick-dry pants with zip-off legs as they’re ideal for changing weather conditions and a quick-dry long sleeve shirt for protection from the sun and for cooler mornings and evenings. Only a couple of semi-formal outfits are necessary for dinners in Cape Town. Bright colors are not recommended on safari, but I was surprised to read that white is not suggested apparently this is mostly due to how dusty and dirty the safari tents tend to become. Mostly khaki/neutral colored clothing is advised to help blend in to the environment the idea being we can get closer to and spend longer watching the animals in their daily routine if we don’t stand out. Unfortunately, most of my clothing is black (I sound like a true New Yorker, don’t I?), but Carmin tells me blacks and blues are no-no’s on safari because they attract insects, especially tsetse flies that, as Carmin says, “pack a mean bite!” Yikes!

Speaking of bugs and bites, one thing everyone was having a lot of fun giving me a hard time about was all the different shots they thought I’d have to get for my trip. Thankfully, no vaccinations are necessary to travel to South Africa from North America. ALA recommends that anyone traveling internationally have an up to date tetanus shot and consult with a doctor or local travel clinic for professional advice. Malaria does occur in parts of South Africa and our 4 days in the Greater Kruger Area takes us into the malaria zone, so we’ll be taking malaria prophylaxis before embarking on safari.

One of the most important items I had to purchase this weekend was a plug adapter because sockets in South Africa are different (three-prong with circular metal pins and one large grounding pin). Electrical voltage is also different at 220 – 240-volts in Southern Africa compared to 110-volts in North America. Luckily, my laptop and camera charger both work on dual-voltage. My laptop will barely keep me company on this flight, however, since it is 22 hours (JFK – JNB – CPT) and there are no power outlets in coach. I stocked up on reading materials today!

I can’t believe I am departing tomorrow! I am both excited and a little sad. I am sad to be away from my sister (Val!), boyfriend (Justin), and our puppies (Ruby and Eve) for 2 weeks. It’s the longest time I’ve ever been apart from Justin since we began dating 3 years ago. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder so I am sure both Val! and Justin will be thrilled to see me when I return the gifts I plan to bring back for them probably won’t hurt either. Why I am excited is obvious, I’m sure! I know I am going to have a great time and do so many new things. I’ll also get to share my experience with everyone reading this blog, which is enormously important to me. Thank you for your comments so far. The journey is just about to begin, and I am really thankful you’re along for the ride.

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