What to carry in your backpack on a trip to Africa
Aragon Zai-photographer and adventurer, has taken a trip of a month touring South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia and we resolve the main concerns of a trip like this: What I carry in my backpack?
Let happened to his words to enlighten us:
Experience has shown me that not very full backpack bring you more prepared for the trip, but quite the opposite: the more weight and more packages useless, unless you move, and that is not what we want in a trip, do yes?
A breakdown below my baggage that I carried in my backpack for a month to travel to Africa, even though the same material can be used for any journey that is made somewhere with warm weather.
My pack the filling:
- A band-aid kit, mini scissors, gauze, iodine, antihistamines and serum for dehydration.
- Clothing: four shirts, two pants, two shorts, a sweatshirt, a bikini, underwear, sneakers and two pairs of flip flops.
- Cap or hat.
- Special travel towel: they are very light and dry quickly.
- Alarm Clock.
- Travel Guide and a book about the area for inspiration.
- Mini-bar bag to get a sandwich and energy bars or other snack.
- A knife. Very useful for peeling fruit and many other things (if you are flying do not forget to check the backpack)
- 2 cameras with their respective objectives, chargers, filters …
- A waterproof.
- Sleep Kit: inflatable pillow, earplugs and masks. You never know where you are going to have to sleep, so you better be prepared.
- Toilet paper and gel for washing hands without water.
- Bag.
- Sunglasses, sunscreen and repellent. Do not leave home without it.
- A notebook.
- A pepper spray (Note: in Africa uses is legal, but find out if you go to another site)
It is also advisable to carry a day pack folded inside the other bag (you can put your clothes in there and keep the content and more orderly). When you get to a site would normally stay for more than a day in the same place, and it is very important to go on carrying a huge bag all the time. If you get rid of it and leave it somewhere safe (you room, reception) then you will see that it is very helpful to have thrown the other backpack.
I do this I put in a backpack of 40 liters – who said playing the tetris is useless? – Although I think I’m going to do with a bit bigger because my photographic equipment is growing and now I have to also include a computer. In any case, before you buy a backpack note that much more bigger and more uncomfortable you will be filled.