Complete Safari Packing List
The golden rule here is to pack as lightly as possible.
You don't want to be stuck with a lot of heavy baggage that you might not use anyway.
Space will be at a premium in the safari vehicle and in
some of your accommodations so with that in mind, the safari packing list below will help you to pack only the
necessary and correct items.
It may look long at first glance but depending on your personal circumstances
and the type of trip you are going on some of the items won't be applicable to you and you can safely ignore them.
The safari packing list is based on the advice and recommendations from all the trip reports over the years at African Safari Journals and my own experience in packing for the dozens of safaris that I have been on.
SAFARI GEAR
- There are specific clothing mistakes that many people often make when they go on safari. Find out how to avoid them...
- Safari hats must do three things well to be effective.
- Clothing in neutral colours: khaki, light brown/green, tan. Avoid bright colours & white for improved game viewing.
- A safari jacket is a very handy accessory to take with on your trip.
- Comfortable non-synthetic short- and long sleeved safari shirts (2 or 3 of each)
- Comfortable non-synthetic shorts and long trousers (2 or 3 of each)
- About 5 sets of underwear
- Pyjamas
- Swimming costume
- Flip-flops or sport sandals (public showers, airing feet)
- Comfortable
hiking/walking shoes (not white). These are very important on a walking safari.
- About 5 pairs of socks
- Extra shoelaces
SAFARI SUPPLIES
Some of these supplies might be available in the first
aid kit that every safari company should carry but make sure before leaving them
off your safari packing list.
- Insect repellent/
Mosquito Coil
 (do not use coils in
a tent)
-
Mosquito netting - Your safari company might supply these so find
out from them
first
- Sunblock and after sun lotion
-
Travel Towel
 -
A travel towel is light and takes very little space
- Skin cream
- Malaria tablets
(very important)
- Citronella or other body soap/shower gel
-
Sunglasses.
Make sure they have polarised lenses.
- Biological Water Filtration Bottle
 or you can stick to the bottled water
- Wet wipes/hand sanitizer or no-water/antibacterial soap – very handy in the
safari vehicle.
-
Pocket Knife
 (Swiss/Leatherman type)
- Small scissors, if not on your Leatherman/Swiss knife
- Toothbrush/toothpaste/dental floss
- 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner
- Tweezers
- Lip balm
- Q-tips & cotton balls
- Razor & shaving cream/gel
- Birth control (enough to last your trip)
- Sanitary requirements (shops are sometimes few and far between, and very basic)
- Contact lens solution & extra set of disposable lenses
- Band aids & moleskin
- Vitamins
- Painkiller
- Antiseptic cream
- Motion sickness tablets
- Heartburn remedy
- Anti-diarrhoea medicine
- Re-hydration salts
- Pen/pencil
- Small unbreakable mirror
- Plastic bags (wet washing/muddy shoes/organise clothes in suitcase)
- Small compass
- Deck of cards/travel size game
- Book to read between game viewing and other leisure time
- String/rope (washing line, tying sleeping bag, multitude of uses!!)
- Cold/flu tablets
- Allergy remedy
- Some people take a basic antibiotic in case
- Sterile needles (in case you need an injection and don’t trust the hygiene conditions)
- Prescribed medicine (enough to last your trip)
SAFARI LUGGAGE
- The thing to remember when choosing safari luggage
 is mobility. You will
probably be moving between several different modes of transport (airplanes,
cars, light aircraft, trucks, boats) so plan accordingly. - Suitcases
with wheels don't work very well in the African bush but they are adequate if
you don't mind carrying them. (A good safari company will probably have
someone on hand to carry your luggage for you).
- A
daypack
is very handy to transport the items you need while driving around
in the safari vehicle or walking through the bush
-
Cabelas has a vast selection of excellent safari luggage and daypacks. Just
enter the search term luggage in the top left hand corner of their
webpage to find the right one
SAFARI EQUIPMENT
-
Safari Binoculars.
Essential for a successful trip. No safari packing list is complete without
them
-
Flashlight or
headlamp
- Camera & film (can be expensive and/or difficult to obtain) & extra flash batteries and lens cleaner
- If taking a digital camera: memory stick(s)/data card(s), charger and extra batteries
- Small bean bag to substitute a tripod
-
Sleeping Bag
if on a camping safari (may be supplied by safari company so check first)
-
Travel pillow, or you can use your polar fleece/windbreaker
- Small calculator (or if you're taking your mobile phone) for currency calculations
- Money belt
- Washing powder/travel soap for laundry
- Plug adaptors - generally in Africa it's 3-prong round or square
- Lighter/waterproof matches
- Travel alarm clock
- Mini combination locks (keys get lost)
- Mini sewing kit
DOCUMENTS
- Passport & correct visas
- Emergency phone numbers
- Africa travel insurance policy
- The African Safari Journals travel dairy book - to write your journal and record the wildlife you see.
Also includes a hard copy
safari
packing list
- Guide book(s) covering the area you're visiting – it should include animals/birds pages for easy identification
- Your itinerary
- Addresses and mobile numbers (postcards/e-mails/texts)
- Any vaccinations certificates
- International Youth Hostel card (depending on your type of trip and accommodation)
- Phone card and international access numbers
- Extra passport photos
- Copy of your passport, kept in a separate place than your passport
- Copy of marriage certificate, if applicable especially if you recently tied the knot
- Medical history
- Copies of prescriptions
- Small stickers to label your used films
Follow this safari packing list and you will never have to worry about the frustration of
leaving something behind or taking something that you won't need on your
African safari.
Print the safari packing list out and tick the items off as you go along to
make sure you don't miss anything.
If you're planning to do a self guided camping safari, find out what to take from our camping checklist.
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