Safari Packing List - Top 10 Tips

Author: John Polsi

Source: ezinearticles.com



It's a fact: people bring extraneous items of clothing and accessories whenever they travel. The Pareto law dictates that 20% of our clothing will get 80% of the use, and this applies on vacations. You have booked your safari, now you need to be sure you don't get charged by airlines for extra luggage, or miss that charter flight between safari lodges because you luggage went over the allowed maximum weight limit.

Below are the top 10 tips on packing the essentials for a safari:

Bring 3 outfits for game drives, including 1 pair of pants, 2 pair of shorts and 1 long sleeved shirt and 2 short sleeved shirts. Game viewing clothes should be a neutral color.
Bring one hat (neutral colors are best).
Swimming gear is essential if any of the lodges you stay at have pools.
1 pair of hiking boots/running shoes suitable for walking, luxury travel accessory ,, luxury travel accessory , in the brush, and 1 pair of sandals for relaxing at the lodge.
Bring 2 "evening" outfits -- depending on the caliber of your lodging, this could be anything from a fleece and jeans to khakis, button down shirt and blazer. If your dress casual, you can get away with wearing sandals. Otherwise, bring a pair of dress, luxury travel accessory , shoes.
Pack a travel alarm clock, travel pillow and a deck of cards to play during down time.
Bring a photocopy of your passport and keep in a separate location from your passport in the event it is stolen. Print out all phone numbers, names, locations and email addresses of all lodges and contacts and bring a list of immunizations and or shots you have received for your trip and any visas necessary for entry into foreign countries.
Bring a small amount of medicine, including anti-diarrhea, Advil, antibiotics and of course prevention against malaria.
Digital camera with extra storage, binoculars, mp3 player and a converter/adapter to charge your electronic equipment.
Purchase a couple, luxury travel accessory , books on the, luxury travel accessory , region you are going to. This can include histories of the area,, luxury travel accessory , a travel guide or a guide on the animals, birds and fauna in the area.

Print out this list and be sure you have everything on it. After going through this list, if you have extra space, then you can fill it in with additional luxuries. You will most likely be visiting a couple of different lodges and you don't want to have to lug around 3 pieces of luggage.

John Polsi is an ardent traveler, having gone on safari in African a number of times. He writes about travel in his spare time, and his recent pieces include the safari packing list and best binoculars for safari.

Travel Packing List For Backpackers - The 5 Must-Take Items

Author: Leyla Giray

Source: ezinearticles.com



This travel packing list makes no pretense of being comprehensive. On the contrary - it has five must-take items, and five items only. But these five are things you can't possibly afford to leave behind if you're backpacking.

1. Door lock

Doors in hostels are flimsy things, often too easy to break into or pick, especially when you're inside. Chances are no one will break down your door but the last thing you need is to lose your backpack or precious possessions while you're asleep because someone picked your lock. When your head hits that pillow, it should be all starlight and angels. Finding a portable lock is easy, and most of them are light and easy to carry. Just make sure you test, packing light , it before you, packing light , go. Not all locks fit all doors, however, so just in case, I also travel with a simple backup plan: a rubber doorstop. Just push it into the crack under your door and ward off anyone with sneaky entry ideas.

2. Nail brush

You, packing light , may have one of these lying around - great for cleaning your nails, of course, but for much more too. Backpacking often means long walks through inhospitable terrain - and that in turn usually means mud on your shoes. Use the nail, packing light , brush to scrub your shoes or boots once the mud has dried. Backpackers travel light so you'll be washing clothes often:, packing light , there's nothing like a nail brush and a bit of soap to remove any stains and keep your clothes looking fresh: no more squeezing and rubbing, and goodbye dirt and mud (not to mention clean nails).

3. Universal sink plug

This one works the way it's supposed to - it simply plugs the sink. Hostels and cheap rooms usually have sinks with no plugs: either someone took it, or it wasn't there in the first place. A flat rubber universal plug is light to carry and fits over any sink. Just try to wash your clothes with the water swirling down the drain and you'll understand how important, packing light , this item really is. In fact - why not take two and barter the second one for a good, packing light , book?

4. Dental floss

Don't think of it as dental floss - think of it as string! It's so light you'll never notice you have it with you, and it has dozens of uses. The obvious one is as dental floss, but it's also great as, packing light , a line if you need to catch fish or hang up your wash. You can also use it as a shoelace if one of yours breaks, as sewing thread, to, packing light , do a few repairs or in a pinch (and if you're not squeamish) you can use it as suture. You can even use it to hang up your mosquito net! There are many other uses for it - just don't be caught without it on the road.

5, packing light , . Bandanna

On a recent trip to Panama, this was perhaps my most-used item. Sounds like a silly thing to take along, but, packing light , wait: what else do you have that is so versatile? It's an item of clothing - around your neck, as a headband, a belt, or as a head kerchief. It has plenty of practical uses - a face mask to ward off pollution or an eye mask to keep out the light, a washcloth, a handkerchief or even a small sling. My, packing light , best use for a bandanna is simply to keep cool: I wet it from my water bottle when I'm too hot and tie it around my neck - or mop my face with it. While everyone around me is melting in the tropical sun, I'm slowly cooling off.

Now, I know I promised you five items you should always include on your travel packing list if you're a backpacker - but I know of a sixth one and just can't resist sharing it with you.

A sarong! Or wrap, or longgyi...

You probably have one of these in your closet somewhere, a sarong or beach wrap you bought on a trip to Bali and haven't used since. Shake it out and pack it, because it's one of the most useful items you'll be stuffing into your backpack! It's a skirt, of course, so you can actually wear it out (in many countries, men wear them as much as women). It can also be a shawl, or a head covering if you need one. You can use it as a towel, as a sheet over, packing light , or under you in bed. It can even be a sling if you need it! Pretty good for your travel packing list - and, packing light , not bad for a single item that snuggles at the bottom of your backpack.

I have plenty of items that I consider essential when I backpack, but these are my 5 must-take items - I wouldn't leave home without them.

These five must-take items - all right, six - are just a start. For a complete travel packing list, visit Leyla Giray's website at http://www.women-on-the-road.com/travel-packing-list.html Leyla is a writer and development professional who has traveled solo around the world, including a three-year backpacking journey across Africa and Asia. She knows how to pack.