Backpacking Africa: A Comprehensive Guide – The Ultimate Safari Packing List for East Africa: What We Packed in a Backpack for 3 Weeks in Africa!
I must admit, I spent more time thinking about what to pack for our three-week safari adventure in East Africa than I care to admit. I was very deliberate about every item we packed, because it felt like we had to be. This was my third trip to East Africa and what I love about it is that it is so diverse. It has beaches and mountains and savannas and everything in between! On this trip, we went gorilla trekking in Uganda, took several safari game drives in parks in both Uganda and Tanzania, and spent relaxing days on the beach in Zanzibar. And we did it all packed in backpacks because we had several short plane flights because we were told limited bag sizes and weights. Finally, with three trips under my belt, I think this is the ultimate safari packing list. It will cover everything you need for your bucket list trip so you’ll have everything you need and be able to pack a carry on!
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The Ultimate Safari Packing List for East Africa: What We Packed in a Backpack for 3 Weeks in Africa!
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Before we get into any specifics, here are some tips that I keep in mind when packing and hope they help you too!
Most travel companies will tell you to limit your luggage. If you’re flying small planes for domestic flights, you’ll be limited to soft-side luggage with weight restrictions. This weight restriction is usually somewhere around 15kg or 33 pounds or more. This is because many flights on small planes involve weight and balance that must be kept in mind.
However, we checked several Safari Link flights and thought we might be the ones following this rule. I started asking around, and there is little wiggle room on the weight restrictions. If your bag is overweight, they will charge you extra. But it depends on the gate agent’s decision.
I have no regrets about packing light. We felt like we had everything we needed for three weeks because we packed so strategically. I’m a recovered over packer so it’s nice to know I can pack a backpack and travel.
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Remember Garanimals from before? They were basically mix and match clothes. One piece can be worn with another and another to create many different outfits. Creating mix-and-match outfits is one way you can pack light and have everything you need.
When you think of Safari, you automatically think of color palettes, don’t you? You know, khakis, greens, tans. While on safari you don’t want to stand out, blend in and this is easy to do if you stick to this neutral color palette.
In East Africa, the tsetse fly is relentless. Ask me how I know! They bite and are attracted to blue and black colors. In our safari truck, there was one day that was worse than others. I find that I have less trouble and wear olive green. The boys were dressed in khakis and grays, and both were in a lot of trouble. This was obviously a highly scientific study, but that’s what I found. Take that information and do what you will.
I had brought a white shirt and a light colored shirt. It is often said not to bring them because they get dirty quickly. That is true. I did a lot of laundry in the lodge sink. There’s a lot of dirt on the safari! Laundry is usually included or offered for about $1 per item, so it’s not a huge deal.
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I would say though, avoid black stuff. This was difficult because most of the travel items I own are black. However, in East Africa, the black fly attracts but it also attracts heat and it can get hot!
One last thing to note, in many African countries, camo is illegal for anyone not in the military. You might think it helps you blend in, but honestly, it makes you stand out. Do not bring your camo clothing on safari or visiting any country in Africa.
Our trip was three weeks long combining several stops. We started in Uganda and went on gorilla trekking, chimp trekking, boat safaris and planned game drives. Then we went to Tanzania where we went on more game drives and a hot air balloon ride in the Serengeti. We finished our trip in Zanzibar with a little rest on the beach.
If your trip doesn’t include all of these activities, there will be some items you can substitute. I’ll mention them as I lay out our full packing list below.
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As I mentioned earlier, many short safari flights have baggage limits. Most will tell you that your luggage needs to be on the soft side and that your weight will be limited. We did a lot of research for a bag. Mainly because we wanted something we could use for many adventures, not just this one.
We settled on a backpack style. We found the Osprey packs to be superior to some of the other packs we looked at. And they had a gender-specific style that was made to fit each body better.
We purchased the 55L Osprey Farpoint and the 55L Osprey Fairview. These are basically 40L packs that include a 15L day pack that separates.
When we checked in on our long international flight, we were told that we needed to check our bags. Not sure why. I saw a lot of other people with much bigger bags than us, but it was fine and it was one less thing to walk on our long distance in Doha. We were able to fit everything we needed overnight into our day pack, including a change of clothes, all our documents, and our toiletries.
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During our gorilla trekking trip, we took our day pack and it contained our camera equipment, water and an extra layer of clothing for each of us.
If you have a favorite day pack or want to keep costs down, you can buy a 40L bag for travel.
When you’re ready, you can purchase the Osprey 13L Daypack separately. The day pack actually clips into the backpack, which makes carrying it really seamless, so I recommend getting both, so it’s perfect for an early splurge so it all comes together.
You want a small backpack that you can easily take with you on long safari game drives or hiking days. Something that can hold water bottles, your camera gear and any extra stuff you need for the day. As I mentioned, our luggage had day packs that came with them. We used it.
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I have a Lululemon belt bag. This is now my go-to bag, especially for travel. It easily holds a wallet, my passport, sunglasses and other small items I need for the day like a charger.
My husband had this cross-body bag. He usually carries more things and finds himself carrying more things than he wants to bring with him.
Many airlines have stickers for one personal item, so you’ll want to make sure any small bags can fit your personal item as well. Belt bags can easily fit into our day packs if we need them.
Packing light requires packing cubes. They help you stay organized and make it easy to keep items separate in your duffle or backpack. I have been using packing cubes for years. It was my husband’s first trip with them. He may convert!
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Shoes are the thing that takes up the most space when you are packing. It is important to pack only what you need. We were gorilla and chimp trekking, so we needed hiking boots. We’re glad we got it. However, if you’re not hiking, and only have game drives planned, I don’t see the need for hiking boots. Save space and leave it behind!
For girls: I did a lot of research and bought these hiking boots. They are a great entry-level boot for under $75. Great if you can find them on sale around $50 like I did!
Pro-tip: Break in your shoes before you go! You don’t want to pack anything that will hurt you and won’t be comfortable to wear on rotation!
Since my hiking boots are heavy, I decided to wear them on the plane and on the day of travel. It wasn’t always my favorite choice, but it worked.
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Tip: For trekking, it is often recommended to bring gaiters. I was under the impression that our travel company had them. They didn’t. However, we did not lose them. We rolled our pants into our hiking socks and were safe from ants and other bugs. That
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