How to Pack for a Safari (Without Overpacking)

Safari packing is constrained by two hard limits: light aircraft baggage allowances, and the fact that you will be in a vehicle for six hours a day in dust and heat.

The colour rule is real, and it is about insects

Avoid dark blue and black. Tsetse flies are attracted to them. Khaki, olive, sand and light neutrals are the practical choice as well as the traditional one. Bright white is a bad idea for dust, and camouflage patterns are illegal in several African countries.

Three of everything

Three shirts, three pairs of trousers, three sets of underwear, two pairs of shoes. Laundry is available at almost every lodge and camp, often same-day, and it is usually cheap. Nobody on a safari has ever wished they had brought more luggage.

What actually matters

• A lightweight, wide-brimmed hat that stays on in an open vehicle
• Binoculars — one pair per person, not shared
• Sunscreen and lip balm with SPF, reapplied at lunch
• A dust-proof bag for camera gear
• A headlamp with a red-light mode for camp at night
• Any prescription medication in original packaging

The forgotten item

A soft-sided duffel. Hard cases will not fit in the baggage pod of a Cessna Caravan, and you will be repacking on the airstrip. Buy the duffel before you fly.

Camera kit

A 100–400mm zoom covers most situations, and a second body saves you swapping lenses in the dust. Bring more memory cards than you think you need and a way to back up each evening. Batteries charge slowly on generator power; bring a power bank.