– Last Updated on: 8th September 2015

A girl’s guide to packing for the bush

Getting ready for the bush when you are a lady of leisure, can be challenging. Although getting a salon-approved blowout in the middle of the bush won’t necessarily be an option if you have limited power supply, following these packing tips will help to make your African journey an adventure of a lifetime.

Number 1 on the packing list is sunscreen! Sunscreen, sunscreen and some more sunscreen. If you don’t want to look like a little reptile shedding its skin after your holiday in the bush – remember this very important item.

A very good addition to sunscreen is a large sun hat shielding you from the scorching sun. Wear it around camp or while on a game drive and add a little mystery to your look. Whether you are into the old but faithful safari hats or if it came straight from the Paris catwalk, a hat is another essential item.
While packing space is limited when you are on safari – guest are asked to limit their luggage to 15kg – you can easily prioritise by sorting items like toiletries in individual Ziploc bags. This will make packing easier and keeps your make-up and other bits and bobs in place.
First-aid items should include anti-septic cream, bandages, allergy pills, the Imodium or similar anti-diarrhoea medicine (very important).
While you are on your game drives, you will have the occasional bathroom breaks along the way – remember to pack an extra roll of toilet paper in your day bag as not all of the public restrooms are stocked. Paper soap will also come in handy – you can find it at most pharmacies and comes in a convenient little holder.

When camping, having good light at night is vital. Consider a good headlight or portable solar chargeable lamp.
During the day, it can get extremely hot and you will wish for a cold shower to cool down, however at 7 am in the morning this will not sound so cool anymore. Most campsites won’t have warm water, unless you are doing our Mobile Explorer camping. A good idea is to go for a shower when you arrive at your campsite for the night. Take some flip-flops with you which you can wear in the shower and which will dry easily.
A good idea is to take a couple of plastic carrier bags to the shower with you, one for your toiletries and one for your clothes. This will make life easier when you go for a shower as normally there is no place to put your things. The bags you can easily hang over the door handle and throw away when you are done.

If you like to put on a little make up in the morning, a small compact mirror will do the trick. After you are done, wrap it in your towel before putting it in your bag to keep it from breaking.
For clothing, try to pack a variety of items. Loose and light clothing for the day and longer pants and light sweaters for night. Long-sleeved clothing will keep mosquitoes from biting. Same for footwear; comfortable sandals for the day and closed shoes for night. Remember a rain jacket!
Pack a good mosquito repellent. Our tents all have mosquito netting, but you need the spray for early mornings and around sunset when mozzies are most active.
If you have a bit of trouble sleeping at night, an iPod will help to relax your mind. Put some calming music on or an audio book which you can listen to at night.