impacked

In August we are going to Uganda to see the gorillas. I have read all the great postings for packing but still need some help. I've read that most people leave their clothes behind which is a wonderful suggestion but we are going on to Kenya to do a walking safari. Will our shoes survive the gorilla trekking and should we take 2 sets of clothing, one for each country?
Thanks for any thoughts!

impacked

And, what do people usually wear in the evening?

Thanks again!

atravelynn

I've worn other clean safari clothes in the evening.

My boots have always survived the gorilla treks and returned home for a long life. So have my clothes, except when an iron was applied to that fancy thin water resistant fabric used for adventure wear. I've taken my laundered clothes onto the next location.

August will not be as muddy as some months during the rainy season. Rain can occur anytime in the rainforest, though.

You mention 2 sets of clothes. I always take 2 types of footware that I can use for gorilla treks because footware is so critical to benefitting from that $500 investment you made in the permit. I was with a guy whose heel came off once and this was from new boots. He was able to hobble down the mountain, but was in bad shape for his next gorilla visit. (And he was planning on climbing Kili too in those boots.) If you get a blister or something happens with the first set of boots, it is good to have at least sturdy tennis shoes for the next outing.

impacked

That helps so much, thank you! My husband kept saying he thought we should take 2 pair of shoes. He'll be glad to know he has now convienced me (hee hee).

Regarding eve wear- I just found (in my closet) an old India wrinkle skirt that I can wad up and stuff a shoe.

ndonna

August is a great time for gorilla trekking in Uganda. We were there last year at the very beginning of Sept. and had the most amazing time of our lives. It rained each day in the late afternoon, but never for our treks. We wore a good pair of hiking boots from REI and had no problem. This was my only pair of shoes that I wore for the entire trip and never had a problem. A back up is not a bad idea. You are in for the most wonderful time of your life. Enjoy each moment and put it deep into your long term memory. One bit of advice. Be sure to wear a hat if you are headed up the mountain. Garden gloves will be a necessity too. Where are you staying? Enjoy.

impacked

Thanks, donna for your suggestions. We have just returned from Rei with some very comfy and lightweight hiking shoes and plan to start using them early tomorrow morn. While Gorilla trekking we will be at the Gorilla REsort.

ndonna

impacked,

As far as the evening clothes. We wore our safari clothes at night. I did not take any regular clothes due to the weight restrictions and I found this to be my biggest regret. On my next trip I will make sure to take comfortable clothes for the evenings. I would say they should be casual and comfortable. I can't remember how cool it was in the evenings but I can remember every detail about the gorillas...imagine that.

Tip: If you are heading up the mountain on one of your treks...do not give up. It is a hard trek but well worth it. Be sure to get a porter. They are amazing and will literally push and pull you up the mountain. I couldn't have made it without them. Our first trek was up the mountain, but the gorillas came to us on the second day and we just had to walk down the road. You will love it.

impacked

Thanks, again for your suggestions. We are both so excited and are trying to educate ourselves about gorillas- we just rented an IMAX movie last night on SilverBacks. Do you have any other suggestions for reading? I have the Diane Fossey book.

At the risk of sounding shallow - I never look my best when I travel so if I have something kinda cute to wear occassionaly I fell better. Think the shirt and a long T would be good?

For Sure we will hire a porter but have also been working out and/or hiking 6 days a week trying to prepare ourselves.

Thanks, again.

cat_lover

Rgarding Evening Wear: I took some long draw-string black yoga pants and two very lightweight cotton printed wraps that could either go around my shoulders or my waist (over the pants) to look more like a skirt. These wraps also went over bathingsuits and were nice for cooler evenings. One thing to remember is mosquitos. My friend took some cute crinkle skirts/tank dresses but because of the biting bugs I was better off with the pants. I even wore socks with my teva sandals to keep the bug bites at a minimum (this is not necessary during the day). It was the absolute worst fashion disaster, but effective!

A second pair of boots to consider taking would be rubber wellies. They won't have the support that your hiking boots will offer, but if it's really muddy or your hiking boots are damaged, they'd be a good second choice. They're inexpensive and giving them to your guide (or whomever at Bwindi before you leave) would be very appreciated. These are the boots that the rangers and porters wear, so extras can always be used by someone.

Lastly, we stayed at the Gorilla Resort where laundry services were included. The staff cleaned our muddy boots so well they looked like they were fresh from the store!!!

impacked

That's Cat Lover, for some reason I did not even take into consideration the mozzies!
BTW, I LOVED your report and apprecaite all the good tips and enjoyable read!

cat_lover

You're quite welcome! This forum was critical in the planning our trip, so I'm happy to repay the favor.
You have an amazing trip to look forward to, best wishes for a flawless safari.

Drum_Africa_Tours

Hi Impacked,

Wow it sounds amazing... So Gorilla's in the mist-ish. I am sure you are going to have a great time.

Please tell me more about your walking safari in Kenya afterwards? Where are you going?

Sorry always been nosy and interested in other people plans :0)

impacked

http://www.ecoafrica.com/african/saf...ingSafari.html
Here is the web site. When we leave the walking safari we will head to Meru to met an old friend (a cab driver we met 15 years ago on our first trip to Kenya) and visit his family and kid's school.

We are so very excited about the entire trip.

Drum_Africa_Tours

Thanks,

It really looks wonderful, I am sure you will have a great holiday.

Enjoy and we are looking forward to the report.

impacked

Yes, it does sound great and am sure we will have a wonderful time,
thanks.

BTW I sent the wrong link for our walking safari
http://www.porini.com/adventure-safa...safaris-2.html