stakerk

We have studied several packing list threads (and as you will see plagiarized LyndaS's list, by the way where is that trip report?)
Have come up roughly with the following almost complete list:

-Daypack for plane (leave with tour operator in Nairobi)
-Panasonic PV-GS35 camcorder with 30X zoom (wife and adult children each with a camera, bought Digital Rebel for daughter for college graduation)
-extra camcorder battereis and other camcorder stuff (tapes, lense cleaning thing, etc.)
-Apacer CP300 portable DVD/CD burner (too cheap to buy Epson P-whatever)
-Monopod like device that rests on chest in bottom of strap around chest (will try next Saturday at San Diego Wild Animal Park, travel pillow as bean bag will probably be better)
-Passport and Kenya visa
-travel pillow (use as bean bag for resting camcorder on safari vehicle)
-Ambien for going to sleep after takeoff from LAX at 3 pm
- malaria meds. (Malarone)
- lots of US cash (had to pull strings with banking executive friend to get new) for tips and souvenirs, about $2,200
-immunization booket
-Cipro (in case of Jomo Kenyatta’s revenge)
-Malarone
- Garmin Vista GPS with downloaded East Africa map (have been having fun playing with already)
-Flying Doctors confirmation email
-Paperback books re Africa (Flame Trees of Thika, etc.)
-a small notebook to keep a journal (especially to help write a hopefully acceptable trip report)
-GSM cell phone (will have Southern Cross buy us a Kenya Celtel SIM card, have used phone twice in Europe)

-“Rocco” Vest (Humvee Safari vest from LAPDpolicegear.com) packed in checked duffle bag, move daypack contents into morning we leave Nairobi and fly on AirKenya to Samburu with 33 lb. weight limit. Also move following from duffle into vest:
-Canon 10x30 Image Stabilization binoculars (these are awesome! Used at Hollywood Bowl last week and could see the warts on Kenny Loggins’ face)
- small maglight flashlight (AA)
-head lamp for reading at night (AA)
-extra Energizer e-lithium AA batteries (8 - expensive but long lasting)
- wide brimmed hat
- Oakley wrap around sunglasses (sorry we did not have time for golf at Aberdare Country club, would have been fun to shoo the baboons off the greens)
- UK plug adapter plug plus 3 socket extension cord for rechargers of camera, camcorder, and mobile DVD burner batteries
-power inverter for safari vehicle for extra charging if get aced out on camp office generator plugs


-Regular suitcase: Medium duffle bag without wheels

-extra duffle bag for carry on luggage and beach stuff to leave in Nairobi with Southern Cross
-socks x5
- underwear x5
- pants x2
- shorts x2
- t-shirts x3
- long sleeve x2
- fleece jacket
- scarf/bandana x2
- capilene thermal underwear for sleeping and balloon ride in the Mara
- walking shoes
- casual shoes for plane
- flip flops for shower and beach
- long sleeve casual dinner shirts x2
- 1 pack-in-pocket pouch rain poncho
-gloves for balloon ride
-swim trunks
-workout shorts and tank top
-mosquito net for hat?
-safety goggles for dusty roads?

- gifts for schools: 3 sets: kid's colorful pencils, stickers, word and arithmetic flashcards
-Gifts for guides (Tan Nike cap and bright blue LA Dodgers baseball cap, presents for their kids, such as writing journals my creative 26 year old daughter has made) x 2,
-Official World Cup soccer ball (one for staff at each place) x3
- clothes packed in ziploc baggies to avoid dust (although we are flying from place to place on AirKenya)
- copy of passport, Visa and itinerary
-photocopies of credit cards and number to call if lost or stolen
-Audubon Society - Field Guide to African Wildlife
-duct tape wrapped around Sharpie marker
-travel size game (Scrabble or Yahtzee)
-kitchen trash bag for laundry
-braided clothes line
-hot chocolate mix (instant breakfast also?), we do not drink coffee

Toiletries: razors, soap,shampoo,deodorant,toothbrush,toothpaste,lotio n
- insect repellent (40% deet)
suntan lotion and sun protection lip balm.
*eye drops (to wash out grit), even doctor prescribed antibiotic eye drops
-wipems (Cottonelle wet folded wipes in lieu of toilet paper and hand wash)
-smaller ziploc bags for same
small selection of bandaids
antibiotic cream (e.g. polysporin)
caladryl anti-itch
aspirin and ibrupofen
imodium tablets (upset stomach/anti diarrhea)
gas-x
travel packs of kleenex
some broad-spectrum cold medication tablets (you never know.....)
Benedryl allergy/antihistamine medication tablets (just in case an allergy shows up!)
travel laundry detergent
pepto bismol tablets (lots, take one a day)

________________________
Marisa 26 year old daughter (she loves her Rocco vest)
Digital Canon Rebel XT (wow! What a great camera! I know this is a rudimentary camera for you pros but for us newbies it is awesome)
75mm-300mm lense
we bought also a wider angle lense
UV and polarizing filters
2 extra batteries
_________________
Sean- 18 year old son
Canon Rebel Film camera (6 rolls of 200 film and 18 rolls of 400)

________________________
Wife, Mari
Canon SD500 basic digital camera

stakerk

P.S. Thanks for any advice and thanks for the generous help given to us so far. Especially want to thank Jasher and thit_cho who suggested we go to the Mara and Sandi for her great help at the beginning.

LyndaS

I'm writing, I'm writing Kevin! Just a quick break to read some posts, and then back I go!

Your list looks good, just a few comments-
-if you have something to charge that isn't dual voltage you will need a converter to go with the adaptor. The extra outlet plug strip you mentioned came in very handy on our safari.
-To me, 3 t-shirts would be a litle light - I'd go with 4 and then give up one of the casual dinner shirts.
-Sandi convinced me to give up the mosquito net for the hat, and I didn't miss it a bit - I don't think I would have used it - most of the lodges had mosquito nets on the bed (and for good reason).
-the gloves for the balloon ride - well, I took them, but they didn't see the light of day from my vest pocket. It really wan't that cold - even at 5 in the morning.
-the safety goggles for the road, although bulky, may be a good idea! We did alright without them, but it sure is dusty from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti. We kept closing our windows every time a vehicle passed and that worked.
- I'm just not convinved a travel pillow would make a good stabilizer - possibly one with not much air in it maybe, but I would think a plain cloth square sewn up on three sides, and zipped on the other would be better. It would be easy to get rice or beans to fill it once you are there, and if you are not into sewing zippers on, then take a ziplock to put the beans in and then slip it into the pouch and close it with those neat little stick-on velcro tabs.
-all the lodges and camps we stayed at had at least shampoo - that could save a lb right there!
- I didn't use much kleenex, one pack would have done - but, we DID use all of the cold medication tablets, and most of the antihistimine, the bandaids, the anti-itch (caladryl) and neosporin.
- I brought both the 'slather on' and wipe on insect repellent - those wipe on packages were used lots - I never used the bottled one. The packages were convenient to throw in my vest.

Camera equipment sounds great! I'm back to writing now.....

sandi

Kevin -

Boy, time sure creeps up, and your safari is almost here. Glad to have been of help when you needed it.

The list first appears long, until one realizes it's 4-people traveling. Since Lynda covered so much and you worked with that... looks like you're set to go!

cybor

Hi Kevin,
Very exciting, indeed.
How long are you going and what's your itinerary? Will you be hiking/activities etc.
Sherry

lifelist

The hot chocolate is probably unnecessary. Every place I stayed in Tanzania had Milo or hot chocolate mix available in addition to fresh fruit juices and tea at breakfast. I imagine it should be the same in Kenya.

If you intend to purchase t-shirts as souvenirs, then the 3 you are taking should be suffficient. I only took 3 and picked up a couple of more as souvenirs.

CarrieS

We brought goggles because we wear contacts, but we never needed them. If you have a decent pair of sunglasses, that should be enough protection.

I wore my gloves and hat on the balloon ride, but I am wimpy when it comes to the cold.

Patty

I think you'll find the mosquito net unnecessary, same with the safety goggles especially considering you're flying everywhere. At minimum, we found that soap and shampoo are provided at camps.

sandi

Not only is the mossie net unnecessary, but the rain poncho. Traveling in August which is winter and rather cold from dusk to dawn, it's not likely there will be mossies. Likewise, it's not likely to rain in August, though a shower can pop up. Camps and lodges have umbrellas should you have to get from where vehicle drops you off and the lodge or camp tent.

While I purchased a mossie net to cover a hat years ago (though never used for OZ), it's small and always been in pocket of my safari vest... but I no longer even take my vest on safari.

Two lightweight items, but neither are necessary.

Leely

I don't think you'll need the clothesline or the trash bag for laundry.

I also wouldn't bother with workout clothes, but maybe that's just me.

Have a great time! Write a report for the addicts when you come back!

CheetahGirl

Hi!
I have traveled to southern and east Africa eight times and have NEVER visited a camp that didn't supply flashlights in the tents/rooms. That being the case, I don't think you need a flashlight and a headlamp. There's no way you'll use both.

Have a WONDERFUL trip!

Susan

stamiya

In Zambia, we could have used a clothesline for the one camp that didn't do "undies". Also, we did need our small flashlights which were plenty at night (very handy when the electricity went out one night, to find the candles and matches). I would also take at least one more pair of binoculars, since sharing one set among 4 of you will probably leave at least one or two without a good view of an animal that decides to hang around only briefly...

stakerk

<font color="red">Thanks all for the replies<font color="black">:

Lynda: all electrics we are taking are dual voltage I believe.
-did not think mossie net needed
-I am still debating the gloves, I am pretty warm blooded (wife Mari will certainly take) but possibly better to be safe than sorry though
-we are flying from place to place and so sounds like safety goggles not needed on game drives
-our travel pillows are filled with buckwheat so may work as bean bag
-will ditch the shampoo

cybor:
1 night Nairobi, 3 nights Samburu, 4 nights Mara, and 3 nights Lamu,
no hiking, except for hopefully a game walk and walking around Lamu.

Sandi: will ditch poncho

Leely: workout clothes would just be shorts and tank top. I am addicted to exercising (usually biking and personal training stuff) Wife Mari is in to yoga and I have started learning. I will need some exercise. I had thought about going out from camp, finding a lion, giving it a noogie and seeing if I can outrun it but that sounded a bit dangerous. I thought some yoga in our tent during the afternoon siesta might suffice. Also all those calories to burn from the great food.

Susan: I had heard the kerosene lamps or whatever used in tents are annoying. Might want to read some of the great books you folks recommended and so thought headlamp would be good. However, headlamp possibly might attract bugs while walking from dining area to tent at night and so thought a small maglite would suffice.

stamiya: thought clothsline would be good idea for drying undies we will wash. although some have said to just dry over furniture in room.

we are bringing three possibly four pairs of binoculars (a client just thoughtfully gave me a pair she and her now deceased husband had purchased in Sydney for koala viewing)

Thanks all. Please let me know if you have any more suggestions.

Looks like AmyH and her family and my family might get together on Aug. 11 in the Mara (We will be at Little Gov. and they will be the next camp over at Governor's Il Moran)</font></font>

ShayTay

I'd love to see ya give a lion a noogie! You know what they call joggers in Africa? Fast food!

Patty

I'd start with a &quot;softer&quot; adventure like swimming with crocs.

SeeSee

What we found very handy:

1) Thermarest inflatable seat cushion (makes the bumpy ride bearable) and rolls up really small when deflated (bought from REI)

2) Wide brim hat with Stiff brim or Aussie hat (the kind that snaps up on one side). It's windy when you're standing up in the wind, difficult for hat to stay on/see otherwise.

3)Wraparound sunglasses with interchangeable lens (option to switch to clear, yellow/orange) for low light but keeps the dust out of your eyes all day. Smith or Native make good ones.

4) Buff adventure bandanna (it's a continuous tube), with SPF protection and can be used to cover nose/mouth when dusty or on head to keep hair off your face.

5) Small Magna-doodle pads or bring paper or coloring books too. The Maasai kids don't have access to a lot of paper. Magna-doodle is great as the writing pad is totally reusable.

6) Lots of extra zip locks for all kinds of uses. In particular to keep your camera or camcorder in between shots to keep the dust out of the equipment. We had to use a new zip lock every 2 days, it was so dusty.

7) Lots of Purell handiwipe disinfecting wipes. We used lots.

8) Rough Guide Swahili-Englisth dictionary. We brought two and gave them away at the end of the trip to teenage maasai kids so they can use it to learn more English. They were so excited.

9) If anyone has the possible potential of being seasick, bring some dramamine or bonine. Some of the roads are so rough, the car sort of roll like ts on water.

Skip:
* Mosquito net for hat (we brought some and didn't use them)

Have a great trip

SeeSee

Stakerk:

Also, I'd take the headlamp over maglight. Particularly handy if you have to use the bathroom at night, you have two hand free. Also handy for early mornings(a few of the days, we got up at 4:30 am and power didn't come on until 6am) so you can have your hands free to wash up and get ready.

stakerk

SeeSee:

Thanks for the ideas. I had been thinking about the &quot;Buff&quot; instead of a bandana. Also, I have realized I could carry headlamp in hand if walking outside.

SeeSee

Stakerk:

I had both Buff and regular cotton bandannas and the Buff were superior:

* Stretchy so it really stays on your head
* Quick dry material better than cotton
* Lots of options for wearing (check out their website for all the different ways you can wear it)
* Convertible to keep neck warm in the early am/pm and as mask.
* absorb sweat on forehead when hot

They're not cheap but worth the $ in my view. I had two with me and had one on every day for the two weeks on safari.

We also had a Diamond headlamp with both a widebeam, and concentrated &quot;spot&quot; beam option which came in handy to spot animals at night.

Have a fantastic trip! I just got back in June from safari and can't wait to go again...

stakerk

SeeSee:

Was the Swahili dictionary helpful? I thought the folks in the tourist industry all speak English fairly well?

Kevin