Help with camera bag/purse needs while traveling on Africa safari
 

My daughter and I will be at Sausage Tree Camp, Royal Livingstone, Camp Jabulani and then Londolozi next July. We will each have a camera, two lenses, Ipad and wallet to carry on the plane. I'm trying to decide if I should try to find a camera bag that holds everything and plan on always having it with me which seems combersome for some activities. Or should I plan on two separate carry on bags, a camera bag and purse type bag for my wallet, passport, tickets, etc.

Will either bag be safe in our rooms while using the other for the various activities such as canoe trips, game drives, hot air balloon ride, dinner at night and so forth? How have others done this? Any suggestions?

One thing to remember is that, while you are on game drives, you generally have quite a bit of room in the vehicle for "stuff." Unless you are packed in like sardines, with people in the middle seat, you have that middle space for camera bag, monopod, day pack, etc. (I took a very lightweight, fold-up day pack in my suitcase.) So I based my plane carry-on items on what I needed for the flight -- yes, camera equipment, then iPad, wallet/tickets, change of clothing, glasses, etc.

I left things (wallet, passport, tickets, etc.) in the room only if there was a safe -- or sometimes there was a heavy box/trunk that could be locked. I brought my own lock for that purpose. I left my camera in the room at dinner time, either in the locked compartment or just out of sight, without problem.

I generally carried cash on me, either in my ticket/passport case in my day pack on in a under-clothes money/passport belt. (Some people prefer hang-from-neck or hang-from-belt-under-pants.) This is one trip where I was carrying (quite a bit) more cash than I usually do. (I had already pre-allocated my tip money for each camp in envelopes.) But I didn't feel uneasy at any time; you just have to be reasonably careful.

I have a backpack - the one at the Sierra Club store is a great value and is well padded - and a tiny purse for all of those personal things you need that goes into the backpack while in transit. At camps I carry the backpack with all the layers of clothes needed on game drives and binoculars, camera, etc. My husband complains constantly that I am too trusting, but I leave everything not needed in our room - safe or locked box or not. Nothing has ever been stolen. Your camps probably have safes - ask if they do or not. I don't leave stuff out, but I just don't worry enough in most people's view.

Get the accessory for the iPad that let's you transfer photos from your memory card directly to it. We downloaded our photos and videos every evening and looked at them while we had a drink in the bar. It was a nice way to end our day. Hopefully you got the upgraded iPad - I ran out of room half way through.

Like ski above, I use note cards for tips and set aside tips at the beginning of the trip. Don't forget to get lots of money in JNB - that might be the only place to get Rand. You don't need much except for tip money - incidentals can usually be on a credit card, but not always. Again, ask each camp before you go.

My cash, passport, etc. is always inside my clothes in a money belt. If you'll be walking, which is typical in Zambia, a backpack works well. I use an around the waist bag for my camera when I'm walking, but it doesn't have exchangeable lenses.

Nice itinerary!

Like Skibumette, we only leave the key valuables (passport, cash, tickets) in the tent/ room if there's a sturdy safe. Otherwise, we keep them with us during the day.

Whilst we've not experienced theft at a camp, and have always been treated with honour and respect by the staff, it only takes one thief to make a paradise trip into a hellish one.

Our camera rucksacks (we have one each) have space for our cameras and lenses, associated items, some personal items (such as the passports and cash plus tissues, cream, meds and random other handbag items) and sometimes a laptop, though most commonly a PSD.

They are also lockable and we take decent padlocks with us, so if we leave the rucksacks in the room during dinner, we do lock them during that time. We realise that a determined thief can simply take the whole bag, but that may be harder to do surreptitiously. Locking the bags at least stops the opportunistic theft where something small but valuable is slipped into a pocket.

As I said, it's not about any particular distrust of staff, but simply how we'd protect valuables anywhere.

In fact, in London where we live, one only has to turn one's back for a few moments and a bag of valuables can disappear in the blink of an eye.

What we sometimes do is have two slightly different sized camera rucksacks. When we need to take most of our gear out, for drives, we take both, splitting our gear between them as is convenient.

For the occasional bush walks where we want to carry less, we can share the smaller bag and both put just the bare minimum in there that we need.

We use lowepro bags but there are many other great brands.

I always take everything in my camera bag with me when I'm traveling. Passport/tickets would stay in the tent when I'm away on a game drive, but cash goes with me in the bag.

I'm just used to keeping my photo bag with me at all times.
I fit the ipad in there as well, although that is really stuffing the bag.

If you can take 2 bags on the plane instead of one I would definitely do that. Main reason for me to take 1 is cause that's the rules :)

Two things:

-- you can take a camera bag AND your personal bag on the plane by placing both inside a small folding duffel bag (try Baggallini)

http://shop.baggallini.com/baggallin.../121644/285424

-- we used LowePro sling style camera bag, which worked to hold everything.

http://products.lowepro.com/catalog/Products,1.htm

On a recent trip I was happy with my luggage choices. For cameras etc. I used an Eagle Creek roll-aboard with a detachable light back-back. On the plane, the main compartment of roll-aboard held two cameras, binoculars, medications, and other stuff I could not afford to lose from 25" bag that was in the hold of the plane. Back pack held things for the long flight -- noise cancelling headphones, kindle, slippers etc. I also took a tiny baggalleni with credit cards, passport, lip balm, tissues etc. On the safari, I switched out the two carry-on pieces and used the backpack for cameras, binocs, hats, gloves, sun screen etc. while in the vehicle. Baggalleni and kindle (also husband's i-pad) remained in safe in room.

http://products.lowepro.com/product/...ck,1922,16.htm

The Compu-Daypack might be the right one for your needs. Holds camera and notebook.