Traveling in Africa

Jim asked me to jot down a few thoughts regarding travel in Sub Sahara, I don’t feel particularly qualified to do this, but in 1978 my wife and I did travel overland from London to Johannesburg. It seems a long time ago. I managed to find my journal and will take a look at it when I get a chance, for now I will just dredge up my memories (which at my age are somewhat suspect). I had hoped to see what is new out there in the way of “miracle fabrics” while on a recent trip to the Oregon coast, but as luck would have it, I spent most of my time watching the waves roll in.

With virtually every trip I go on, I am reminded that “less is more”, if in doubt I try to leave it at home.

Sahara

When I was in the Sahara I was amazed at how rocky it was, I thought it would be all sand, but it seemed mostly rocks. I am sure it depends where you are. The dust and wash board roads were worse than I had expected. Padding and dust protection for camera equipment are a necessity. I will take the rain covers for my  ThinkTank camera bags, they should provide at least some protection from the dust.

We spent about 2 weeks traveling in the Sahara and during that time most members of our group seemed to develop sores (from cuts) that would not heal on their own. It was only when we arrived at a major town and were able to obtain antibiotics that these cleared up.

For me, the Sahara was probably the best part of our entire Africa trip.

Camping

A small headlamp (with Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries) is always useful, nice to be able to use your hands for something other than holding the light.

When camping in the desert, remember to shake your shoes out before you put them on in the morning, you never know what might have crawled in during the night.

On our Africa trip it was my job to collect wood and make fires most days and I tried to be very aware of where I was stepping in an effort to avoid snakes. I never did see one and was thankful for that. A monopod works well to rattle the bushes and signal your approach. (or just walk behind someone else: )

I was going to take a very thin synthetic sleeping bag, with a silk liner on this trip. However, I used this bag again recently and was again reminded that down bags are so much more pleasant to sleep in, even when it is warm. For me, down bags are not clammy like the synthetics are. With all bags I tend to use them more like a blanket, with my feet stuffed in the end. In any case I will take the silk liner, it is very compact and I will use it alone if the night is warm. The key to staying warm with a light sleeping bag is to make sure your neck and shoulders are covered, this can be accomplished with a light fleece/long underwear top/towel and if needed a wool hat for your head. When we were camping in the desert, it got to be surprising cool at night but only when we were sleeping on cots without using tents, and subject to the evening breezes.

Clothing

Shoes are obviously an important consideration, and the Keens that Karen recommend look like a good solution. I will probably take a pair of approach shoes, they are studier than running shoes and work better on rocky terrain, the down side is that they are warmer and heavier then runners. I feel I need the extra support and stiffer soles, they will only be low cut. Boot hikers are too warm I think.

I like to have a pair of “slip on” shoes whenever I get the chance and for this I tend to use water shoes, they are light, comfy, compact and dry quickly (I add an insole for additional comfort). These are just for lounging around end, not extended walking. I will also use them for some showers.

If it looks like I have lots of room I may take an extra pair of “day to day” shoes mostly because I worry about not being able to buy a decent replacement if something happened to my walking shoes. But I bet I don’t have the room.

Recently I come across a woven elastic belt which offers infinite fine adjustability, just the thing for after a big meal or a week of not eating due to stomach upset.

I like to wear a hat when I am out in the sun, preferably one that offers excellent sun protection, won’t blow away and doesn’t look too dorky. I have a large Columbia hat with a white exterior, large brim, and black underside which I often wear fishing, the only problem is that I look like I should be stooped over in a rice paddy. Any hat that I use must have a flexible brim or one that I can turn around because these days I often shoot with a flash on camera and if the brim is stiff it doesn’t allow room for the flash. At home I use a ball cap and turn it around but that is a poor solution for the desert, since it doesn’t protect the ears and neck.

For jackets I will take a light fleece and a thin/light wind proof jacket, slightly long, with pockets and a hood which folds into collar.

Heat

I like the fact that my camera bag has a couple of pockets for small bottles of water. Please encourage me to drink more, I never drink enough. I will probably take some “Crystal Light” drink crystals to add a little flavor from time to time.

If I was really clever I would take a small sil tarp, some cord and two sand pegs to erect some shade when the opportunity arose.  On our Africa trip we would all scramble at breaks to see who could find the best shade under the truck we were travelling in. A little shade was a precious thing.

On our last canoe trip down the Green River, it was very warm and we used a thin gel scarf which we dipped in the water and wrapped around the neck. . It would stay cool for several hours and seemed to offer some relief. I would have to do some research as to where to buy them, since we picked them up in Moab.

–Dale Hannaford

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