Africa Next Week

[troutcarver]

I have been waiting a while now for this forum to post here. I'm excited about what this forum will do for Africa adventures.
Next week at this time I will be on a plane heading to the dark continent for an adventure of a life time. My good friend and hunting buddy will be hunting Namibia for plains game. We will be first make a stop in Cape Town South Africa to go dive in a cage with the Great White Sharks. After watching Shark week this past week the butterflies in my stomach have gotten a little bit bigger. Still very excited none the less. After Our dive we will be heading up to Namibia to begin our hunt. We will be going after Kudu, Gemsbock, Warthog, Zebra, Heartabeast, Impala to name a few. All the planning and pre packing have gone down to just a few days until it will be real. I have appreciated the stories that I have read here over the past few months from MM members. If my trip is anything like yours It will be an adventure to remember forever. If there is any last minute advise that you have for me that would help my trip I'm all for your ideas.

 

[CAelknuts]

Be sure to take a good camera or two and take tons of pictures. Don't just photograph animmals you've shot, take pictures of live animals, camp life, just about everything you see. I have a ton of photos from my very first safari, which was clear back in 1983, and I still like to go back and look at them from time to time. They bring back great memories.

Don't stress over things that get delayed, or don't pan out exactly like you envisioned. It's AFRICA, and stuff happens that is beyond your control, so go with the flow and ENJOY.

Travel safe, and be sure to post a long report, with pictures, when you return. Good luck!

 

[littlejoe]

CA +1

Also, don't go. Once you go it will be what consumes you every minute of every day. I cannot get back there fast enough. My mind is always thinking go here for this there for that. Plan this, save this much $$$$, the list goes on and on.

I had the trip of a lifetime and that was having lost luggage and guns for eight of the ten days. It was still so amazing I cannot tell you.

I would highly suggest wearing your hunting boots on the plane and an extra set of socks and underwear in the carry on. Hunting in Dr. Marten's was not the most ideal but I did it for days and wearing the same clothes was not good but I made it and it was unreal.

Take pictures pictures and more pictures. Like CA said, the food, the camp, the scenery, your team, anything and everything even if you think there is zero value in it. You won't regret it.

 

[troutcarver]

Thanks for the quick reply's and good advice. Littlejoe I saw your other post about flying out of DC through Dakar. Well that's the way we are going like it or not. I will make sure I take the clothes I really need in my carry on. Any advice on pillows that we should take with us on the plane. people have told us about a pillow that rest on the tray that you lean forward ad sleep. Anybody done that?
Picture , Pictures and more pictures. You can count on that. I heard from someone that I should take an older camera and give it to my PH while we are hunting and have him take as many pictures as he wants so to get a different perspective.Adventure and experiences are #1 and shooting animals are secondary.

 

[littlejoe]

My PH was 100% focused on the vehicle, the hunting, and everything else. He was to busy to ask to take pictures. I would have been better off possibly asking my tracker to take some pics when he was not doing his thing. You will have plenty of time for pics. I took a pocket camera for when I was out walking around and had had the SLR for trophy photos.

 

[woodruffhunter]

I would take at least 2 cameras; 12 megapixel or better. Its worth the extra cost! I'd still give a camera to your PH. He can take some extra "kill" pic's after you have harvested your animals.

Take some noise cancelling headphones for the long flight. Take a little more cash than you initially planned.

Remember to call your credit card company and tell them where you will be.

Make a list of everything you need, then right before you go, go over it one more time.

Make an extra copy of all your forms and documentation. Keep them in a separate folder.

Take lots of pictures and when you are sick of taking them, take some more. Walk around your lodge while everyone is taking a nap and take pictures of everything. I'll bet we took 800+ pic's. I should have taken double that...

 

[littlejoe]

Leave a copy of your passport, itinerary, contact info, etc at home just because. Keep an extra with you as well.

Also, take some extra locks. They cut my "TSA" approved locks off and I am thankful I have extra to come home with.

Take business cards or contact info as you will meet a lot of people at different places and want to share info.

Keep a daily dairy. You will be so thankful of this later.

If not a dairy and your camera has video take a couple of minutes of video and use it as a daily log.

Try all the food even though some of it will be terrible.

Don't be offended when your PH and Tracker start speaking in the african language. It is just part of the deal.

Trust your PH! They are phenomenal.

Figure out where your comfort point is on the sticks. I prefer to be much higher than most, my buddy quite a bit lower. Your PH will remember where you like it.

Take candy, your tracker will think you are the stuff.

You will have flat tires and a few mishaps and it won't even matter.

You will most likely miss a shot or two. Don't worry (I know easier said than done) when you miss. You never know what is around the next corner.

Take a satelite phone if you can. Keeps peace of mind on the home front.

Enjoy every second!!!!!

 

[backinthegame]

I will second the advice on keeping daily notes about what's going on...

...each night laying in bed I took five or ten minutes to write about that day's events. Wrote about where I went, what I saw, what I ate, pretty much everything.

You may think it sounds impossible, but without the diary on a 10 or 14 day hunt things can really run together. I was in Africa in May of last year, and without the notes I wrote while in camp there is no way I'd be able to remember which things happened which day...including some of the animals I took! I'm only 28 and have a pretty good memory too!

I read back through the notes I wrote just a couple days ago after I hung my first two African mounts on the wall. Reading back through them was pretty cool.

Good luck and HAVE FUN...you'd have to try pretty hard not to in Africa!

 

[Blank]

Second the advice to keep the diary of things you do, including all the little things. It is just like re-living it all over again, as you jot it down, and is guaranteed to make you smile. Make sure you ask your PH to write down the trackers names and places you hunt for you, so you get the spelling right - the pronunciation is nothing like it is spelled a lot of times.

Reading your notes on the way home is the only thing that makes the return flight bearable!