Category: Impalila Island

Some of you have asked for this—so here it is!

Safari is a Swahili word that means journey or expedition and is from “Safara”, an Arabic word that means “travel”. It’s been used in our English language since the late 19th century.

Per our guide, it’s used when you “camp”. What we did wasn’t actually a safari—it was game viewing / game drives.

Whatever you want to call it, I had to pack for it. So for the sake of this post, I will call it a safari.

One thing you’ll find when packing for a safari is that you need to plan! If you will be traveling on smaller airplanes, there are limitations on the type of suitcases (soft-sided duffle vs regular suitcase) and weight (we were allowed 33 pounds for checked luggage and 13 pounds for carry on). This makes packing extremely important (and difficult). I was one of four friends going on this trip so I had three people I consulted with as well. 

Another important thing to remember—you can wash your clothes! Or, depending on where you stay, send them out to be washed (and it’s fairly inexpensive). One couple on the tour brought 3 outfits each and cycled through them, using the lodge’s laundry. They also had disposable cotton underwear. Bottom line, you have to do what’s right for you. For example, my Oofos were a must bring!

We received guidance from Smithsonian Institute / Odyssey Tours (more on them in a separate post. Spoiler Alert—they were fantastic) but I also did my own research and made revisions the week before travel due to warmer than anticipated forecasted weather.

Our safari was in July—winter in the Southern Hemisphere where it’s chilly in the morning and evening, but warms up during the day. Most days we’re in the 80s (Fahrenheit). Layers are the name of the packing game!

Also, I tend to be an over-packer. Therefore, I packed for this trip over 10 months—gathering things here and there as safari colors aren’t a staple in my wardrobe. Important that you do wear the right colors on the actual game drives. I avoided really dark colors like black and blue because of the tsetse flies, and found it easier to go with safari colors for the full wardrobe. Everything went with everything – Greens, khakis, light blue and browns.

I was on Safari for a total of 16 days (including travel time). We started in Johannesburg for the first 2 1/2 days, and then spent 3 days in each of these countries—Zimbabwe-Victoria Falls, Botswana- Chobe National Park (with a day trip to Namibia), and Zambia- South Luangwa National Park.

Here’s my packing list, along with commentary. I’ve posted links to some clothes or similar ones. By the way, I don’t get paid for posting any of these links. I’m simply sharing what worked for me. Every safari is unique based on a variety of factors (time of year, location, hotel/lodge vs camping, etc) so guidance from your tour operator is important!

Plane clothes

We went to Chicago a day ahead of our international flight to make sure we were there. I have been victim to canceled flights so we didn’t want any issues. Therefore, I had 3 sets of airplane clothes:

STL—>Chicago:

• Brown cotton sleeveless dress (Z-Supply has the best here—soft, cotton, and comfy). They no longer have the brown color but here’s the style). I wore this same outfit on the last night when we had a going away dinner celebration under the stars.

• Lightweight Free People cream cotton cardigan sweater. I can’t find a picture of this sweater, but it’s perfect for chilly nights as well as air conditioning on the plane.

• Latte Brown Leather Naot (Kayla) sandals – these are the best! I wore them on many casual occasions—hanging around the lodge and for dinner.

• I also threw in two colorful scarves that I wore with other outfits at night and brought one on the plane as well.

Chicago—>Dubai:

• XCVI green flowy pants (doesn’t look like the green ones are in stock but these are my favorite travel pants)

• White long sleeved gauze top (super soft and 100% cotton)

• Tank (khaki)

• ON Sneakers (Cloudnova in neutral colors)

• Fleece Jacket from LL Bean

• Oofos in the Nomad color (I wore these as slippers, around the lodge, with shorts, and on the plane…love these at home too!)

Dubai—>Johannesburg, South Africa (after we showered and changed into an outfit we had stuffed in our carryon).

• Pastel Rosemary XCVI pants

• Winter white lightweight cotton sweater from O’Neill

• Cream Tank

• ON sneakers

• Oofos sandals (brought in backpack)

I was right at 33 pounds checked bag and 13 pounds carry on. Whew! Coming home I was around 38 pounds (souvenirs! Or as they say “curios”).

Checked luggage – again I had to use a soft sided duffel. I got the Adventure Duffle from LL Bean with my initials embroidered on the side. It doesn’t look like they have the color I bought (soft spruce) but there are many other colors. I could’ve done wheels but again that it just adds weight. I was a tad nervous about hauling that bag around but since we were on a tour, the bags were collected for us. Where I had to carry it, I just dragged it from the handle on the end.

• TSA approved travel lock

• AirTag buried within my clothes

• Luggage tag (from the tour company)

• Dryer sheets – I kept a few in a plastic bag to ward off any smells that could occur in my luggage

• I used packing cubes for everything. That way I could only pull out what I needed. I know that many people roll their clothes, but I’ve never gotten into the habit.

• A few plastic grocery bags. I don’t like using plastic, but very handy for soiled or wet clothes/shoes on your way home.

• Dirty laundry bag

Shoes and Clothes-

Shoes – 4 pairs

• ON sneakers – my favs! And I found them in a neutral color.

• Sandals (Naot) – evenings and walking around. Good orthotics and looks nice! I wore with skirts as well as shorts/pants. See above for link.

• Ofoos Flip flops (see link above) – good for walking around the lodges and in the airplane. Super comfortable – like a pillow for your feet (but no strap on the back). They are also waterproof. The only time we needed waterproof shoes was around Victoria Falls. Many of the group wore Keen, Merrill or Teva sandals. I probably should’ve brought better water shoes, but I love my Oofos (did I say that already?? 😊) and like to have open-toed shoes on the airplane.

• Eddie Bauer Cairn Mid Hiking Boots in driftwood color – wore them only on the game drives and walking safari. If you don’t want to bring boots, you could wear sneakers on the game drives because you don’t get out of the vehicle. But they are warm, waterproof and comfortable for the game drives and supportive for walking safaris in the bush.

Undergarments

• Underwear – I brought 10 pair but didn’t need to. I paid for laundry at every place we went and the last place did our laundry for free.

• Bras – 5, including two sports bras for bumpy vehicles while out on game drives. Additionally, I thought I could get by with 4, but it was pretty hot and I needed different bras for tank tops as well as sports bras.

• Socks – 3 low and 4 to wear with boots. I could’ve gotten by with 3 boot socks.

• Fuzzy socks – one for the airplane and another pair in my checked luggage. I could’ve gotten by with just one pair and kept them in my carry-on.

Layering Outerwear

• LL Bean Green Fleece – a must for layering (see link above).

• Khaki REI fleece – an alternative to the green fleece. These get dusty on game drives this time of year. When I had one out to wash, I could wear the other one. I used these at night for jackets at dinner too.

• Eddie Bauer Green vest – looks very cool for a safari but I didn’t need it! I wore over T-Shirts and long sleeved T-Shirts a couple of times. I don’t have a link because I’ve had this one for years.

• Green Kuhl Rain Coat (Outsider – Sage color) – a must for layering. This was my outer layer and was wind proof. It’s also waterproof but it didn’t rain when we were there.

• Gloves – used on all morning game drives. A must this time of the year.

• Buff/Gator – used on all morning game drives for warmth and also to keep me from inhaling dust.

Other Safari Gear

Green Tilley hat – the best!! I wouldn’t have done the trip without it. It’s packable, washable, and protects from the sun.

Straw Hat – I wore once and left in Chobe…it itched terribly.

Baseball cap – wore once but didn’t really need because I wore the Tilley.

School Supplies – we visited a school in Zimbabwe and brought school supplies.

Sunglasses!! I brought two pairs of Goodrs (it was recommended to bring two in case you lose one). Both were in safari colors.

Pants/Shorts – In addition to those I wore on the plane (and also at dinner):

• LL Bean Ripstop Pull On Pants. This brand doesn’t fail! You cannot go wrong with any LL Bean pants. My friend wore the pants that zipped off to shorts. Mine didn’t zip off but had an elastic waist with a tie string. They were comfortable!

• Prana Koen khaki pants – most comfortable light weight pants.

• Lululemon green cargo pants – could have done without. I wore once.

• Kuhl Freeflex roll up green pants – perfect pants for game drives and travel days. Very comfy.

• Orvis Explorer Ankle Pants – these were for dinners but I probably didn’t need them. It was nice to have something that didn’t look like I was going on a game drive. 

• Dark Green leggings – didn’t wear and didn’t need to bring

• LL Bean Green Hiking Shorts – this was a last minute add due to the weather forecast. While I didn’t wear them for the game drives, I wore them in between the drives, when we went shopping, when we had the elephant encounter, and the helicopter ride. I wish I would have brought another pair of shorts and removed a couple pair of pants. Super comfy and light weight. I even washed them in the shower and they dried fast!

Long Sleeve Shirts

• Kuhl Khaki Kamp – loved this one

• Orvis tidewater blue long sleeve cotton T-shirt – casual and good for layering

• J Crew Factory Cotton Teddie Sweater in light khaki – wore for dinners with pants. This was a good staple. (I brought a few lightweight sweaters with me and I probably could’ve narrowed it down and eliminated one or two, but not this one!

• J Crew Factory Classic Cotton Cardigan Sweater. The link doesn’t have the olive color that I bought. I wore a green/white stripped tank top with it from Garnet Hill.

• Orvis blue checked long sleeve shirt – I don’t believe they have this anymore, but it’s very similar to the Kuhl shirt I listed above with the link. Light weight and SPF protection and the sleeves roll up. It’s a lighter blue.

• Free Fly Long sleeve fleece sweatshirt – this was great on those morning game drives when it was cold! I have been impressed with this brand—comfortable lightweight bamboo cotton pullover crew.

• Light weight khaki v-neck cardigan sweater from Quince – wore for dinners with a tank top under. I don’t see my sweater on the site, but the link above will take you to their sweaters.

• LL Bean Green Long sleeve soft top (SPF)

• Beyond Yoga brown long sleeve top – didn’t wear but I love this brand. Soft soft soft!

• Tan gauze button down – wore for dinners with pants

T-shirts / Tanks

Note—I could have done with 3-4 T-shirts (cream, white, green) vs the 5 I brought. I wouldn’t have changed the tank tops as I wore them under tops/sweaters. Also, I stayed neutral but it’s ok to do other colors (blue, light pink) to wear with shorts during the day):

• Onno green T-shirt – wore for game drives in the afternoon and also under the sweatshirt. I really love this brand

• Garnet Hill White and Cream T-Shirts (2)

• V neck T-Shirts (2) – cream and white (ones I had)

• Tanks (4) – Z Supply Khaki Tank, White and Canvas Heather (cream) Tanks from PRANA (these are my favorite!) + two others I already had. I wear tanks under most everything.

Lounge/PJs

• Pajamas – I wore the Beyond Yoga pants and long sleeved top with a white tank. While it’s really not pajamas, the Featherweight brand is so soft and the perfect weight for sleeping.

• Yoga pants in birch Heather and matching top for lounging from Beyond Yoga

Dinners

I didn’t find it necessary to dress for dinner but it was fun when we had time to shower and change. In addition to the long brown dress I wore on the plane, here is the other two skirts I brought:

• At Earthbound Trading Company I found a reversible Sari wrap skirt. I wore it with the with tan v-neck sweater / green sweater. I could have left it at home but it was light weight.

• Multi colored cotton skirt – I found this at Buckle and wore one warm evening with the tan cardigan, cream tank, and Naot sandals. (Cannot find the link!)

Swimsuit – I brought it but didn’t wear it. Since the nights are chilly, the pools were cold! Plus we didn’t have time.

Carryon backpack – I used the Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole 27L nylon backpack that can be worn as a backpack or carried like a tote. It was perfect.

• Luggage tag (from tour company)

• AirTag

• Light weight blanket (from Cocoon) – didn’t use as the plane had blankets and pillows

• Day backpack in army green from Amazon. 3 people in our party had the same one so I tied a bandana on the top. This folds up into a little pouch and I used on every game drive to carry my binoculars, phone, battery pack, etc.

• Eye cover (didn’t use), fuzzy socks

• Neck pillow for plane. I brought one but left in Johannesburg. The seats on the long haul flights curve around the neck.

• HydraPak water bottle – I didn’t use it once. Because we were on a tour, they made sure we had water everywhere we went. The last lodge gave us a reusable water bottle to use when there. Luckily the HydraPak collapsed and I could just keep it in the backpack. It’s a cool water bottle and I’ll use it at home. 

• Money belt with passport, extra pictures in case I lost my passport, copy of passport, money, two credit cards, driver’s license and insurance card. I did not use the money belt. It stayed in my backpack. I had everything above in my Crossbody purse and I used that everywhere I went. The passport was kept us safe at every hotel/lodge.

• Small Kipling Crossbody purse, which I have had for years. This was a last-minute add. I’m so glad I brought it because it was more comfortable than the money belt. I should have left the money belt at home.

• iPhone in a Walli case with a strap that goes around the neck. The strap around the neck was a lifesaver and worked well on the game drive so I could be hands-free. The Walli case also has a pocket where you can keep a couple credit cards and a finger strap that can be used to prop up your phone like a kickstand.

• I brought a waterproof case that I slid my entire phone into when we went to Victoria Falls so that it would not get wet.

• Kindle

• Earbuds – I did not need them. On every flight, they gave us headphones and I was too busy to use headphones during the trip. I could’ve left these at home.

• Charger cords – my iPhone, Kindle, and Apple Watch all use the same USB-C charger. Not many places we went use the USB-C so you may want to bring a little piece that converts your USB-C to USB-A.

• Adapter for the countries we were going to in Africa. Here’s the one I bought from Amazon and it worked well in the countries we visited.

• Curling iron – it has dual voltage so no converter needed.

• Portable battery – this was a must! There are many times that I took so many pictures I was running out of battery so I always had my battery pack with me.

• Bluetooth dongle for plane to watch movies – again, didn’t need it.

• Eye glass cleaner cloth

• Head lamp – I didn’t use this once and could have left at home.

• Two pairs of reading glasses.

• Make up – very little but enough to make me feel put together when I needed it.

• Tweezers and a small grooming scissors. Make sure this goes into your checked luggage outside of the U.S.

• Hair ties, scrunchies and brush

• Wipes / hand sanitizer

• Pen

• Safety pins

• Medicine – a friend and I split the medication. For example, she brought Tylenol and I brought Advil. We also brought Imodium AD, Pepto, and Mucinex. All medication was in the original packaging or prescription bottle (like our Malaria drug. The four of us took our malaria pill every day at lunch. I also brought some hydration pills —which came in handy for dehydration (gave some to those in our group).

• Jewelry – very little and nothing of value. I brought an extra watchband, casual/inexpensive necklace, silicon ring, couple of beaded bracelets. I bought a few beaded/stone bracelets when I was there, and I wore them a lot as well.

• Binoculars – these are a must! Get a good pair. You will use these on every game drive. Click above to see the ones I bought and they worked great.

• Toiletry bag – everything was travel size (3.4 ounces or less) and fit into a reusable clear plastic case—ie deodorant, tooth brush, toothpaste (brought two travel sized), facial cleanser, face lotion, sunscreen, eye cream, Listerine (two travel sized), razor, shampoo/ conditioner, QTips, lip moisturizer, shower gel, etc. A note about shower liquid soap – Every place we went had it except the last place. They had bar soap. Luckily, I had stuck a travel sized body wash in my bag and used it there. This is simply my preference.

• Bug spray – travel sized. My friend carried this for the both of us. I didn’t spray it once but another friend used it every evening. We also used mosquito nets every night and the lodges spray really well. I saw a couple of mosquitos and believe I was bitten. However, this is a good time of year since it’s quite dry—the rainy season brings more bugs! (And snakes)

• Travel sized Poopouri – I had a roommate so better to spray 💩

Note—we sent our clothes to be laundered throughout the safari. One place did our clothes for free. Two of my friends brought washing sheets so you could actually wash your clothes when you were in the shower and then hang them to dry.

I think that’s it! I’m happy to answer any questions you may have so feel free to reach out.

 

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