Safari Gear

Clothing

You will probably have some kind of weight restriction. This will depend on whether or not you have an internal flight within Africa. Most of these flights are done using 6 or 12 seat Cessna aircraft and space is limited. As most of your luggage is camera gear, you will want to keep your clothing to a minimum. A suggestion would be as follows:

2 "Zip-off" Trousers - convert to shorts
2 "wicking" T-shirts
2 Long sleeved shirts
Fleece / light jacket
Waterproof jacket
Underwear / socks to suit
Walking boots - if you will be doing any walking in the bush, otherwise comfortable shoes.

Depending on time of year and actual location, the waterproof jacket may not be required. A fleece is a good idea as it can be a little chilly early morning and late evening especially if you are driving in an open top vehicle. Two of everything allows one set to be worn, whilst the other is being laundered. Most camps have this facility, some offer it for free and it is well worth using it.

Don't take any camouflage clothing. It is banned in most African countries and the rangers take a very dim view of those wearing it. The best colours are brown or khaki. Keep them muted and neutral. Some camps will not take you out into the park if you wear bright clothes, especially if you are walking.

Camera gear

Digital

There are two things to consider when shooting digital: Power and Storage.

Powering your digital camera is relatively simple. Most camps have facilities to allow recharging of batteries, but it in some cases it is done during the day. It is best to have at least two sets of batteries so that one set can be used whilst the second is being charged. Some of the most remote camps in Africa have no facilities at all. This means you will need to have with you enough fully charged batteries to last the trip. Always ask the camp if they have charging facilities.

Storage is a different matter. CF cards are expensive and having enough cards to store the equivalent of 80-100 rolls of film is not an option. There are many devices on the market for downloading images from a CF card, all are based on the same principle: a battery powered computer hard disk with a slot for a CF card. They vary in price and capacity, but around £300 - £400 is average. I have spent some time looking at all the options available and, for a number of reasons, have opted for a laptop. This gives us the added advantage of being able to edit our pictures on-site, giving us the ability to re-shoot those that don't make the grade.

Film

To a much lesser extent, film cameras have the same problem with batteries. On previous Safaris I placed fresh batteries in the cameras before leaving and carried a second set with me. I never had the need to use the second set.

Storage is not an issue, other than keeping the film as cool as possible. In the heat of the African summer, it may pay to ask the camp if you can store your film in the fridge, or at least have access to a cool box.

Transporting Film

A quick word about taking film through the airport. Do NOT put any film in your hold luggage. The X-ray machines they use to scan luggage will ruin film. Always carry film with you. I place our film in large clear plastic bags with boxes and canisters removed. I place the canisters in the hold luggage so that I can put the film back in them when I get there. Ask for a hand search of the film, showing them the bag. At Heathrow they will refuse, but Johannesburg, Lusaka and Maun all agreed to hand search my bags of film. The X-ray machines used for hand luggage will not harm film, but the fewer times it's X-rayed, the better.

If you have unused film at the end of your trip, consider donating it to the camp, or another photographer that has just arrived. If you do bring it back, keep it seperate from film that you didn't take. Remember, it has been through at least two X-ray machines and possibly more. You won't want to take it abroad again.

Lenses

The size of lens you need really depends on what you're doing and where you're going.

If you're in a vehicle in the Masai Mara, you'll probably get quite close to the animals as most are habituated to the vehicles. A 200 or 300mm lens would be a minimum in this situation although there will be times when a smaller lens can be used.

If you are on a walking safari, then the longer the lens the better. Most animals will see you way before you see them and they'll disappear. Most of your sightings will be from a distance. A 400 or 500mm lens would be a minimum in this situation. Unfortunately, large lenses are very heavy. You'll be walking for three or four hours and lugging a 500mm lens around gets tiring. With that sort of weight, you really need a tripod / monopod, so that needs factoring in as well. A more practical solution is a 300 or 400mm with teleconverters.

Smaller lenses can be used to good affect by taking environmental shots (animalscapes) and landscapes. There are some pretty stunning sunrises and sunsets to be had and a wide angle lens is ideal for these.

It is also worth having more than one lens at a given focal length. We have a 300mm prime lens as well as a 100-300 zoom. If anything happens to the prime lens, the zoom lens can be used instead.

Ideally, the lenses you use should be made by the camera manufacturer as these are usually of the highest quality. Unfortunately, not all of us can afford the best. Canon's "L" series lenses are the best in the world (yea, I know :D ) but come at a price. Recent times have seen a marked improvement in the quality of third party lenses, in particular Sigma. Their range of EX lenses is of a similar quality to Canon's. Of course this is subject to a variety of caveats, but in the main quality is similar and the price is more reasonable.

Other stuff

Essentials

A multi-purpose tool. Something like a Leatherman is ideal. Doesn't need to be fancy - pliers, knife and screwdriver should be enough to tackle most problems.

Binoculars. High magnification and large field of view are best. We use 12x50's

Large sealable plastic bags. Store all your lenses / bodies that are not being used inside one. It'll keep the dust out. Cut one side open and slip it over your camera and it keeps the rain out too!

Flashlight. A good 2-D or 3-D cell flashlight is best, such as a MagLite. These are necessary around camp at night and perhaps on night drives. However, on a night drive I prefer to have my hands free, so we use a couple of LED head torches. These last around 150 hours on 3 AAA batteries and, because they are LED's, the bulbs never need changing.

Camera support. This is difficult as it depends on what you are doing. Tripods are not really practical inside a vehicle. Monopods are better, but you still need to hold it upright. Window mounts / clamps are good, but that assumes you have access to a window. (Some safari vehicles have nothing above the door-line, no windows, pillars or roof). The best solution is a beanbag. It should be refillable so that you can take it empty and fill it once you reach your destination. It can be filled with dirt or better yet, get someone from the camp to fill it with beans or rice or something like that.

Nice to haves

Flash extender. Known as a Better Beamer in the U.S. This is a fresnel lens that velcros to two arms extending from the flash head. It extends the reach of the flash and should only be used with lenses of at least 300mm.

Quantum Turbo Battery or similar. Essentially a sealed lead acid battery used to power the flash. Plugs into the High-Voltage socket on top end flashes and recycles the flash in as little as 1 1/2 seconds.

That's it for things to take, we hope this was some help and that you enjoy your safari.

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