The Safari Packing Guide: 5 Must-Have Items

If you have a travel bucket list, an African safari is probably on it. There’s something magical about waking up at dawn to head out on a game drive, hoping for a chance to see the Big Five. But once you make the leap from fantasy to reality, you’ll probably be left wondering how the heck to prepare for such a unique experience.

A recent trip with Exodus Adventure Travels, where I road tripped from South Africa to Zambia over the course of 21 days, gave me some valuable insights in terms of packing. And while some things are obvious enough—like sunscreen and bug repellant—there are several essential items that will make your journey so much smoother. Here’s a rundown of the stuff you absolutely need to include in your suitcase.

If you want good photos from your African safari, bringing a dedicated travel camera is crucial. While iPhones, Androids, and other smartphones have decent photo quality, the main thing you want to look for in a travel camera is the zoom and image stabilization. Animals move, which makes them more difficult to capture on camera—especially if they’re farther away. I brought my Canon Rebel T7, which is a great option for a quality and affordable camera that won’t take up too much luggage space. I also always travel with my rugged GoPro Hero 12, and while this is generally a great all-around travel camera, it’s not as ideal for taking photos of wildlife from a distance.

On my recent trip with Exodus Adventure Travels, we made several pit stops at gas stations for fueling up and getting snacks. I love trying local food, and in Namibia, I had the chance to try biltong, a jerky-like dried meat treat sold throughout the southern Africa, as well as the array of little meat pies and sausage rolls sold at most gas stations. But sometimes, you just want something familiar and comforting. I brought Popadelics Mushroom Chips (I am addicted to the Thai Chili flavor), Olyra Breakfast Biscuits, and black truffle Confetti Snacks mushroom chips on my safari. These are also great to have handy for the long plane rides.

While there’s a good chance you’ll encounter hot temperatures while on safari, mornings and nights can get quite chilly. For example, when I was recently in Botswana’s Chobe National Park, the temperature during my early morning drive was just 51 degrees Fahrenheit. Even though it climbed into the 80s by noon, I was happy to have a lightweight jacket handy to ward off the chill.

When you’re on safari, you’ll probably encounter the phrase “African massage.” This refers to the inevitable bumpy roads you’ll encounter when road tripping through Africa. All that jolting and jerking is likely going to leave you feeling sore and achy afterward. For this reason, I highly recommend bringing a travel-sized massage gun. I first started using a Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 when on a road trip in Italy, and now I simply don’t travel without it. This tiny but powerful massage gun helps unlock tight muscles after sitting stiff in a car on bumpy roads all day, and is a total game changer for long journeys in cramped quarters.

It’s never a bad idea to overprepare for traveling to remote destinations. In case you get an upset stomach, a bug bite, or are just generally feeling unwell, it’s wise to bring some trusted medicines from home. If you want to take it a step further, order a JASE Medical Case, which contains antibiotics for mishaps such as traveler’s diarrhea, allergic reactions, and motion sickness. Depending on which parts of Africa you are traveling to, you might also want to bring malaria prevention pills, which can be purchased over-the-counter in many local pharmacies.