Africa Overland Get Ready

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Time is marching on and we leave in a few weeks, so it's time to get out the lists and start packing. Our usual method is to buy any gear needed well in advance, then start laying it all out. We start with everything but the kitchen sink and throw things out once we see there is no room. We've allowed one small backpack each and one soft-sided duffle. No formed suitcases or anything on wheels for us because the duffles have to be stuffed in a variety of places, not least of which is a locker on the overland truck that will be home for most of 47 days. Never mind the even smaller places we will have for 1-2 day excursions into the Serengeti, on Zanzibar and in the Okavango Delta. We are taking very small unpacked duffles for the lighter-duty trips.

Did I mention we would be staying in tents for almost the whole trip? Not the big safari tents like last year, but much smaller dome tents. We are hoping there will be room to at least bend over standing up while getting dressed in the morning. But one never knows on these overland trips. So far the thermarests are staying in, even though they say we are getting 'sleeping mats'. Gotta have some comfort, you know. We have our light down bags, which stuff down to almost nothing. And unlike last year, Kayla says she will be taking a fleece jacket. It might be cool higher up on the Serengeti plain.

So 35 nights under canvas, 6 nights in hotels (mostly at the beginning and end of the trip), one night on a houseboat, 2 nights in bungalows. Should be fun, eh? We are bringing extra supplies in case there is no water for a few days. And a power pack for charging the small items - PDA, phone, iPod. Kayla is bringing her iPad for internet access, but we're not sure how much access we'll have, so the blogs might be sporadic and short. Photos will have to wait until we return and will be posted on Flickr .

This year Kayla has even more photography gear, so that takes up her entire backpack, which is a special one made for camera gear but not much else. Guess who gets to carry everything else? We have been researching the areas where we will have more free time, in order to maximize our time doing what we like to do. Richard has found one place in Namibia that has archian(sp?) rocks. Kayla is hoping for major photography opportunities. Not just animals, but people. Scenery of course. Doors in Stone Town on Zanzibar. Villages and village life. We visit two schools, so kids. The famous red dunes in Namibia. Maybe 32 GB of memory cards won't be enough? At least they are small and easy to pack. Three long-life camera batteries. And this year, Richard is determined not to lose his video camera over the side of a boat.

Just a few weeks before we leave. Getting excited ...

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