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Petite travel capsule wardrobe: African safari edition

August 31, 2025

What should you pack for an African safari as a petite?

I’ve already written petite-friendly travel capsule wardrobe series posts on what I packed for trips to Southeast Asia and to Italy. But this month, my partner and I travelled on a very different type of trip, one that involved its own set of packing challenges: A 3-week safari trip through the East African countries of Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. And, given the amount of time and effort that went into figuring out what to pack, and the lack of petite-friendly packing lists and resources that I found when I was researching this trip, I figured it made sense to write about it.

Now, this wasn’t my first trip to Africa. I’d previously been to South Africa and Namibia (including some safari-ing) in 2013, and to Madagascar to see the lemurs and other wildlife in 2019. So I wasn’t a complete novice at this, and I already owned a fair amount of gear. But the sheer amount of parks and game drives we were planning to do on this trip, plus the added hiking components, made the packing game a bit more challenging.

If you, like me, are a short woman considering going on a safari trip and you’re trying to work out what to pack, you might find this post useful. Have a read.

About the trip

As usual, I like to start these posts with some practical considerations about the trip in order to plan what I’m going to pack. Here were the basic parameters of this trip:

  • The trip itself was 3 full weeks, of which we spent 18 days in Africa and another 3 days in Amsterdam on the way home. That meant we needed some clothes that could conceivably work for both instances.
  • We decided we would be travelling carry-on only on this trip, as we generally do. That meant everything had to fit in my 36L carry-on sized backpack and 20L daypack, and weigh less than a combined 12kg to fit within airline carry-on restrictions.
  • We’d be packing for dusty, wet, muddy, chilly, and very sunny conditions — basically all types of weather. While we were theoretically travelling during the August “dry season”, climate change has thrown a lot of that out of kilter, and it rained quite a bit on our safari tour. The equatorial sun is very strong, but temperatures in the early mornings and evenings were often downright cold. So we needed a bit of everything.
  • Much of our itinerary consisted of game drives where we were basically sitting in the truck and could wear just about anything. But we also had 3 significant hikes planned, including gorilla trekking (a lifelong dream come true!), chimpanzee tracking, and a fairly challenging hike in Rwanda to Dian Fossey’s Bisoke research station and grave. That meant we needed hiking gear.

  • Most lodges and campsites offer laundry service, but it can be on the pricey side per item, and many places hand wash and hang items to dry. If it’s rainy or damp, this can complicate matters in terms of having enough time for items to dry, especially if you’re on the move a lot as we were.
  • In addition, ladies: Many places in Uganda and Rwanda won’t wash women’s underwear (i.e. “smalls”) for cultural taboo reasons, even though they’ll happily wash all other items including men’s briefs or boxers. This means it’s a good idea to pack some laundry sheets and plan to do some sink laundry at some point.
  • Adding to the weight challenge, I’d be travelling with some hefty tech gear for this trip, including a big fancy camera for photographing the wildlife, and my laptop for blogging and photo editing. That meant I’d have a lot less weight to carry other stuff, like clothes. Not every traveller will make this choice, granted: Some people are more than happy to just use their phones for everything. But travel blogging and travel photography are big parts of my enjoyment of a trip. And I figured if I was going on a bucket list journey like this one, I might as well bring the tools for the job with me.

Why I travel carry-on only

While many people lug around absolutely huge suitcases on safari trips, I definitely don’t recommend this. There are a lot of very good reasons to lighten the load:

  • You really don’t need that much stuff. Most lodges offer laundry service (more on that below), and nobody really cares about fashion on safari trips.
  • Less chance for the airline to lose or delay your bag. Lost luggage can really mess up a trip, leading to added costs, stress, and hassle. This is especially true for us petites who can’t easily just buy replacement items at our destination because most of what’s on sale probably won’t fit us without significant alterations.
  • It’s easier to carry your stuff. In East Africa, most safari lodges and tourist-class hotels will have porters who will offer to (read: insist) carry your bags to and from your room. However, you’re often still going to need to tote your stuff over muddy or uneven ground, up and down stairs, and through airports. The less you’re carrying, the easier your travels will be. Added bonus: Getting all sorts of impressed comments from the lodge staff and safari guides about how lightly you packed.
  • One added consideration: We didn’t take any small planes or bush flights on this tour, as we travelled mostly overland. But if you’re doing any fly-in safari tours or taking any bush planes, there’s generally a pretty strict luggage restriction of about 15kg or so, and you can only bring soft-sided luggage. If you’re backpacking like we did, you’re golden.

A word about safari colours

Much of the advice on the internet will tell you to wear or avoid certain colours on these trips. Basically, loads of blogs and websites will tell you it’s a good idea to avoid black or blue because of tsetse flies, avoid bright colours because you don’t want to scare the animals, and avoid white because it gets dirty. It’s generally recommended to stick to “safari colours” — basically neutral khakis, olive greens,

The truth is, it doesn’t matter that much. On game drives, the animals don’t really care what colours you’re wearing; they can’t distinguish you from the vehicle. In 2.5 weeks in East Africa, I never once saw a tsetse fly. And yes, white will get dirty, but so will everything else you’re wearing, and you can just wash it.

Some of the colour advice is practical: Don’t wear camouflage or military patterns, don’t wear very dark colours in the hot sun since they’ll just make you feel hotter, and don’t wear your brightest loudest colours on the gorilla hike.

But there’s really no need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe if you don’t already own a lot of neutral khakis. The stuff you have is probably fine. And, given that most so-called “safari colours” are among my least flattering and make me look like I’m ill, I did pack a few neutrals but otherwise I largely ignored the colour code. It’s fine, I promise. The lions don’t care.

What to pack on safari

Clothes

The t-shirts I brought were a mix of neutral and slightly brighter colours. Most were short sleeve cotton, to be comfy and breathable on their own or, more often, worn under my UPF shirt or my fleece full-zip. And the long-sleeve one came in handy on hiking days when I wanted a lightweight layer that would also protect my skin from scratches and insects. I would’ve opted for more merino rather than cotton, but it’s virtually impossible to find petite-sized merino tees anywhere. The Smartwool one I packed is ill-fitting due to being too long at the torso, and I didn’t wear it as often as the others.

I brought two different overlayers for tops: A ripstop button-down UPF50 sun shirt, and a full-zip polar fleece midweight layer. The sun shirt got very dirty in white, yes, but there are extremely limited colour options available for petites and it was the best option. White also looks better on me than khaki. And the dust and dirt came out easily in the wash. As for the fleece midlayer, it’s thicker and heavier than the ones I usually pack. But it came in really handy in the colder weather in the mountains, on morning and evening came drives, and at night at the campsites. I wore both of these layers almost every day, to cover up from the sun’s hot rays in the safari vehicle and on game drives, and whichever one I wasn’t wearing at that moment usually lived in my daypack.

For bottom layers, I brought two pairs of hiking pants, which I alternated between for the hikes and drives, as well as one loose-fitting pair of Athleta linen pants for driving days, planes, and to wear back at the lodges. The Athleta Shasta petite pants have been my go-to hiking and travel pants for years, and I’ve reviewed them here on the blog before. The Prana Halle hiking pants are the only ones I packed that aren’t petite; although they come in a 30″ “short” inseam, some petites might still find these to be too long. Personally, as a petite with a short torso and long legs, I found they worked for me pretty well. Both hiking pants are UPF50 for sun protection.

The Athleta Retreat linen pants were a relatively recent buy, and they worked decently well for this trip: I found them to be cool in the heat, comfy for long plane rides and drives, and the zippered pockets were very practical. Downsides were that they were a bit too long, the high waist kept falling down to settle at a more midrise space, and they were somewhat bulky to pack, so I wore them on flights to save weight. They also weren’t the nicest looking to wear around cities like Amsterdam, though I made do.

As for the PJs, nothing much to say here other than you’ll definitely want some. It’s good to have something clean to change into for sleepwear that isn’t covered in safari dust. Also, it gets cold at night at the game lodges and campsites, and it’s also important to cover up from mosquitoes and other insects.

Shoes

I packed two pairs of shoes on this trip:

  • 1 pair hiking shoes – Scarpa Hydrogen GTX, size 36.5 (old, from 2018)
  • 1 pair flip-flops (for showers and campsites)

Now, here’s the caveat: You should probably bring hiking boots on a trip like this, not old worn-out low hikers like mine. My husband brought a proper pair of waterproof hiking boots as well as a pair of trainers, and he was very glad to have both. Some of those hikes are no joke. And I did unfortunately pay for my decision when I turned my ankle on the Bisoke hike and very nearly ruined my chance at seeing the mountain gorillas the next day. So I would not necessarily recommend doing what I did.

However (and, warning, rant time): It is incredibly frustratingly difficult to find hiking boots to fit my narrow feet and heels. And by difficult, I mean, apparently impossible. I tried for months before the trip, visiting store after store, buying and returning no less than 8 different pairs of boots in different sizes and brands because I could barely wear them across the room without them rubbing and causing painful blisters at the heel. It seems that women’s extra-narrow hiking boots in small sizes simply don’t exist.

And vanity sizing runs amok in shoes, too: Even replacing my beloved worn-out Scarpas, above, has proven to be impossible, as the newer models run at least a full size bigger and a couple of widths wider than the old ones. I tried buying the identical size and brand only to find that they were a good finger-width wider than my old shoes, and I could not get them to stay in place no matter how tightly I secured the laces. All kinds of shoe brands come in wide widths these days, but when you ask for narrow, the salespeople look at you like you have three heads. I’m honestly at a loss.

So I brought the old worn-out hiking shoes and made do. It meant that they got very muddy and gross (shout-out to the superstars at the gorilla lodge who cleaned them for us after our hike, though that didn’t last long) and I also didn’t have a pair to alternate with. My partner, on the other hand, got to switch back and forth between his hiking boots, which he wore for the actual hikes, on rainy days, and on flights to reduce bag weight, and his lightweight mesh trainers, which he wore for everything else.

(Whatever you do, don’t bother bringing sandals, though. Between the insects, the chilly weather, and the iffy uneven ground, you won’t ever need them. Closed shoes will do you better. I did find the plastic flip-flops occasionally useful for showers at the campsites or for walking around the lodges and tents, mind you.)

Socks and Undies

I had too few socks. I should’ve packed an extra pair or two. Merino is terrific when it’s dry, but is miserable when wet and takes forever to dry if you try to sink wash it. And it rained quite a bit on our trip. If I were to do this trip over, I’d take another couple of pairs of socks, since mine got pretty dirty.

For underwear, ideally, bring pairs that are made from natural breathable fabrics like cotton, and are both thin and light enough to both pack up small and dry quickly if you find yourself needing to do sink laundry. As mentioned, ladies, don’t count on being able to send yours out to the laundry service, even if your husband or male partner is able to. One of life’s little injustices.

As for the sports bra, I wore it more than the regular one — on hikes, sure, but also in the bumpy safari truck on game drives and on some long driving days over pretty questionable roads. You may want to bring more than one.

Outerwear

Don’t be fooled by the term “dry season”: It rained quite a bit on our trip, even in August. A rain shell is a must. I wore it over my fleece mid-layer on cold mornings and evenings to cut the wind, and anytime the sky was threatening. I also found that waterproof hiking shoes, gaiters, and a rain cover for my daypack were useful essentials to stay dry.

 

Accessories

What I’m glad I brought:

  • The sunhat is quite old and actually a kids’ size, since that’s what fits my ridiculously small head. It looks really dorky (hence its nickname, the Dorky Hat) and isn’t exactly elegant. But it’s super practical for safari use: UPF50 sun protection, a drawstring cord to protect it from flying off in the wind, and packable for easy transport.
  • The gardening gloves are just cheap ones from the dollar store. Anything will do, really; you just want something to protect your hands against the brush during the hikes. Especially on the gorilla trek, where you’re going through thick forest and are not necessarily on a trail, it’s useful to have gloves so you don’t accidentally get stinging nettles or thorns in your hands when you grab onto something to steady yourself.
  • The sun gloves were a last-minute purchase before the trip, and they were one of the best things I brought. They were lightweight, protected my hands against the sun and elements, and fingerless, so I could easily operate my camera and devices while wearing them. And with added grip on the palm to help keep my camera and gear secure. In a rarity for adult gloves, these were actually available in size XS, which fit my tiny hands perfectly. I wore them pretty much daily, especially on game drives. They got quite dirty on the trip, but after a wash, they are looking not too bad, and I’ll definitely bring them on future trips.
  • Likewise, the neck buff was useful to protect my neck from the sun’s rays. But it served multiple purposes: It worked as a headband to keep my hair from flying in the wind, and as a shield for my face against dust and smoke and fumes from trucks on the highways. Get one that’s UPF50 or above and light coloured so it doesn’t absorb the heat.
  • My tuque was essential. Alpaca wool from Peru, it kept my head warm in the wind and the cold, cool from the sun, and my hair from becoming too much of a mess. I’ve had it since 2017 and I love it beyond all reason. (Update: Heartbroken to report that, due to an accidental washing machine incident, the alpaca tuque is no more. I need to find a replacement. Sob.)

  • The gaiters were a gift from my in-laws once they heard we were planning this trip, and they came in incredibly handy on all three hikes we did, as well as on the Crescent Island walk. I’d heard before travelling that it wasn’t really necessary to bring gaiters, but I was so happy to have them and found that almost every other hiker on the treks had a pair too. They guarded against the rain and mud, sure, but also protected my pants and ankles from thorns, branches, nettles, and insects. It’s actually quite challenging to find petite-friendly gaiters to fit short calves without cutting uncomfortably into the back of the knee. I found these worked really well and would recommend them to other petites my height (5’1″).
  • My sunglasses and reading glasses should be self-explanatory. I opted to bring my slightly older pairs of each on this trip rather than risk ruining my newest expensive ones, and I’m glad I did, since the conditions can be tough on glasses. Bring lots of microfibre cleaning clothes and a full bottle of cleaning spray; you’ll need them!
  • Masks: It’s our COVID reality now. Don’t leave home without ’em. The CanadaStrong BreatheTeq KN95 earloop style fits my petite face very well; see review here.

What I’d leave out or swap:

  • The pack towel I’d leave at home. I never used it, not even once. Everywhere we went provided plenty of towels. Only bring yours if you’re camping, staying in hostels, or planning to go swimming a lot. We never swam. Plus I’m sure they would’ve provided towels if we did. But it was tiny, so whatever, it took up very little space.
  • Likewise, I never used my mini umbrella in Africa. It’s too flimsy and small to be useful against the African downpours, and the lodges often provided big golf-sized umbrellas for guest use. I did use it a bit in Amsterdam, though.
  • I brought a heavier laundry bag for this trip, thinking I may need to send it out with the lodges. I never did; all the places offering laundry service had a basket in the room for the purpose. Next time I’ll probably just bring my lightweight mesh bag, like I used to.
  • My reusable water bottle: Don’t get me wrong, I’d definitely bring one again, since we usually had access big water jugs to refill from on the safari truck and at most of the lodges. But not the same one that I brought. Mine was a good size, but the mouth was too wide, making it impossible to actually drink water without spilling while the safari truck was in motion. Also, it was very difficult to clean while on the road, without access to dish detergent or a safe tap water source, so it started to smell about halfway through. Luckily, our Kenyan safari company provided some new water bottles as free swag. Next time, I’d probably pack a compressible one like my partner brought. It isn’t any easier to clean, but at least it has a drinking spout and it packs down to nothing when empty.

Toiletries and Med Kit

  • Clear 3-1-1 liquids bag: I packed travel-sized versions of each of the following:
    • Toothpaste (collect free samples from the dentist if you can)
    • Shampoo and conditioner (most places provide shampoo but almost nobody provides conditioner; bring your own)
    • Face sunscreen (BareMinerals SPF50)
    • Body sunscreen (Blue Lizard Mineral SPF50)
    • Facial cleanser (Fresh Soy Cleanser)
    • Facial moisturizer (Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve)
    • Body moisturizer (Keri)
    • Hand cream (leftover tube from South Korea)
    • Bugspray (Picardin is better than DEET for protecting synthetics and electronics)
    • After-bite (used very little since we didn’t get bitten)
    • Glasses cleaning spray (used a LOT)
    • Hand sanitizer (essential!)
    • Tide2Go pen

The critical thing here is don’t skimp on sunscreen! The sun at the equator is incredibly strong, and exposed skin will burn quickly. If you need to reduce the amount of liquids, you can cut back on the moisturizer; skin does get dry in Africa, but many game lodges and hotels provide some in a pinch.

  • Bathroom bag: I have a hanging one that’s useful for small spaces and campsites. In it, I packed all the non-liquids including:
    • Toothbrush
    • Band-aids
    • Ace bandage and ankle brace (I was very grateful to have the latter after I turned my ankle on a hike)
    • Kleenex packs
    • Toilet paper (always have this in your purse or daypack)
    • Deodorant stick
    • Comb and hairbrush
    • Basic makeup – SPF15 BareMinerals powder foundation, small eyeshadow compact by Urban Decay, 2 tiny travel makeup brushes, and a tube of SPF30 lip balm. Nothing else needed; nobody wears makeup on safari.
    • Pack of wet wipes – go for baby wipes if you want alcohol-free ones
    • Laundry sheets – for sink laundry
  • Medications: The thing about travelling through East Africa and being largely outside of cities or major population centres is that you need to pack some just-in-case medical kit, because you won’t always have easy access to a doctor if you need one. On this trip, I took a reusable plastic bag and filled it with:
    • My prescription meds — take any that you need, preferably in original packaging with prescription label attached.
    • Basic first aid meds: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, decongestant and cold pills, Gravol if you’re prone to motion sickness like I am, rehydration or electrolyte packets, immodium, antihistamines, broad-spectrum antibiotics, antimalarials.
    • Standard disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. Consult a travel clinic or qualified health professional before you travel. Also, make sure your vaccinations are up to date.

Tech Gear

As mentioned, I travel with significantly more gear than most carry-on only travellers.

As mentioned, I do travel with a laptop. My current one is a 4-year-old Dell XPS 13 that weighs in at 1.35kg, which is actually on the heavy side for a travel laptop. (I really miss the days when I had a tiny 10″ netbook that weighed under 700g). Many travellers won’t see the need for a laptop and will make do with just a phone or perhaps a lightweight tablet. That’s fine if you’re just consuming content or sending messages on WhatsApp. But for blogging and photo editing, I find a laptop to be essential enough to take the hit on pack weight. My travel laptop has several useful features, including a built-in SD card reader for quick and easy photo and video transfers, multiple USB and USB-C ports, and an SSD hard drive that is more stable for travel. A lot of people may be concerned about theft or loss on a trip like this, but I didn’t have any issues; I just stored it in my main pack on travel days, and left it in the room otherwise.

The Sony RX10 is the ultimate bridge camera for safaris. I bought mine secondhand specifically for the trip, and will definitely be keeping it for future travels as it performed like a star. It packs in 24-600mm zoom — long enough for most wildlife, other than perhaps serious birding — with a bright, fast f/2.4-4 lens and a 1″ sensor. The camera body is weather and dust resistant. Many people prefer a dSLR for wildlife. But for my money, the photos that the Sony takes are every bit as good, without the need to swap lenses in dusty conditions or carry extra kit. Its main drawback is that it’s on the heavy side, and a bit bulky. So instead of a traditional padded camera bag, I gambled on carrying it in a small Fjallraven sling pouch that was just the right size to fit it sideways with the lens hood attached.

On game drives or while in the safari vehicle, it was easier to just pick up the camera and photograph with it as needed, setting it down in the daypack in between to give my wrist a rest. While hiking, it was on the heavier side, but I wore the sling bag cross-body and had easy access to the camera. On the gorilla trek, the camera stayed in my daypack that the porter carried until we got to the gorillas, at which point they handed it back to me for the hour we spent with the gorilla family.

For added protection against scratches and other damage, I used a UV filter on the lens, and carried a small pen-sized camera cleaning brush with me. And since I also was carrying the laptop, I cheated by having my partner carry the camera in his bag through the airport, in order for both of us to stay under the carry-on weight limit. If I were going solo, I would’ve had to leave something else out in order to fit all my gear in my bag.

I also brought my trusty Canon G16 pocket-sized camera with me for non-wildlife purposes. Two camera might sound like a lot, but the G16 has been my go-to everyday camera for over a decade. It’s purse-sized, unobtrusive for city photography, convenient for selfies, has a fast f/1.8-2.8 lens with 28-140mm optical zoom, and takes really good photos for a compact small sensor camera. If you’re happy with your phone’s camera, that might serve the purpose. But compact cameras like these are resurging in popularity because so many people are realising what I’ve maintained all along: They do a much better job.

A headlamp is absolutely essential on safari. Not only are power cuts and power failures frequent, but you’ll also often find yourself stumbling around a dark campsite. Bring one that runs on batteries as opposed to one that requires frequent USB charging. Trust me.

The other gear is pretty self-explanatory: A backup power bank for charging devices while out and about (follow airline rules carefully), various power adapters for the countries we were visiting (I found this type to be most useful, since it could charge 3 AC and 3 USB devices all in one power port), cables, batteries, and chargers, and a cheap pair of earbuds to listen to music on flights. Most of that stuff was pretty lightweight and didn’t take up too much bag space. I also wore my Fitbit as my watch, which was useful as I could set recurring alarms to remind me to take my malaria and other medications at certain hours.

Important Documents

I travel with a small documents pouch with hard-copy printouts of just about everything essential. Maybe it’s the Xennial in me that never has quite trusted digital copies. In Africa, they do tend to prefer physical printouts, and you can’t count on a mobile signal or even the power working to keep your devices charged. So if you have access to a printer before you go, I recommend bringing copies of the following:

  • Passport photocopies
  • Insurance info
  • Flights (eTickets, itinerary)
  • Visas: Canadians need an eVisa for Uganda and an ESTA for Kenya, both of which need to be obtained online before you travel. Rwanda admits Canadians visa free for up to 30 days.
  • Hotel and tour bookings
  • Yellow Fever vaccination card

I also travel with a money belt that stores the following essentials:

  • Passport
  • Cash – bring hard currency like USD in new bills without marks or tears
  • Credit and bank cards – you won’t use your plastic much in Africa since almost nobody takes credit card (they all use mobile payment set up with local accounts), but you’ll need a working ATM card. Bring two from two different banks if possible; my Visa/PLUS was hit or miss, but my MasterCard/Cirrus one worked more consistently.
  • License or other photo ID
  • Nexus or Trusted Traveller card

Putting it all together

Everything I packed above, along with my toiletries, electronics, and other miscellaneous items, fit in my main Gregory Jade 38 backpack and my Osprey Skimmer 22 daypack, which I used as my under-seat personal item. I’ve written about both packs on this site before, and all the reasons why they’re petite-friendly.

I also typically travel with my cross-body purse, my Timbuk2 Jessie, which is useful when I just want to carry a few necessities such as glasses, wallet, phone, hand sanitizer, face mask, toilet paper, and lip balm around cities or in the lodges. Men usually get generous pockets to carry most of this stuff, but we women often have to make do with handbags. To keep under the airline carry-on limit of two items, I simply stuffed my purse inside my daypack on flight days.

A few notes about this capsule wardrobe

This is a practical list of items that should work for most people planning a similar safari trip.

  • It is slightly over the carry-on limit. Between the heavier camera and the laptop, I had a lot of gear on this trip. I managed to get around the weight limit by having my husband carry the camera on flights. If you don’t bring a laptop, this should all fit under KLM’s 12kg limit. But check your airline’s restrictions carefully.
  • We didn’t pack any nicer outfits for cities or dinners. Everything on this list is casual safari clothing or hiking gear, and none of it really works for nicer evenings out or for more fashionable city use. We did stop off in Amsterdam for a couple of days on the way back, and I made do with feeling woefully under-dressed. Nobody cared. But if this bothers you, you can probably toss in a lightweight summer dress.
  • We also didn’t go to the beach. Many people combine an African safari trip with a few days on the coast at a beach resort to wind down. We’re not really beach people, but if you are, you’ll probably want some beachwear like a swimsuit and cover-up.
  • Permethrin-treating your clothes is a great way to protect from bug bites. It works by preventing mosquitoes and other biting insects from landing on your clothes, therefore giving added protection from diseases like malaria, dengue, and more. We sprayed practically all of our outer layers – hiking pants, sun shirts, jackets, hats, socks, pyjamas — before departure. Once properly sprayed and dried, protection will last about 6 weeks or 6 washes, whichever comes first.

The only catch is that permethrin isn’t available in Canada; we bought ours in the US before the current, erm, political situation. Nowadays, you may have more trouble getting your hands on it. A very limited selection of pre-treated clothing is available here from brands like L’Equipeur, but, of course, none of it is offered in petite sizes. Grrrrr.

  • A word about plastic bags: To reduce non-biodegradable waste and environmental impact, many east African countries have implemented bans on single-use plastic bags. In some places like Rwanda, they can be pretty strict. Usually, resealable plastic bags like Ziplocs are fine, and I usually pack in those to prevent leaks. But if you want to be extra sure, pick up some resuable storage bags in varying sizes; they come in handy for wet or muddy gear, shoes, and any liquids that you don’t want to leak.

Overall, I’d probably take a pretty similar packing list if I could do the same trip over again. I might’ve brought another couple of pairs of undies, swapped out the water bottle for something with a spout, and left the towel and heavier laundry bag behind. But otherwise, I think this was just the right amount of stuff for the purpose.

But if you’re stressing what to wear on safari, don’t worry: With so much amazing wildlife to see, nobody will be paying attention to your clothes.

Happy travels!

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