10 Most Useful Items For A Serengeti Camping Safari
It is always a challenge what to pack, when going on vacation, but when going on a camping safari to the Serengeti it get’s even tougher. That’s why we want you to separate the useful from the useless items.
1.Head torch
A head torch is an absolute must for camping in the wild. Why? First of all it is very handy when putting down the tents early in the morning. Working your way around with a torch in your hand can get complicated. Tanzania is a developing country, therefore electricity and water are rare goods. Trust us when we say you will enjoy the washing room a lot more with a head torch when you are stuck in one of the power shortages. Planning to come without a head torch? You better not.
2. Binoculars
Serengeti means “endless plains” in the Masai language Maa. The name is no accident. The land is wide and animals do like to hide here and there. To observe the shy ones in the plains binoculars are another essential to bring to your camping safari.
3. Warm clothes
The Serengeti can get extremely hot during the day, but when sun sets it cools down immediately. So you better don’t forget to bring warm clothes for the evening and night time. Also make sure that these clothes are weatherproof. We don’t want you to have any bad surprises and rather enjoy this one in a life time experience to the fullest.
4. Games
Besides the lions roar and hyaenas laughing, there is not much going on after dinner at a Serengeti campsite. Surely you will talk about the adventures of the day with your fellow travellers, but a card game can bring extra fun. Plus it is a good way to bond with everyone. A small item to bring, that fits into every backpack easily with big effects.
5. A decent camera
By decent camera we don’t necessarily mean that you have to invest into a SLR camera. You can, of course, but it is absolutely not necessary to spend all your savings on it. There are plenty of good compact cameras on the market. Just make sure they have a decent digital and optical zoom and good resolution. Remember you want to capture that amazing wildlife at Serengeti.
6. A roll of toilet paper
The gates to the Serengeti and the camp sites can get very busy, a spare roll of toilet paper is always good to pack and saves you a lot of frustration later.
7. 16 or 32 GB SD card
We have seen it all: People taking over 1000 pictures on safari just to get a few good shots to print later at home. You can imagine how quickly you fill a 4 or 8 GB. Make sure you won’t be stuck in the uncomfortable situation of a full SD card in the middle of the Serengeti with a few game drives left. You will most likely regret deleting some of your images. It can be heart breaking, we’ve been there ourselves. So don’t forget to pack either two or three SD cards or one with a lot of space.
8. Snacks
A normal game drive in Serengeti is around 5 to 6 hours. Sometimes you have lunch in-between, sometimes after. Cookies or crackers can prevent you from tummy rumbling. You don’t want to scare those animals away!
9. Travel pillow
Besides a sleeping bag, a small travel pillow is a plus for a good night sleep. One that is either inflatable or easy to squeeze into your backpack.
10. Sunglasses
We know what you are saying now, but we really just want to make sure that you don’t leave them on the counter at home. Just double check…got them? Good!
Download Viva Africa Tours’ safari equipment list and start well prepared into your Tanzanian wildlife adventure.
