Packing List

Ok so time to get down to the nitty gritty... what do I pack for 2 weeks in South Africa?! This is probably the most daunting question of all, especially because for the most part we will be camping and will need to bring minimal luggage in order to transport all of it easily. We will get to do laundry once during this time period, which will be extremely helpful but the question still stands: what exactly do I need/not need? Since I have never been to South Africa, I cannot safely answer this question and will probably not know everything that would have been useful until I arrive and experience it myself! However, I can show you the packing list set for me by Dr. Fore with some annotations as to what I personally am bringing along. Without further ado:

Packing List for South Africa

Please remember that this is an outdoor experience…no hotels…think camping.  All camping equipment will be provided.  And it will be early winter.  Laundry service will be provided halfway through course… you do not need 9 days of clean clothing.  Please also remember all the trees have spines and thorns…I use this to guide the type of clothes I bring.

Required Gear

____ passport and immunization records - Had to get malaria pills, typhoid pills, and Hep A shot if you didn't have it already from your super sweet country club summer job

____ rain gear (jacket, pants) - I have a light-weight rain jacket that rolls up super tiny into a little pack for storage, kudos of my Grandma (thanks Grandma!)

____long underwear top and bottom - Did not get these. I figure I'll just wear sweats if it's that cold

____2  long-sleeve work shirts - You can buy actual denim-material work shirts at places like Lowes, but I'm just going for good quality long-sleeved T shirts instead because they won't be as heavy

____2 pairs long work pants - One of these I got from my grandma - they zip off into shorts (super stylin') and I got a couple other pocket-laden pants from Goodwill! I actually found most of my stuff at Goodwill because they have good quality, like-new clothes like Eddie Bauer for like $3... can't get much better than that!

____ 2 warm jackets or sweaters - Just going to bring some hoodies 

____4 t-shirts - I've got t-shirts galore so this will not be a problem

____Socks - We will be wearing hiking boots most of the time, so good quality high socks are a necessity! I need to get some more of these 

____pants to wear around camp - I basically have sweats and might bring one pair of leggings

____pile or wool cap - Just going to hijack one of these from my winter department (where supply and demand is a big problem) <lol great job uniting the blog topics Erin

­­­____LEATHER work gloves….essential!!!!!!!! - Saved big money at Menards on these babies

____good sturdy outdoor shoes (hiking boots) - Got these at Sports Authority and I've been working to break them in! They are pretty heavy but also comfortable. They also have pink accents which is more girly than I'm used to but they were the best option

____camp shoes - I'm bringing my oldest and favorite kicks - they have walked miles all over Disney World and the Tulum ruins in Mexico so I'm pretty attached to them. I think they have one more adventure left in them and I'm oddly excited for them to get to experience this with me haha

____at least one one-liter water bottle 

____headlamp/flashlight with spare batteries and bulb - got this at Menards too. Shoutout to my Dad for the rather expensive Menard's shopping spree!

____sun hat -thanks Grandma! It's green and SPF... 100 Good luck sun!!! (Shoutout Drake and Josh)

____sun screen/lip balm

____personal first aid kit and personal meds

____small towel/back packing towel (can’t remember if they provide a towel)

____Day pack - Using my school backpack

____journal and writing materials

____a nice t-shirt to give away…suppose I can’t force you to do this, but ask you to consider this - Definitely bringing one or more!

Optional Gear

____extra shirts, long underwear, sweat shirt

____camera - not really sure how to handle this since there will be no place to charge anything... might just bring about 10 disposable cameras along for the ride

____field guides - searched "South Africa field guide" on Amazon and chose the one with the best ratings/reviews

____binoculars - hopefully I can borrow someones if needed

____bandannas…useful for lots of things -got one red, one navy, and one green!

-I'm also bringing some casual shorts/shirts and also gym shorts for when we get to the resort. I'm not really sure what to wear on the excursions

-Need to find an adapter for a phone charger as well but might do this when I get there

Suggested First Aid

____ Band Aids

____ First aid cream (Neosporin)

____ Tweezers

____ Anti-inflammatory

____ Anti-acid tablets

____ Diarrhea meds

____ Hydrocortisone cream

____ Allergy medication (new plants!) - bringing Flomax, Sudafed, an inhaler, Dayquil, Hydrocortizone cream... can't remember if I'm forgetting anything

And that's basically it for now... once again, I'm really not sure if what I'm packing will suffice and I'm really nervous about that. I hope everything will turn out OK!

Now I'm going to close this post with a situation that no amount of diligent packing could prepare me for: 

#BreakTheInternet

I hope you have a much better day than this person! Peace out my peeps