[Leica] How to take gear long-haul

[coupdefoudrellc at gmail.com (Wilbur Norman)]

Adam,

First off, you are in for a real treat. Tanzania is a beautiful country and 
the people are great and very polite.

If you have not looked at F-Stop backpacks, do so. The Satori EXP is the 
largest but will still fit into the overhead of even the smaller jets like 
those made in Brazil used for short-haul flights in many places. There are 
lots of different set-ups with the internal cases that fit inside the Satori 
EXP depending on the amount of gear you are taking. Then, there is space 
left over for stuff like some clothes and any meds you travel with. Take the 
meds and your sunglasses with you on the plane as you will need both 
in-country!

Do a little internet checking on things like insect repellent. There are 
lots of mosquitoes and tse-tse flies in the country and the best policy is 
not to get bitten. If you do, not to worry, most flies are free of sleeping 
sickness (I think) but the bite hurts like hell! (Think large horse-fly 
bite.) Mosquitoes are most active dusk to dawn so wear long-sleeves and 
avoid wearing dark colors. If you are in the U.S. look at the State 
Department and CDC web sites for current info on hazards of all kinds. 
(Well, actually, you can look regardless of where you are.)

Remember the small things that will keep you healthy like watch what water 
you drink, ice cubes, salads, yoghurt, etc. These are consumables often 
overlooked that can make you very sick for a few days ? or longer. I eat 
street food of the grilled variety, always well-done but be careful with 
this as it can easily ruin a large portion of your trip.

Africans, like most people in the world outside Europe, America, Australia, 
New Zealand and S. Africa, rarely wear short pants. It is partly cultural 
and partly because of the physical environment. Long pants that dry quickly 
are a good investment if you do not already own some. I do wear day-time 
shorts a lot in Africa (and endure the stares it sometimes brings in bush 
country) but always wear hiking boots when out and about and switch to long 
pants and socks as dusk sets in. Boots are good protection from thorns, 
biting nasties, etc. The women in your group will do well to dress 
conservatively when out and about away from wherever you are staying. I tend 
to wear long-sleeve shirts all the time and pull up the sleeves. The sun can 
be a bother so I sweat rather than burn. If you are staying at higher 
altitudes it will get cold at night so a good sweater will come in handy if 
this is in your plans!

If you need a little R&R there is a really nice place just south of Dar 
(follow the bay around for 45 minutes or so: Kipepeo Beach something or 
other. 

Stonetown in Zanzibar is OK, but it's best to get to other places on the 
island. We like a little place in Bweju on the eastern side across from 
Stonetown. It's a bit of a drive but the bonus is you might get to see red 
colobus monkeys over that way. You can send me a private email for more 
info. Driving on the island is, perhaps, best left to someone who is a very 
good driver with quick reflexes. It's the getting out of the capital area 
that is the problem. People everywhere on the streets and roads. Once out of 
town one can relax a bit. Be prepared to stop every 20 km. or so for police 
checks. DO NOT run thru these! Be courteous and polite. I have never been 
shaken down for money, by the by, but have known friends who have been.

If you intend climbing Kili take the longest trek you have the time for. 
More people summit by taking, say, 6 days instead of 5. Acclimatization is 
key and that doesn't necessarily correlate with how good physical shape you 
are in!

Have a great trip!

Wilbur
P.S. would have uploaded some images but I'm new to LUG and haven't looked 
to figure out how to do that yet.


***********


On Nov 21, 2014, at 8:15 PM, Adam Bridge wrote:

> Hi LUGers,
> 
> Next summer I?m following a college group on a service trip to Tanzania. 
> Mostly I?ll be documenting their work in several orphanages associated 
> with Benedictine monasteries in the south-west part of the country. We?ll 
> also be doing a bit of sight-seeing in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and 
> finishing up with a week up near Kilimanjaro. It?s a month-long trip.
> 
> I?m honored to be the tag-along photographer!
> 
> I?m also intimidated about how to take a substantial amount of gear along 
> with me on the long flights. Fortunately I?m able to fly business class 
> (Delta/KLM) but I still am limited by carry-on.
> 
> I know there are folks who do this sort of traveling on an almost regular 
> basis. I?d really like to hear your advice on how to pack, what to take, 
> and what to take it IN.
> 
> My focus will be on the students, their interactions with their African 
> hosts, life at the monasteries. I have a reasonable selection of moderate 
> to fast primes. For the safari part I?m thinking of taking a ?super-zoom? 
> small camera that can shoot up to 1200mm (a Canon or Panasonic perhaps).
> 
> I?d gratefully value the communities? help. Maybe there?ll be something on 
> the ?Claus list!
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> Adam ?that?s a long time to hang in the air? Bridge
> 
> 
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