[Leica] How to take gear long-haul

[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
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information