East Africa Safari packing list

Your East Africa safari packing list is as essential as choosing your perfect safari package as it will be of great help in keeping you comfortable all through the East African tour.

East Africa Safari tours are popular with millions of wildlife sightings, especially with the wildebeest in the Serengeti Mara ecosystem as well as several other national parks that inhabit lots of wildlife.

East Africa is also home to mountain gorillas and a large number of chimpanzees as well as other primates. The highest peak on the African continent is also in East Africa which is Mount Kilimanjaro at 5,895 meters above sea level.

Deciding what to wear on an East African safari is easier said than done because the weather in Africa is nothing like many travelers from outside Africa expect. Africa isn’t one hot continent, the reality is it gets cold and hot depending on seasons and the time of the day.

It is important to know what to wear for a safari and some items need to be on any packing list for East Africa since they are simply essential.

The most important things to consider when choosing what to wear to Africa include comfort, ease, colors, temperatures, and style.

Try as much as you can to blend in with the background and be comfortable with all the activities. In this post, we highlight what you need to wear for a safari in Africa;

Clothes to pack for an East Africa safari

When choosing clothes to wear on an East Africa safari, choose clothes with safari-like colors. Colors like khaki, beige, taupe, or grey.

These colors are dull and blend well with the environment. Avoid wearing bright clothes with colors like blue, red, orange, pink, and yellow.

Black and dark blue are thought to attract tsetse flies and predators identify red with wounded animals. White shouldn’t be one to wear out to the field.

For the evenings and game drives, pack light clothes including T-shirts. For the evening, you should wear shorts and light T-shirts when it’s in the dry season and always carry a sweater for the cold evenings.

Activities that require walking in the jungle-like nature walks, chimpanzee trekking, mountain gorilla trekking, or any other primate tracking activity always wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers.

Since you are going to walk in the jungle where insects can give nasty bites, wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers is recommendable.

Wear shirts, long enough to cover your hands to the wrist and trousers long enough to be tucked into your stocking.

Shorts and vests are not anything to think of when planning to go on a walking safari. The long clothing should also be comfortable and thick with colors that can’t get stained easily.

Shoes to pack for East Africa Safari Tours

On your packing list, the shoes or footwear should be carefully catered for. For most of the safari, game drives sandals, and open shoes can be worn since the game drive is in the vehicle and you won’t have to get out and walk.

However, for activities that include getting close to the jungle with trekking, hiking, and walking you require hiking boots.

Ensure to have comfortable hiking shoes such that hiking is made easy and you don’t get bruises. To keep your legs warm, put on cotton stockings inside to keep your ankles safe. It’s recommended to try on your shoes maybe by taking morning jogging before you set out for the trip.

Brimmed hat/cap

Wearing a brimmed hat on an African safari isn’t just for luxury during an East African safari but for head protection from the scorching sun.

A brimmed hat is very useful especially when you have to go on a walking safari or move around during the day. Remember to carry your brimmed hat and for the trekking activities, simple hats or bandanas could keep female hair safe.

Hand gloves/gardening gloves

For trekking activities, hand gloves come in handy. Since you will have your body covered, your hands will too need protection. You will need to wear hand gloves to protect your hands from thorns as you hike.

In case you slide and would like to have a firm grip on a tree or any kind of plant, you need to make sure your hands are safe. Wear hand gloves for protection.

This East Africa safari packing list is applicable for Uganda wildlife tours, Kenya safaris, Rwanda tours as well as Tanzania safaris. Still, it applies to any other African destination though the above are our travel destinations and where we do tailor tours for clients.