Masai Mara Game Reserve What to Pack

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Luggage and bags: For game drives, you will want something that can keep the dust out. A simple backpack with a zipper may be sufficient for most purposes. This is particularly good to consider when you think about suddenly stopping at a wildlife sighting where you will probably want to get your camera out - or get one of several cameras out for those who like different weapons for different shots. Something with multiple small zippers is probably best, and keep everything in the same pocket each time so that you can quickly grab it. You will not do much walking due to the danger of the animals to walkers, but backpacks are convenient. The roads will really rattle you around in places, so you may want a padded camera bag to protect your favorite weapon of choice. Some method of keeping your camera easy to reach while at the same time protecting it from the dust will be really helpful - even something as simple as a zip-lok plastic bag around it will help keep the dust out.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: As suggested in the game drives tip, you will get dusty. You may want a dust mask or some other thing to hold over your nose and mouth during the worst of the dusty situations.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Game drives go quite far from any toilet facilities and the toilets at the hippo pools (such as they are) don't have toilet paper. Thus, you may want to bring your own. Also, take a look at the photos! There isn't much to hide behind, so you may want to bring a blanket or towel large enough for someone to hold to provide additional privacy.

Photo Equipment: Telephoto Equipment is extremely desirable here. Landscapes can be spectacular, but you've probably come here to see animals, and in many cases they are far off. Filters, and particularly a UV filter, would be good too. Otherwise some of the distant spectacular landscape vanishes when you take your photo. Very fine resolution film (50 or 100 ASA or so) would be good if you need to enlarge the photo a lot when you get back. A very good digital at maximum pixels *might* give you enough resolution, but the best films still provide a few more dots per inch to work with.

Compare: my photo of the elephants here with Cindy L.'s photo of the same elephants with a good telephoto lens
Can you find 3 giraffe in photo 2?
Photo 3 shows them closer
Photo 4 shows why zooming with digital zoom may not work well - the camera doesn't have enough information to make a good photo.

See telephoto tip at web site, below.

Miscellaneous: Snack foods of various kind that can survive the warm temperatures in the sun during a game drive would probably be useful. Bottled water at your hotel will be expensive, so stop at a grocery store and get your own case of bottled water.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: A warm pullover or sweater is recommended. It can be as cold as 15 degrees at nights.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Remember mosquito repellent lotion or spray, and anti-malaria tablets.

Photo Equipment: Video and photo camera is a must

Miscellaneous: 2 liter of bottle water per day and some extra food is recommended.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Hello Ladies
At first this might seem as an odd piece of advise – None the less I'm sure at least some of you'll know what I mean.
I can't stress enough how a well fitted sportsbra will benefit you on a gamedrive in the Masai Mara.
The tracks are very bumpy and it is immensly uncomfortable for women of normal+ bust-size, unless 'everyting' is safely secured.

Photo Equipment: Do bring binoculars -

Luggage and bags: One carry on bag plus a camera bag - this was sufficient for 2 weeks of travel to kenya and Egypt. Laundry services are readily available and chances are, especially if flying on a domestic airline or between countries in Africa the strict luggage restrictions will be observed due to weight limits!

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: 2 Jeans (1 you wear on)
Comfortable khaki shorts with multiple pockets for film
5 T shirts (pullovers)
2 short sleeved shirts (dual purpose - semi nice casual)
2 Long sleeved shirts
5 pairs of socks and undergarment
Comfortable shoes for walking
1 pair sandals

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Basic toiletries PLUS your own soap
Band-Aids (minor scrapes & blistsers
Neosporin
ANY reg meds PLUS a copy of their prescription
Broad spectrum Antibiotic (get from your Dr.- such as Cyproflaxin)
Ace bandage, in case of a twisted ankle or minor sprain.
Ambesol (In case of a tooth ache)
Body lotion or Body Butter - the sun in Africa is strong and the dusy dry air is brutal
Myloflex for sore muscles and minor joint pain
Anti Malaria pills (if using Doxyciclyne you will need to continue treatment for 2 weeks after you return home.
Mosquito Repellent (With DEET)
Sunblock SPF 45 (such as bullfrog which is waterproof)

Photo Equipment: Definetely go Digital if you can manage it. Also, a larger GB card, such as a 3 or higher will hold thousand pics or more.
We also invested in a Wolverine: http://www.wolverinedata.com/ which is a convinient external hard drive about the size of a calculator in which you can store your photo's.
We paid about USD $99.00 for ours but it holds up to 10,000 photos! It is a convinient back up which is then easily connected to your PC once you return home and downloaded into your hard drive or burned into DVD format.
A good multi focal length lens such as a 50 or 70mm - 300mm lens designed for your camera.
Africa is BIG, showing BIG landscape and requires a versatile lens.
Circular polirizer filters, as well as UV filters for the days shoot. Especially helpful if you're shooting towards water as it will cut down on glare and even help "de-flatten" your subject matter when shooting afield.
Sturdy Tripod for evening/early morning shooting or a beanbag to stabilize your lens when shooting out of a vehicle.

Miscellaneous: Ear plugs (if you're a light sleeper the sounds of the bush might prove difficult).
Photocopy ALL your important paperwork in triplicate. Divide between 3 different areas of your luggage (i.e., BAck pack, suitcase and money belt). Keep your original passport, drivers license, Visa, etc. in hotel safe or, room safe.
Also: Good idea to also photocopy numbers of your travelers cheques.

Photo Equipment: Only in the lodges can you find any batteries and film. There is no processing available nor any repair facilities.

Miscellaneous: Take plenty of food while in the Mara. You can only get bread, eggs, and other small stuff at the Kiosks in Talek town. Bring water as it is expensive in the park. Firewood is available in the park

Luggage and bags: A soft bag is much more useful than a hard suitcase, especially on the safari vehicles that transfer you from the airstrip, or if you travel from Nairobi overland in a safari vehicle.

Remember that the total weight allowance on the light aircraft is 15 kg, which includes your hand luggage.

Make sure you have a day sack of some sort to carry the stuff you need to take out with you on game drives every day!

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Lighweight clothing for during the day, long sleeved shirts and trousers to protect you from the sun in the day and the mosquitos at night.

Warm gear for early morning and late afternoon safari drives.

Comfortable closed in shoes, plus sandals for lazing around the pool.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Take it all with you, as you may not be able to buy it in the lodge/camp. There was a small shop selling s few necessitites in the camp, but better to bring your favourite make. Mosquito repellent, sun screen.

Photo Equipment: You need at least a 300mm lens for wildlife photography and a 500mm lens for bird photography.

Take a tripod or mono pod for steadying your shots in low light.

A plastic bag to protect your gear from rain and dust is a good idea. T

ake at least twice as much film as you think you may need.

Take plenty of batteries, especially if you use rechargables as the restricted electicity hours may make it diffciult to recharge them in time.

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: Warm jacket, wind / rain proof, woolly hat, gloves, scarf for cold game drives.

Sunhat.

Swimsuit for if you wish to take a dip in the pool.

Miscellaneous: Torch - a small head torch is useful for walking around the camp after dark, a stronger one is great for spotting game during a night drive.

Binoculars.

Alarm clock for those early morning game drives.

Luggage and bags: On the game drives you might want to take along a backpack for water or munchies.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Rain jackets or fleece, sneakers, flip flops, hat, long pants, long sleeve shirts

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Insect repellent. Sun screen. Always bring along an medicine you might be talking as well as tylenol or ibuprofen.

Photo Equipment: extra batteries film chargers, AC adapters plastic bag in case of rain. Binoculars

Photo Equipment: Black n White Film! What a great wing-span!

MASAI-MARA, 9/2002