What should I pack for an overland tour

In Africa, overlanding is one of the best ways to experience the continent's incredible cultures and wildlife!

In case you aren't familiar with the concept of "overlanding," it's travelling through an area in a large purpose-built vehicle.

However, if your keen on an overland tour its pertinent to know how and what you should pack - your essentials will change slightly based on which countries you're travelling through and what time of year you're going. 

It's worth doing your research on the climate of the areas you are travelling to so that you know what to expect and what sort of clothing you should take. 

Packing sensibly is essential for your Africa Overland trip. One backpack and one daypack are needed and these can weigh no more than 25kg. 

We recommend taking a backpack or holdall, and don't allow suitcases - as they are too cumbersome and just don't fit properly in the truck lockers.

Its also good to note that airlines generally implement a 20kg per person limit on international flights for your luggage (your main bag) and a further 5 kg for carry-on luggage - its always best to include a spare bag for curios that you may purchase, but don't forget to include this in your weight for your trip home.

It's best to pack comfortable, casual and semi-casual "wash & wear" clothes - cotton is a good material for when it is hot, and fleece for when it gets cold. Reversible clothes are also very convenient and will help to reduce space in your bag.

Here is our detailed list of items to help make packing a little easier.

Clothes

• short-sleeved shirts or T-shirts
• 2 pairs of trousers or 1 pair and 1 skirt - try not to pack jeans as they take a long time to dry
• Warm sweater or fleece top
• 1-2 pairs of shorts
• Tracksuit pants
• Light sweater or sweatshirt
• Underwear and socks
• Hat/peak cap/bandana
• Gloves
• Scarves
• Water/wind-proof jacket
• Boots and/or sturdy trainers

Sleepwear

• Pyjamas
• Travel pillow
• Spare pillowcase
• Sleeping Bag
• Fleece blanket

Beachwear

• Swimsuit
• Sunglasses
• Beach towel and/or sarong
• Sandals (need to be waterproof if you want to go white-water rafting)

Toiletries:

• Personal toiletries, but no electric shavers
• Hand sanitiser/wipes (waterless sanitisers are convenient)
• Tissues
• Moisturiser

Medication/first aid kit

• Prescription medication
• Anti-histamine cream or tablets
• Antiseptic cream
• Sunscreen (high factor) and lip balm
• Pain killers
• Diarrhoea medication
• Moisturiser
• Elastoplasts/band-aids
• Insect repellent
• Sterile dressings in case of any minor injuries  

Extras

• Water bottle
• A good book to read on your downtime
• Extra memory/film for your camera (remember to set at the highest resolution as you might want to enlarge the pictures)
• Head torch
• Zip-lock bags (medium-sized for cameras, snacks, trash etc.)
• Extra batteries
• Travel power strip - a compact three-plug unit that includes two USB connections

Remember, that an overland tour is more about the adventure than the actual destination.

If you have any additional questions or queries don't hesitate to contact us.