Trad Gang
Main Boards => The Dark Continent => Topic started by: Elksong on February 28, 2018, 07:30:00 AM
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So I'm headed to the Limpopo province of South Africa in June. This will be my first trip outside of the country. I've been bugging everyone I know that travels or that has actually been to Africa what I need to know or have to travel half way around the world! So for you guys that have been, are there any items or bits of knowledge that I need to have before I go?
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There are a few things that I took and was glad I did. Foam seat cushion. They had those plastic stack chairs in the blinds which are comfortable but days can be long on them.
I have no idea how the blinds that you will use are constructed but the black plastic garbage bags that I took I believe helped. I would clothes pin or tack them over un wanted windows and to cover the areas that the door (usually a piece of carpet) did not. I feel this is important so that your movement is not as easily detected.
Of course when hunting in a blind think black or dark clothing.
Next time I would treat my hunting socks and pants with Permetherin. Both my wife and I got ill when we got home from tick bites.
Good luck on your hunt and please get back here to share it.
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Thanks Greg! I really appreciate the info. What time of the year were you there? I figured with it being winter in June we wouldn't have to deal with many bugs/ticks.
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Keep a daily journal. I have enjoyed mine immensely. Take lots of pictures and videos.
Murray
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Thanks MJ! I actually started keeping one two weeks ago, I figured I'd keep note of all the details leading up to the trip as well as the trip! Also, I go very few places without my camera. I cant even imagine how many SD cards I'm going to fill up! lol!
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we were there in the middle of July. I have not heard of anyone else having trouble with ticks and we did not have many. One for my wife and two for me. They all pulled of real easy but the prevention is so easy and harmless I defiantly would do it.
I would also recommend a side trip as long as you are there. We went to Victoria Falls and toured a game park. It actually gave us a better appreciation of the animals that we hunted. Of course we got to see some that were not on the property that we hunted. Africa is so big and has so much to offer take the extra time as long as you are there to take some more of it in.
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One accessory I've come to love hunting with are lighted nicks. My personal favorite is the nockturnals brand. Makes it easy to find arrows (expensive broadheads) after missed shots.
Fyi I had problems with lumenock brand switching / vibrsting off as the animal runs from thr hit
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I’ve been twice and here’s what I learned. They wash your clothes every day so you don’t need a lot extra. If you’re hunting from blinds you don’t necessarily need camo. I wore black t-shirts and shorts, it gets hot in those blinds.
There’s not a lot of archery equipment over there so make sure to take plenty of arrows, extra strings, and maybe an extra bow.
Lastly and most important take LOTS of pictures and have a good time.
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Thanks for the input guy's! Greg - I spoke with a guy this weekend that also got very sick after he returned home, from an insect bite. I'm going to treat me clothes for sure!
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Even if you forget your bow, remember a closed cell foam pad. If you are going to hunt blinds you will be miserable without one.
As mentioned earlier, go on at least 1-2 side trips even if they are just to local schools or towns. You will not capture the true nature of Africa from inside the blind. Do it early in the hunt or the hunt pressure will get to where you won't do it.
Take some judo points for birds.
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Do your side trips first so you are acclimated to the time zone.
I used ambien and sonata decreased dose each day a few times which helped but I would give myself a few days at least next time doing other stuff instead of pills.
COFFEE: I carried real coffee and an espresso pot - Helped me a lot - helped a lot of friends a lot - and some folks became my friends as soon as they smelled the aroma of me cooking coffee. It's a country of tea drinkers so heads up!
Book seats on air travel immediately and get the front seat upstairs.
If you know your outfitter and/or guides think about taking a few things you have double and triple of - hunting tools and stuff. Things are not easily purchased over there. I have given away some pretty cool stuff that was not very expensive but very appreciated. Small treestands, good knives, decent binoculars - stuff like that.
Two of the worst things I have seen are guys trying to manage jet lag with red wine and hunters trying to shoot at the trophy animall of a lifetime at first burst of a hunt 6 or 7 hours ahead of their home time zone
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We are headed to Namibia in Aug and we purchased some of the air seats for in the blind. They pack small, then just blow them up when ready to use. They were cheap and can be used when attending any ball game back home. I am also working on my packing list and have talked to several people that have been there. One good tip - make copy of passport, license, etc and pack in carry on as a back up. Also have the name, address, phone number, etc of the outfitter in your carry on luggage as you will be asked for it at customs.
Have fun and I also plan on taking lots of photos and video.
Everyone says that 2-4 64gb SD cards should hold all the photos and video. I am also taking a flash drive, in case the SD cards are full as the outfitter will download the cards to the flashdrive, thus opening the SD cards for use again. I purchased the electrical adaptor for Africa and also the converter. I hope I did right, as just the adaptor is not enough without the converter. They are on 220 W and we are on 110 W here.
Correct???
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You will love our Country, lots of archery stuff available here, but we battle to get good quality Trad stuff here. taken me a year to get set up.
If shooting Impala or Warthog they are prone to string jump.
Try Biltong, my wife has gone to the States before and says it beats Jerky hands down.
Take biltong and Droe wors (afrikaans for dry saussage pronounced drooh vors) into the blind. keeps you full for long. Just take lots of water with as its preserved with salt.
Winter is usually chilly nights (at least for us) and by 11am its getting hot so think of wearing a T shirt under a big jacket.
Boots are a must, you dont have to get anything fancy, but realistically they will get wet in the morning with dew.
Cap, suncream, hat and sunglasses are a must.
Come with an open mind, some of our roads are slow and systems are frustrating but remain calm and you will feel the African vibe that flows through us.
So happy you coming out this way, I love my Country.
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You will love our Country, lots of archery stuff available here, but we battle to get good quality Trad stuff here. taken me a year to get set up.
If shooting Impala or Warthog they are prone to string jump.
Try Biltong, my wife has gone to the States before and says it beats Jerky hands down.
Take biltong and Droe wors (afrikaans for dry saussage pronounced drooh vors) into the blind. keeps you full for long. Just take lots of water with as its preserved with salt.
Winter is usually chilly nights (at least for us) and by 11am its getting hot so think of wearing a T shirt under a big jacket.
Boots are a must, you dont have to get anything fancy, but realistically they will get wet in the morning with dew.
Cap, suncream, hat and sunglasses are a must.
Come with an open mind, some of our roads are slow and systems are frustrating but remain calm and you will feel the African vibe that flows through us.
So happy you coming out this way, I love my Country.
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Make sure you take some gaiters and wear them!
I was warned before I left, even though the grasses didn't look like anything to worry about, the tops have barbs that are as grabby as burdock burs.
One morning I remember thinking that I would just wait until I got to the blind to put them on. I forgot. About 1/4 mile into what turned out to be a 1/2 mile recovery of an Eland both feet, from the tops of my boots to below my ankles, were screaming at me "I TOLD YOU SO"
I ended up throwing the socks out because the little stickers don't wash away, and it took over 2 hours and a pair of tweezers restore the insides of my boots to wearable condition.
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Thanks guys! These are exactly the little bits of info I was hoping for. I'll be getting a seat pad for sure.
I see the PH on most of the African hunting films wearing some type of gators and I have a pair I can take.
Snowbeast- I am truly excited as a "kid in a candy store" to visit your country. I've wanted to go to Africa since I was a small bow and read about Fred Bear's adventures there. I've read Swineheart, Rouark, Hemmingway, Corbit, Capstick and many others and while I realized that today's Africa is not the Africa they wrote about I know that it will be the trip of a lifetime.
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While you are here get a can of Zambuk, the South African cure all ointment for bites, scratches, sore feet and just about anything else.
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Thanks Brian! I've got less than a month now! do they carry Zambuk in most stores there or are there specific places I should look for it?
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You should be able to get it from almost anywhere - supermarkets, trading stores, convenience stores. I always have some with me - love the stuff. The green is the ointment, red is lip balm and there's also a chap stick.
There are also some South African phrases you need to know - "Just now" can mean immediately or in a while or at any time form now on. :biglaugh:
A Bakkie (pronounced bukkie) is a pick up truck.
Babbelas is a hangover & ice cold cream soda is a popular morning after drink.
Eish - exclamation or emphasis - "Eish that was good"
Enjoy your time in our great country and make the most of the experience.
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Interesting information about the Zambuk and also words used there. As I will be going in Aug of this year I am also following this thread.
When I went to British Columbia, they also had some crazy words for several items - M&M's were called "Smarties". Lots of other crazy words. Was fun listening to them talk.
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I have just been bitten by a mozzie (mosquito) & reaching for the Zambuk right now :biglaugh:
We also have Smarties and many words that are different to yours.
Gasoline = Petrol
Kerosene = Paraffin
Traffic Lights = Robots
Elevator = Lift
Apartment = Flat
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Something else to bear in mind, our winters are dry (and dusty depending on area/ location) you could find your nasal passages and or mucus drying up and breathing gets very uncomfortable. You may want a good nasal spray to ease things.
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Books for reading and passing the time: there is a lot of down time.
Temperatures can be hot, cold, or just right. Daytimes usually warm but can go either way. Early mornings and evenings can be downright cold. If you are traveling in an open vehicle when it is cold, you will know it. I stocking cap and some gloves will be a life saver in addition to a light wind breaker over fleece. Various thickness of wool, cotton, or fleece during the day are very adjustable and let you tolerate a range of temps. Vests are very useful for this very purpose and can be any of the above materials and even a light very compressible down vest with plenty of comfort for little space or weight.
Cushion, journal, camera. Realize that while everything is new, that if you are blind hunting there really is a finite number of pictures worth taking. After awhile there REALLY ARE only so many warthog pictures that you need to take.
I always take a few of those red (or any color) bandannas with me. They work for everything from cleaning surfaces, holding a collection of something that you find, to providing an extra layer of warmth wrapped around your next, used as a napkin, or a cushion to lean you bow up against so that it doesn't get dirt, gravel or mud on the tip or in the string
A camera tripod. Seems like a luxury, but I usually take a point and shoot camera and then an SLR with lenses (maybe archaic at this point. There are many that are very light and can be packed easily. I set up the Nikon with the big lens out of the way and it cut down on a lot of movement while giving you much more stable pictures at a distance (this stability is even more an issue with small point and shoots that have tremendous magnification potential as any shake will blur the pictures.
Seems a little vain, but remember that you will be taking pictures of a life time, and that if you do take "hero pics " with game that has been taken you might want to look presentable and in some outfit that is not embarrassing. As important, is that many of those pictures that you take in Africa will be during the day and in bright sun. TAKE YOUR HAT OFF
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Thanks so much for all the great info you guys have given. I'm 11 days from my trip!
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I second the nasal spray and bandanas. I get normail saline at the dollar store, and I usually buy 6 at a time. I use bandanas all the time. Very handy to have around. A jacket and light gloves will be welcome. Actually, leather gloves would be nice at times. I carried 3 changes of clothes. Two would do, but I wanted to be prepared in case I ruined a pair of pants or something. I grew up on a farm, and I'm a realist.
Murray
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These are all great tips. I am watching this site as well, as I will be going in Aug to Namibia. Keep the tips coming!
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Gene,
I left my tripod with Antonie. Check to see that it is still in good shape, which it should be.
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I will do that. Actually I might use it. I asked him about taking one along and he said that he had a couple of them that I could use.
Now I need to figure out how to remove the clicking sound from the camera when taking a picture to now spook the game. Wife bought one of those fancy 35 mm cameras, but there is so much to learn about them. At my age, I just want to leave it on "Auto" and hope for the best. I see that it has 2 chips in it for taking more photos. Also need to figure out how to take video with it, although I have a small video camera to use as well. It will also take just photos. Think I will get 64GB chips for all the cameras. Also going to take a large storage thumb drive. Outfitter said that if a chip is full, he can download it onto a thumb drive then I can use the chip again.
Going on a safari with them for a few days before I begin hunting. That should be fun as well as getting to know everyone.
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As far as the click of the shutter goes, I can only say that the Nikon D60 was not heard at all from within the blind and I shot hundreds of pictures. I don't really know, but you may be able to silence the action on the digital point and shoots.
Video is fun to see, and I barely ever do it although in fact my small point and shoot has the capacity. I did however take several videos with my Iphone and they are fun to see although with relatively little magnification.
The traveling with them should be fun. They are very nice people and easy to be with. They are also lifelong natives of Namibia and know quite a lot about things. They are both former school teachers.
If I can add anything don't hesitate to ask.
BTW, there is a Market town ( the name escapes me but Antonie will know in a second) that is about halfway between Windhoek and the farm. It is a great place for buying crafts/gifts/ and knickknacks. People at home seemed to particularly like the small warthog tusk key chains but there are lots of wood carved items very small to too big to carry.
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You must be almost ready to travel Elksong. Getting excited?
:clapper:
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I am! I'm all packed up and ready! 3 days! I still can't believe I will be in Africa at the end of the week.....
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I also am starting to get excited about going, but still have 2 months yet. Thanks for the suggestions about the market. Would like to stop and see some of the things there. I heard to exchange some money as you need some change to use the restrooms. Is this true, maybe only in the airports??? Where is the best place to exchange some money and how much do you suggest? I am sure that Antonie will know and give me some advice, but just asking. Wife will have a carry on bag, but thinking that I should also find a small back pack for a few things for a carry on luggage. Have one large bag that we will put both of our things in, plus a gun case for bows and arrows, etc. Going to mark it on the outside "Archery Equipment". Inside I was thinking about posting my name, address, plus the outfitters name and address, just in case something gets lost. Think all the luggage is booked straight through to Windhoek and will probably have to open things there for customs???
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There is every reason in the world to be getting excited: it is a great adventure.
Depending on how you are getting from Windhoek to Makalaan (Antonie himself or commercial hire)and at what time, it is a long drive. They do not really like to drive after dark because of the potential for wildlife/vehicle interactions so stopping to shop should be a prearranged discussion and might be better going out or coming back depending on the time of day and how much time is available to stop.
As far a luggage goes, when I went from the US to Johannesburg and then on to Windhoek all same day and all on SAA, then the luggage was shipped straight through to Windhoek where I picked it up. It is a modest sized airport and I had no real problem at all collecting my bow. I have gone each time with one piece longbows in a tube case strapped together with my matching arrow case (green canvas covered "plastic drain pipe" that I bought many years ago from 3 Rivers. They have held up well although the end caps take a beating from conveyor belt abrasion. Strapping them together keeps them from rolling on the belt and they get counted as ONE item. At any rate, the Namibians are pretty low key and there has never been any fuss, manipulation, or attitude like you read about when folks go to South Africa.
Taking a carry on is a good idea for a bunch of reasons, starting with the reality that your luggage might not show up on time or even at all. Fortunately that has never happened to me in 4 trips. The flight is a long one and you may want any number of small things from meds like Advil, Tums, or sleeping pill to a tooth brush (small toilet kit). EVERYONE says to carry valuable electronics and optics so just counting a telephone, IPad if you care, camera(s), and binoculars, book, and change of clothing, hat and sunglasses... this is way past what your pockets will hold even with cargo pants. As far as irreplaceable items that travel, I have always felt that I could find a bow and arrows but not likely a familiar shooting glove so I carry that.
Even more to the point, on the trip home you will probably have a number of "purchased items" that are too delicate for your suitcase and you will want to carry them on. I have at least a couple of very light weight small back packs that literally fold up and tuck into themselves so available as needed. THERE IS an official weight limit on overseas carriers for carry on luggage. Fortunately I have never been checked because mine has always been way overweight. You just act like it is light as you walk up to the counter.
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Antione and his wife are going to meet us at the hotel in Windhoek on the morning after we arrive. We will arrive around 10:00 pm and stay at the hotel. For the next couple days, they are driving us around to see the country and some of the national parks (safari), then back to their place for 8 days of hunting. I am taking two take down recurves. One in a SKB gun case with a dozen arrows and extra archery items. The second bow will be in another check in baggage with clothes and another dozen arrows, just in case one of the bags get lost. Going to tape a sign on the gun case "Archery Equipment", so they know it is not a gun. Shouldn't see the baggage until we reach Windhoek as it will be booked through to there.
How about money exchange - where is the best to do that. I heard that some money (coins) were needed to use the restrooms, maybe this is just in the airports??? I still need to get a backpack for a carry on. Wife already has a roll around carry on bag. Thought I could use the back pack to and from the blinds as well. Just sent a note to Anthonie about my bow length, so he could check the blinds for bow length. I shoot a 62" bow, but strung length is 58".
Thank for your information and suggestions,
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I had forgotten about the money thing and sent you a PM. I believe that the BR thing is correct, but only small change needed and it seems to me that Antonie fronted me the cash. Exchange some at the airport and don't worry about it. In two trips to Namibia I think that I needed a coin twice.
I shoot a 62" bow and never had any trouble with space: front to back OR side to side. The blinds are plenty big enough, and you can even have your wife sit with you and have enough room to maneuver. There are elevated blinds, pit blinds and one above ground but only a step up.
Your packing of two bows separately should cover all usual bases.
You have this... relax and enjoy