What I Packed for South Africa

Packing for South Africa was similar to what I’d pack for just about any trip. I knew I wanted to carry on, especially as I’d be traveling from place to place by bus. I’m so glad I did because I saw lots of travelers with massive backpacks and suitcases struggling to maneuver them.

The weather was mostly warm but there were some cold and rainy days. The only added packing problem was what to do with the camping gear I’d need in Kruger. I’ve noted below what I didn’t need or wish I’d packed instead.

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South Africa Packing List

Luggage and Camping Gear

My biggest priority was to be able to carry on my luggage, especially since I had a few layovers, so I packed in my trusty blue Outdoor Products Artemis 35L (reviewed on Her Packing List). And I don’t usually need camping equipment, but my tour with Acacia didn’t include gear rentals. That meant I had to bring a sleeping bag to use for the first week.

Outdoor Products backpack– I’ve had a lot of backpacks over the years and this is still my favorite.

Pacsafe Slingsafe– I’ve had this daypack for many years and it’s one of my favorites. I mostly used it to carry my big camera around Kruger and to transport my electronics from one destination to another because of its theft-proof features.

Herschel fanny pack– After my waterproof fanny pack from Amazon that I used in Central America finally ripped, I purchased this one secondhand from Depop. It’s not waterproof but was able to hold my DSLR. I used it as a purse.

RuMe zippered bag– I got this fold up tote bag from a media event and despite the fact that I have since destroyed it, I loved it. It’s the perfect overnight bag with a zippered top and was useful when carrying home duty-free wine.

Sleeping bag and camping pillow– Thankfully I borrowed a sleeping bag from my sister Sammi so I didn’t need to buy one. But if I had known how hot it would be, I probably would have just purchased a thick blanket at a store in Pretoria and ditched it when I got to Durban. Cotton On has a travel section for items like this.

Clothing and Accessories

4 pairs of pants- I wore my Prana Steph joggers, leggings from the Under Armor outlet, black Spanx faux leather leggings, and Alternative Apparel eco-jersey joggers. I ended up leaving the Spanx leggings in Cape Town because they ripped.

2 dresses- I brought two dresses, including an Alternative Apparel tunic I bought at a warehouse sale and a black maxi dress with slits, also from Alternative Apparel.

2 jackets- I brought my jean jacket from a Shoreditch market and my rain jacket from the Eddie Bauer outlet.

4 tanks and tees, including one black tank from Alternative Apparel and my green Prana tank as well as 2 short sleeved shirts, grey and pink, from an Alternative Apparel sample sale.

Buff

1 baseball hat

3 pairs of shoes- My Birkenstock rubber sandals were essential, especially for beach days. I also packed my new Allbirds Women’s Tree Runners and a pair of Asics trail runners I got at Nordstrom Rack for Table Mountain.

Jewelry- I brought a few pairs of earrings but sadly lost my jade elephant necklace purchased years ago in Thailand.

1 Turkish towel– This is an essential travel item, used as a blanket, scarf, sarong, and towel.

Assorted bras, undies, socks

2 swimsuits

Gear and Electronics

Travel adapter– I ordered this adapter in advance and it worked most places, especially for charging multiple devices. Keep in mind that South Africa has multiple prong types, so it’s smart to get more than one.

Canon T1i DSLR

75-300 mm zoom lens– I purchased this lens for Borneo and it was great for capturing the animals in Kruger. It was originally purchased refurbished from B&H.

Manfrotto monopod– I also purchased this monopod back in 2014 and it stabilized my shots. It also folds up fairly small. I also brought an extra SD card and battery.

Headphones

Headlamp- I’ve had my Petzl Tikkina for years and it was great for going to the campsite bathroom at night.

Lock- I had both a combination lock and a key lock. I needed one for my locker on our overland truck.

Airplane footrest– I hoped it would help me sleep, but didn’t make a huge difference.

iPhone and assorted chargers

Kindle Fire– I downloaded Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime, a must-read while traveling in South Africa.

Etc.

Eagle Creek packing cubes- The ONLY WAY TO PACK! I’ve used them for years and have spread the cube gospel to everyone I know.

Platypus collapsible bottle– This was one of two that I brought. I found there to be plenty of places to fill up clean drinking water, but I also brought drops to purify.

Clothesline– I didn’t end up using this.

Laundry packets- These either! It was cheap to get laundry done.

Passport (duh)

Journal- This little notebook was equal parts diary, itinerary, and budget management.

Snacks from trader joes

Hand sanitizer- I didn’t bring it but I wished I had because some places didn’t have water because of the drought.

Earplugs and eye mask- a MUST for shared dorms

Toiletries

Mosquito repellant– I used a solid version and a natural spray one.

Sunscreen

Malarone- I went back and forth about whether to take it, but ended up siding with caution.

Contacts and glasses

Various medicines: Pepto Bismol, rehydration salts, Ambien, ibuprofen, antihistamines, bandaids, etc.

1 travel hairbrush and hair ties

Small amount of makeup

Shampoo and soap

Razor

Deodorant

Nail clippers

Witch hazel- perfect for blemishes and mosquito bites!

Epic Wipes– Used after my Kruger trip!

Travel insurance– I didn’t need to claim, thankfully! But I always use World Nomads.

Did I miss anything? What would you pack?