Travel items for Africa
Over at White African, there is a valuable list of items to bring along during travel in Africa.
The following are the five items that I have with me in Malawi that I have repeatedly thanked myself for bringing:
- Rechargeable batteries. Whether they be AA or AAA, batteries in Malawi are ridiculously expensive (once you exclude the generic Chinese “Tiger” batteries that last about 2 hours on a GPS unit).
- African history books. I get most of my contemporary African history from online sources, but nothing online can replace the in-depth and detailed histories laid out in some of the 600+ page histories of the African continent and its peoples.
- Ultra-light backpack. This is
- Netbook. This is a recent addition to my collection and probably one of the most useful items while doing field work.
- Comfortable shoes. Walking is inevitable. Might as well be soft on the soles.
The two most important tools I can advise to anyone traveling or working in Africa are not material items, however. Patience and curiosity get you further and provide greater rewards than anything you could pack in a suitcase.
ht to Kim.
