Twenty Six Pounds

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Twenty-Six Pounds! posted on 7th of august, 2008

While getting ready for a safari trip (about which I will write much more in coming weeks, I hope), I am confronted by an extremely strict weight limit: 26 pounds! This must include checked baggage and carry-on, toothbrush, clothing and camera :(

Winnowing down my choices has been extremely difficult. What's more valuable for a safari? A wide angle to get the most from the landscape, or a flash for indoor shots of family post game ride? What do I need more, another book, or a back-up battery?

This has not been easy, but the alternative, which is to have items summarily confiscated, is worse :(

Has anyone else traveled with these extreme (or so they seem) weight limits? How have you handled the restrictions?

Tags: africa limit safari travel weight

Comments (6)

	Comment by Charlesoutcalt on August 20, 2008 Amazing animal photos, Holger. Looks like you have spent quite a bit of time in Africa.
	Comment by Flatscreen on August 20, 2008 Hi Charles, its not easy to take the useful things with you - especially if you have such a weight limit. I thought also about this as I did my first trip to Africa. For me, the most important is the camera equipment (and my wife of course ;-). Take the camera, spare batteries, storage, flash, wide angle and telephoto and - if you have - a macro lens, a bean bag, some utilities to clean and something to cover your camera (dusty roads). And then take all the rest! And don't forget to have some space left for gifts. Ciao, Holger
	Comment by Amyemilia on August 13, 2008 I meant to add - I almost always travel this light whether for business or pleasure. It is really the best way since the less you take, the less you have to carry around and worry about. You should assume that anything left un-guarded (even for a moment, even in seemingly safe places) could disappear. Excellent advice for travel packing can be found at onebag.com as well.
	Comment by Amyemilia on August 13, 2008 Take the battery - you won't need the book. I would take the wide angle - you won't see panoramas like this very often. Skimp on clothes (you are going to be able to find and/or want to buy souvenir shirts anyway. And, you might consider wearing two or three layers of clothing on the plane - definitely wear your heaviest shoes! You won't regret wearing the same clothes over and over (although make sure you have a couple pairs of socks if you are hiking or walking in the bush). The book can be read some other time. But you WILL regret not having the battery or the wide-angle. Take your favorite bug repellant, hat, and sunscreen. You should consider a small all-purpose repair kit: Duct tape, super glue, a small sewing kit, and dental floss. These items will get you out off a lot of jams! I'm sure you've already thought about the problems of photo storage. How are you going to resolve that?
	Comment by Cleaper on August 07, 2008 What an extreme weight limit - poor you! I would go with a back up battery as from my experience on Safari there is so much to look at you won't need a book! This is one reason why I got the Olympus E-400 when it came out - light and small so it can just about fit in a pocket (albeit a big pocket!). I would go with a wide angle and a zoom so that kind of takes up the whole weight limit! Difficult one.
	Comment by Dnavarrojr on August 07, 2008 If they don't have a problem with your own weight... Take the book and eat the extra battery then retrieve it when you get there. :)

Comments (6)

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Photo credits: Aleksandr Ugorenkov.

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