Trip to Africa, any suggestions?

I remember a couple CPFers visited Africa for Peace Corps.(or knew someone who did) A good friend of mine will be visiting Africa with her church. She'll only be there for 10 days. She wont be sleeping in the rural areas but she'll be out there for agricultural work during the day. Any advice as to what to bring? (I already outfitted her with flashlights /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

Drinking water, bug repelent, wet wipes, ziploc baggies and a nice flashlight /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Sunblock and a backup flashlight with extra batteries.

flashlight that run on common AA's or c or d cell would be very usefull,

I was in Kenya and Tanzania not too long ago. Things you need are Ziploc bags, your own TP, hand sanitizer, wet wipes (antibacterial), some sort of first aid kit with Imodium AD and ciprio, malaria pills, water purification pills, sun block, flashlight and a multitool. Spare batteries are also a must. If you are outside a lot good head cover would be helpful.

I also brought pens, hard candy and tshirts as gifts.

Since weather is unpredictable (short rains) I carried a rolled up poncho in my bag. Also good boots (comfortable) and socks. Take care of your feet. After Mt. Kenya climb I saw some people's feet and they were a disaster. Same went for the Kilimanjaro.

Word of advice on packing. Never ever stick anything you want to keep in the outside pockets of the luggage. I threw in some stuff into top pocket of my backpack that I bought right before checking in and they were gone. It wasn't expensive enough to file a claim (nor would it have done it any good) but it was annoying because stuff was stolen that I needed (soap, deodorant, tooth brush and my multitool). Thank god for backups. Other people complained of that too. Make copies of your documents. If you are bringing cash bring small bills.

Don't pack film into check in luggage since it is going to be destroyed by xrays. Keep your valuables in your carry on and stick with your group or people you know. Exercise common sense. I'm not saying I'm the smartest traveler out there but know a thing or two about country you are visiting. Know rules and regulations so you don't get scammed like some people I know. Ex. they were told they needed visa and paid $50 for it when in reality it costs only $20 and it had to be issued by immigration official not some stranger who walked up to you. Also when changing money stick to big places even if the rate will be a bit lower than the one that you may get offer in whisper on the street.

Make sure that even when you brush your teeth you are using purified water. Enjoy good beer and food. And have fun.

Hope that helps a little. If you have any questions please ask.

Matt

http://brunerdog.tripod.com/africa/index.htm
http://brunerdog.tripod.com/xpan/index.htm

I've heard that you should avoid medical care over there if you can. If you get sick or injured, stay away from the medical facilities if you think you'll recover without them. If you do have to go to them, don't accept any injections from them of anything under any circumstances, because of the high chance of getting infected by the needle. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Someone else said insect repelent -- bring something that is 100% DEET. Anything less is frivolous. DEEP WOODS OFF in a spray bottle is very handy. Bring a spare in case one leaks.

Bring band-aids and MERTHIOLATE and treat even minor skin breaks aggressivly. Any small nick can become life threatening if ignored out in the boonies.

If she gets far enough out there in the sticks, some people will expect her to be able to treat their maladies (and those of their children) just because she's an American. I'm not making that up. Having some extra supplies can be really important.

Bring extras of any meds she needs, (glasses, sunglasses, too) and small quantities of everything we take for granted in the west. Something as simple as asprin, for example, can be next to impossible to get in most of the Third World. You can give this stuff away when you are going to leave and really brighten up someone's life for a while.

Go to the dentist and tell him you're leaving for the third world. That is important -- dentists always assume that you will be able to get to them in a hurry if you have any problems, so be sure to tell him that you're going someplace with no dentistry so you need to be checked out really carefully.

Different sizes of ziplocks was a great idea someone mentioned.

Sorry I've mixed up my pronouns.

[ QUOTE ]
paulr said:
If you do have to go to them, don't accept any injections from them of anything under any circumstances, because of the high chance of getting infected by the needle. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Take along some sterilized needles of different sizes and ask the doctor to use those if you need any medical treatment. Tell your partners that you have them on you, too just in case you are unconsious when they are required.

Don't worry too much, and have a great time /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hi all,
Having current experience in a lousy part of the world, let me get some words in edge wise.

Some of you have made very good points, on the medical stuff.

Back home part of Georgetown Medical Center has a clinic for international travel. Your doctor will not have all the right medicaitons in stock. Some take a while to reach effectivness. Malaria is a real problem. Some of the anti malaria stuff will have interesting side effects. Larium, gave me the most amazing technicolor dreams. In others it has no side effects to full blown mental issues. Use a care.

The State Department web site will post a list of all the required treatments. You can leave the country, but geting back may be an issue.

Someone said pack spares. I keep two knives and two lights on me at all times. If I was allowed guns, there would be two if them as well.

Don't drink the water. AMCITS are not prepared to deal with the wonderful stuff that lives in the worlds water. Army Navy stores have pills that kill water born stuff. Buy some and keep it near by in the event you can't get to sealed water sources.

Don't brush teeth with local water either. Store your tooth brush in Scope or other similar fluid. If you buy drinks be sure they are opened infront of you. Trust nobody, Accecpt nothing from an open container. So far third world soda has been ok here. Our pepsi comes form Jordan, and our water from the UAE and Kuwait.

Fruit washed in local water is suspect as well.

Try to eat only cooked things. Things cooked well.

If you get the chance to take a shower, don't injest any of the water. Had a frend suffer in Brazil when during a shower he took a little oraly. Spent the next three days in the hotel room trying to figure out what OTC medication would knock this down.

Watch out for Ice. Ice made from local water still has stuff in it. Learn to live witout it.

Shake out your duds. Talked to a captian this week who got three stings on his knee when something crawled into his BDUs. Third world bugs make yellow jackes seem like whimps.

Look out for fake money. Bring two of those dollar checking pens. One of the local scams is to 'trade 20's'. The locals want high value bills from AMCITS and you get back US dollars money made in Iran. Have a clue about the exchange rates.

The advice of bringing a lot of small bills is a smart one. Many cultures never heard of the term MSRP, expect to haggel over the price of goods. If you don't the locals might not like you much. With some ethnic crew's if your the first in the shop your almost morally bound to spend some money.

Treat locals properly and with respect. For the merchants outside the back fence, I will bring a bottel of water, bag of pretzles, or iced tea. (Iraq being Islamic, don't bring anything 'unclean'). This marks you as a good guest and they will take care of you later. Came in real handy when I needed some fuses.

Watch out for third world electrical devces. Most of the world uses 220vac for power. Be sure your gizmos can take that voltage. "Power Converters" are not made to UL standards. Electrical work in the rest of the world can be done by anybody. Mostly it's a hobby industry. There is a reason why there were so many good high rise fires in Rio.

Watch your hands. Here waving with your left hand is nasty. In Islam the left hand is used for rest room activites. That's why they take theives right hand, it's an additional penalty and disgrace to eat left handed. In Brazil, the classic 'OK' hand signal is a no no, but the thumbs up is cool. Learn all of these things before you make a error.

International travel is an exciting experience. Most of it worth while to learn about the world. Some of it is simply survival where the rules are flexable.

Find a 'fixer'. A fixer is a local who will keep you from makeing the worst errors. Most companies have people who will take new people under their wing and keep the scamers at bay. We had one in Brazil and his help was worth the effort.

Keep your important papers with you. In my case it's my Army Issue CAC card. The passport stays in the tent. In your case check with the host country as to documents required. Many third world lock ups don't offer hotel services like food. Makes things kind of tough if your arrested.

Bring some books. The nights are long and dull, even in a war zone.

Hope all is well, please be safe.
Jack Crow in Iraq

ps new photos from here
http://www.obscure-reference.com/hosted/RadioMike/index.html

Amen, Jack, Amen

Wow, thanks so much you guys. You've all been a great deal of help. (I'll defiantly PM you if I have any other questions polak187)

Jack definitely has the goods. Well done, Jack! To add to his great advice, here's a few things I've learned (My wife is from the Philippines and we've been there several times). :

-Don't take flashlights that aren't chemcoated/HA anodized if it's a humid environment. Not a single m*9 I sent there still works. Stick with plastic or HA.

-Bulbs suck if you can't get a replacement. LEDs are definitely the way to go.

-Leave the odd battery size devices at home or prepare to take your own supply. If you can find a 123, it will cost you as much as a small house (joke, but they are _really_ expensive).

-AA batteries are available almost everywhere. They might be carbon-zinc, but at least you can find them.

-It gets dark quickly at 6:00 - always have a flashlight with you. When there aren't many cities around, the dark is darker than almost anything we have in the states. (I know, sounds odd, but I was really struck with how truly dark the environment was.)

-When it's this dark, a little light goes a long way. No need to fire up a SF M6 for a trip to the outhouse.

-Too much light can attract too much attention.

-Anything other than white light may attracted attention. This is OK if you're trying to meet people, but can be life-threatening if in an area that might have a para-military presence. To some, red, green or blue light is almost exclusively associated with the police or military.

-Expect everyone to want to "borrow" your flashlight, multitool and nail clippers... especially the nail clippers.

-If you want something, look casually and try to have a native friend go back and buy it for you. Vendors almost always did an "instant markup" of 500-1000% for "tourists." (I once had a woman tell me she would not sell me fruit at the same price as others because I'm an American." )

-If practical, have a native negotiate and pay for goods or services in advance. I can't tell you how many times this has saved me large sums of cash - A late-night charter bus ride would have cost me ten times what my brother-in-law negotiated. Man! The driver was very angry to see an American step into his bus, but a sizeable tip (still less than getting ripped off) a the end of the ride calmed him down a bit.

-Never put on you shoes without shaking them out first. All kinds of little beasties like to call them home.

-Depending on the culture, be careful about killing anything scurrying around, particularly if it's indoors. Some people look at mice, spiders and lizards as good luck. Ask before nudging Mickey gently skyward with your foot.

If you're inclined to offer charity to those asking for it, offer food or medicine rather than money - this way you know what it's going for. I'm always surprised at the folks that will ask for money, but refuse a meal. I suppose they probably wanted the money for alcohol or drugs, but I can't be certain.

-Don't even think of "fraternizing." Question: What do "working girls" and bungee jumping have in common? Answer: if the rubber breaks, you're dead.

-If you can, stay away from typical tourist gathering places. They are almost always targets for crime. Besides, the phrase "Ugly American" frequently comes to mind from natives based behavior witnessed in these places.

-To balance out the above, don't go too far off the beaten path. Public areas are safer. On the other hand, getting as far away from civilization as you can will often lead to the best experiences - just make sure you go with a native person you fully trust.

-Expect to be mobbed by children if you open a bag of candy in public. (Although, in the right circumstances this is quite fun!)

-A few words in the native language goes a long way. The most helpful phrases I've learned: "Yes," "thank you," "excuse me," and "where is the toilet?"

-Travelers checks are virtually useless outside of metropolitan areas. In many places, only banks will exchange them and when they do, often at a lower rate than cash. They are excellent insurance though. Expect to spend lots of time exchanging them.

-Depending on who you are traveling with, a tiny short-wave radio is priceless if you just need to hear English spoken or are a news junkie.

-NEVER let anyone walk away with your passport....ever. If they must take it out of your sight, insist on going with them.

-Pack as light as you can. Anything outside urban areas will mean lots of walking.

Have a great trip!!!!!!