If you’re going for the rugged experience of camping in the bush or participating in a wilderness trail, you’ll be carrying all your kit in a large rucksack for the duration of your stay. The organization taking you should supply a complete kit list, but here is our own kit guide of essentials that you should take, along with some important tips.

Walking Boots

Good, comfortable walking boots are essential on a wilderness trail. The bush throws up a host of thorn bushes to puncture your shoes, sharp grasses to slash your skin, rough, rocky ground on which to twist your ankle, and snakes and scorpions that have a habit of targeting the foot, ankles and lower legs when striking out. So full-height boots will protect you from all these obstacles, and make traversing the bundu a more enjoyable experience.

If you are buying boots for the first time, try on a number of different brands and choose the one that fits most comfortably. If any type of discomfort is experienced in the shop, it will be magnified greatly whilst you’re out on the trail. Ideally after purchasing new boots, you should try to wear them in before going on a proper walk in the wilderness. Most waking boots slowly mould to the shape of your foot and get more comfortable the more you use them.

Fitted Rucksack

It is important to have a well fitted rucksack, properly measured for your back length and height. Whilst most wilderness operators will supply equipment for you, care should be taken to properly adjust this equipment to your own measurements, if you’re not bringing your own. When carrying a fully laden 75 litre rucksack, if this is not correctly fitted you will experience back and neck aches and carrying the load can become unbearable.

If you are not used to wearing a rucksack and the shoulder straps are rubbing against your clothes, stick some tape or a large plaster directly to your skin over the shoulder area where the straps are rubbing. This will prevent you from getting chafed skin. A well fitted rucksack should have most of its weight on the hip area, leaving the shoulders to stabilize rather than hold the entire load. One good way to test this is to take one or both arms out of the shoulder harness while wearing the rucksack. If the weight is correctly distributed on your hips, the rucksack will not fall off.

Mobile Phone

A mobile phone is an important emergency tool. Leave it turned off and stashed in a waterproof carrying pouch in your rucksack or day-sack if you have a detachable bag for day walks. In the event of an emergency when your guide may be incapacitated, you will be able to make an emergency call and ask for help. Try to ensure that you store the relevant numbers in your phone, such as the game reserve head ranger’s office number, and the number of the organization you are travelling with. And remember to have it fully charged before you depart on the trail!

GPS and Compass

These are optional accessories but may help in an emergency, or you may wish to use them out of interest or practice. If you are taking a compass on an aeroplane, take it in your hand luggage to keep it well pressurized in the cabin. If you are not used to navigating using natural means such as the sun, a compass can be an important aid for use in the bush.

Knife

A good utility knife, such as a fixed blade knife with a full-tang and a 4 to 5 inch blade, or a strong folding pocket knife, is an essential survival tool and a very useful implement to carry with you. Try to select a knife that you can wear on your belt, either in a secure sheath or with a belt-clip. Look for knives with blades made from high quality steel, such as 440C stainless steel, or other steels with a high carbon content. Avoid blades any longer than 5 inches as these are impractical for detailed cutting and carving use.

Multi-tools such as the types made by Leatherman are also very useful and should be taken with. You could opt to carry a Leatherman instead of a field knife, as their blades are of a strong and good quality construction, but they are not as comfortable to use if you need a blade for woodworking or other uses that require handling the knife for long duration.

If you are travelling on an airline, obviously you need to place the knife in your checked-in hold luggage that goes into the aeroplane luggage bay, not in your hand luggage, unless you want it confiscated!

Water Bottle

The safari operator taking you on the trail is likely to supply you with a water bottle, but if they don’t you’ll need to bring your own. And besides, you can never carry too much water! An ideal bottle to take is an army issue bottle with a stainless steel mug that attaches to the top of the bottle. Both can be stored in a secure pouch. The steel mug can be used to boil water over a fire when you have no other cooking implements.

Water Purification

Chlorine tablets are sufficient to kill most waterborne bacteria and viruses, and iodine drops can also be used. Ideally you should fill your water bottle from running streams, or slow flowing water if streams are not available. Avoid stagnant pools. If unsure, it is always best to boil the water thoroughly before use, for at least 5 minutes.

You may also opt to use a portable water purifier, although these typically only purify small amounts of water. For larger supplies you may need to boil it over a fire in a large pot for some time. And always remember to use the rain for your benefit too! If you’re in the bush during the summer months and a thunderstorm breaks out, leave your bottle or container out in the open, in a secure position with a piece of clean cloth or t-shirt over it to filter out any dirt or insects that may fall in. And when the storm is over you’ll have fresh water to drink from, courtesy of Mother Nature!

Fire Steel

A fire-steel is a stick of magnesium with a steel attachment. The attachment is scraped along the stick of magnesium creating bright, hot sparks. This can be used to light a fire very quickly by shaving sparks into a bundle of tinder. Fire steels can be purchased from all outdoor supply stores. They will work even when wet and they are a more durable and reliable fire starter than matches.

Antibacterial Dry Wash

All forms of soap have anti-bacterial properties but there are brands of ‘dry wash’ that you can use without water. They typically come in the form of a gel-like liquid or foam, which you rub into your skin to cleanse the area.

It is very important to keep high standards of hygiene whilst out on the trail. You will be handling food with your hands as well as touching plants that may contain poisons, and also the mandatory trips to the outdoor lavatory. There are many chances to pick up nasty types of bacteria, but these can all be eliminated by simply using a dry wash before you handle or eat food. It can also be used to clean any cuts or abrasions you may get, as well as bites and stings.

First Aid Kit

A basic medical kit for first aid should be packed into your rucksack, preferably in a relatively easy to access place. Even if you’ve had no first aid training, you can pack the standard essentials such as antiseptic cream and wipes, bandages and plasters, paracetamol and ibuprofen, and some antihistamine in case of allergic reactions.

In the bush there is, in fact, a wealth of natural healing plants that can be utilized for virtually every illness and infliction you could encounter. With a little knowledge of these plants and their uses, you can dip into Nature’s very own medical kit! Please see our Flora section for some brief accounts of common trees and plants and their uses.