What to pack for a Kenyan safari (and what to leave at home)
The packing list refined over hundreds of trips — essentials, nice-to-haves, and the things everyone regrets bringing.
After hundreds of safaris, we can tell you exactly what gets used and what rides home untouched. Here is the honest list.
The essentials: neutral-coloured clothing (khaki, olive, stone — dark blue and black attract tsetse flies), a warm fleece for dawn drives, a wide-brim hat, high-SPF sunscreen, decent binoculars (one pair each — sharing binoculars ends friendships), and any prescription medication in your hand luggage.
The nice-to-haves: a buff or scarf for dust, a power bank for the vehicle, a headlamp for camp, and a paperback for the midday lull.
Leave at home: hard suitcases (soft duffels only on light aircraft — 15kg limit), camouflage clothing (illegal for civilians in Kenya), drones (banned in the parks), and anything you would be sad to coat in red dust.
One habit worth adopting: pack one full outfit in your carry-on. Checked bags almost always arrive — but “almost” is a bad word to test on day one of a safari.
