What should you pack for your desert adventure?
Of course everyone has thier favourite items and own priorities as to what they need/like to wear but here is some guidance and ideas that will make your trip more comfortable.
The general principle is layers and comfortable loose fitting items.
Wherever you go take water at all times, cold days always turn into hot days and there is no shade, shops or kiosks in the desert.
Winter wear (June to Sept)
Even in winter the days are going to be hot but the evenings, nights and
early mornings can be suprisingly cool to cold so layers are the way to
go.
When you go on your sunrise trip into Sossusvlei start with shorts and a tshirt and over the top of your shorts a pair of trousers (long skirts not recommended for climbing sand dunes) and a light long sleeve shirt over the tshirt, then a fleece or jumper as a final top layer, this will keep you warm on the journey to the dunes and for the first 12 paces climbing up a sand dune, then you will strip off layer by layer until you are 30 paces up a the now mountainous looking sand dune with an armful of clothes and sand in everything .... so instead wear layers for the start then before you leave your vehicle take off trousers and fleece and start the climb in shorts tshirt and long sleeve shirt.
On arrival at the top of the sand dune, (or at a comfortable place half way up when you decide its not worth the struggle against this giant pile of sand to go any further so you will make a comfy spot and watch the sun rise form there), it may still be quite cool at first but as the sun rises so does the temperature make sure you took water, a hat, sunglasses, fresh camera batteries/fully charged phone (for photos not calling your mum) and plenty storage space on your camera, its a long walk climb back to the car.....
Summer Wear (November to April)
It is going to go from warm to very hot, long light fitting cotton
clothes are best with long sleeves being good protection from sunburn,
but dont forget to apply that suntan lotion to the back of your neck,
behind your ears, knees and all exposed areas of skin. When you start
off in the dark and cool morning air its easy to forget sunblock and when
you are sitting on top of the sand dune in the blazing hot sun you realize
the suncream is still in the car.... so pack it into the car the night
before and apply it when you arrive at the parking area before you start
your sunrise climb.
Footwear
What you wear around camp (see note 2 below) may be different
to what you may wear to climb the sand dunes. When you climb the sand
dunes the friendly Namibian sand with get into everything and fill shoes
to the brim making the already tough task of summiting a sand dune even
harder work so you will keep stopping to empty them out only to have an
instant free refill of sand as soon as you take the next step, this is
one occasion (apart from the beach) where flip flops are useful footwear
as the sand runs over them, you can take off your shoes and climb up in
bare feet, I love doing this as the feel of the soft cool sand under my
feet somehow gives me a deeper connection to this amazing place, however
I always take open shoes for the way down as later on the sun has heated
up the sand and can burn the soles of your feet as you scramble down (you
can counter this by rolling most of the way down, this is not a recommended
way of descent especially if carrying camera equipment).
This is a personal choice but all year you wont need winter style boots
or heavy shoes, many people wear open sandals comfortably all year, two
things to be careful with:
First for the vehicle driver make sure you wear footwear that holds to
your foot well (not flip flops) as you do not want it slipping off and
getting stuck among the pedals!
Secondly for walking around the resorts (especially camping areas but
all over the resorts), there are a lot of insects including several that
can bite and even the occasional snake so a more solid footwear is recommended
for wandering around the resorts.
Other items
Hat with a brim to shade your eyes (and neck) from the
sun can be a very helpful item.
Sunglasses (with good polarised lenses) are also pretty
much essential for Namibia as the sun can get very intense and staring
over the open, hot, sunbaked landscape with the shimmering heat looking
for animals tires eyes out quickly, also for the driver concentraing on
the hot dusty roads through the heat they are essential.
Swimsuit and towel for those hot afternoons at the camps
wher a refreshing dip in the pool is delightful.
Binoculars 8 x 30 magnification is good for animal spotting
but a higher magnification is better for birding.
Torch helpful for the occasions when the power is off
and early mornig car packing, essential if you are camping, remember batteries.
Camera you will certainly want to capture those memories
but obviously everyone has differnet requirements in this area, for more
info on photography and equipment see our Etosha Photo section.
Sunblock and lip balm Namibia is a hot, sunny dry country
so a good sunblock is essential as is a lip balm, cracked lips are common
for visitors to Namibia and very uncomfortable.
Insect repellent this one is a litttle controversial
as personally I do not use repellent because you are essentially killing
part of the eco-shpere you came to enjoy, most repellents despite the
name dont repel but kill those insects, which is part of the food chain
that goes all the way up to the birds and animals. Rather I recommend
wearing long sleeves and light trousers in the evenings and sleeping under
a mossie net.
Water bottle you will drink more than ever in Namibia
as the dry hot climate saps you dry, when you feel thirsty you are already
dehydrated, an insulated water bottle kept topped up with water is great
to sip through the day to keep you healthy.
Rehydration salts following on from the water bottle
some rehydration salts can give your body a pep after a few days sweating
in the heat, helpful but nothing beats drinking lots of water.
Converter plug Namibia has round 2 pin and 3 pin sockets
(same as South Africa) so remember to pack a converter for this, also
remember lots of devices charge through USB so a good investment at the
airport is a multi USB travel plug.
First aid kit a simple kit with plasters, headache tablets,
tweezers, antiseptic etc.
Personal Medications & sanitary requirements any
medication you need for personal use take sufficient for your trip, explain
to your Dr you are travelling and ask if they will draft a letter explaning
they are pescription essential drugs to avoid any confusion at borders!
Sanitary pads are available in Namibia but your favourite brand may not
be so pack what you may need with a few spares.
Insurance Travel nowadays seems to be more complicated
than it used to be with cancellations and changes causing all sorts of
issues, many of the businessess in Namibia will not refund if you have
to change your dates even if its out of your control, consider getting
travel insurance.
Sense of Adventure to make sure you have the best possible
time in Namibia!
Namibia is a well developed country but it is still remote and limited
in its development in many areas, service may not always be perfect, problems
will happen, accommodation may not live up to its expectations, you will
get tired and hot, embrace everything as part of the adventure and make
the most of each situation, enjoy the broad smiles and pride Namibians
have in thier beautiful country, many Namibians have not travelled far
in thier lives and dont understand international standards and 'needs'
they respond well to kindness and patience not always so well to rudeness
and shouting, wherever you are from come to Namibia with an open mind
and marvel at this amazing place.