February tour, bugs
Do you know how the bug situation in February?
How strict is the weight limit for bags? One big checked suitcase and just a lightweight backpack for carry-on when it's 20 hours of flying?
Going Feb. 8th, 2025 thanks
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Do you know how the bug situation in February?
How strict is the weight limit for bags? One big checked suitcase and just a lightweight backpack for carry-on when it's 20 hours of flying?
Going Feb. 8th, 2025 thanks
Comments
Always assumed there could be mosquitoes
Tauck give you a duffle which must be used for part of the tour plus you can take a small backpack. You big case catches up with you several days later.
We have done this tour four times and have never brought a big suitcase. We use the two duffels as our primary luggage. We use the roll aboard as a ‘dolly’ for one of the duffels, and we check the other duffel with the liquids. We share the onboard luggage in the event that the checked duffel goes lost. At least one person has lost their checked luggage on each of our trips. Carry what you really need on the airplane. As added insurance I wear safari clothes on the airplane. Most “travel” clothes make lousy safari outfits.
Thank you Sealord! Can I use their duffel as my carry-on and another small personal item? Is the roller board (small 21"rolling suitcase) the size that can normally be a carry-on, but you check it because of liquids?
Should I spray all my outer clothes with Permethrin or just the edges? Going Feb 8th
You should spray all the areas of your shirts and pants. Spraying only on the edges will not stop a mosquito from biting you where you don’t spay so spray everywhere.
First time we went to Africa, we sprayed entirely all over our garments and it took several big bottles of spray. When we thought more carefully, the next visit, we decided to just spray the neck, sleeve holes and leg openings. Mosquitoes can’t bite through clothing and we feel the spray near the openings is enough to disguise the carbon dioxide we give off. Tsetse flies can bite through clothing and it hurts…from experience! Whatever, we always wear clothing covering as much of our skin as possible and use deet just for our exposed skin as it is such a toxic chemical. There is the added benefit of sun protection this way too.
Yup, just need to spray cuffs, neck opening and cuffs.
Permethrin spray is hazardous, especially to pets, until dry. Once dry it is safe and has no odor.
I can attest that I have had mosquitos bite through thin t-shirts and thin fabric pants. I don’t know how they do it, but it has happened to me. I can be among people, and I’m the only one the mosquitos like.
Really even the tiny African species? I guess you can justify the spraying all over. Our t shirts and safari pants are not thin. Of course it’s a different matter with those pesky tsetse flies.
This is an excellent article.
For us, we use the method of thickish loose clothing and then Deet on exposed skin. We certainly don’t look glamorous on our Africa trips compared to others in shorts, but we feel both bug and sun protected.
We no longer spray all over our clothing, partly because you require bottles and bottles of the stuff and partly because ideally, you should not wash treated clothing with other garments.
After 9 trips to Africa and quite a few other countries that have malaria carrying mosquitoes, I’ve only knowingly been bitten twice and that was in my bedroom on one of the times I’ve been to Victoria Falls.
https://www.healthline.com/health/can-mosquitoes-bite-through-clothing