Questions

Our K&T is 9/20. Although think I’ve read every post in the Africa section of this forum, I do have a few questions.
1. Insects- they LOVE me. A swarm of gnats that bit my face at Rushmore put me in the emergency room. One of your posts said the 100% deet spray was dangerous. What do you recommend as the best either brand or percent to use? Most of my clothes are ExOfficio which are already insect repellant.
2. Shoes- are good athletic shoes adequate?(like ASICS)
3. Covid vaccines- ideas on what”up-to-date” means? We are vaccinated. We’ve both had documented Covid last year but I’m not sure how that record could be included in the QR code. I had one booster in Feb. he hasn’t boosted.
4. Ladies- do you completely forgo cosmetics/lotions while you are there?

Thanks for your responses!

Comments

  • edited June 2022

    I’m searching now to find a few facts for you, here’s the first
    https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/how-use-insect-repellents-safely

    Another fro mute CDC
    https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/toolkit/deet.pdf

    We spray our clothing with the type of repellent that you use on clothing too. We also have so,e clothing that has repellent in it.

    You don’t do much walking at all on safari so pretty much any closed toe shoes are Ok. I would avoid anything white as the dirt and dust make the shoes look dirty very quickly. We prefer slip ons for quick take off as you can’t stand on the seats with shoes on for photo taking.
    Tauck wants you to have boosters if it is over 270 days since you had your initial vaccine course.
    If you are a dedicated lotion and potion person, take it. I don’t wear makeup on the safaris, I’m not putting it on a 5-30 am before a safari Sunscreen, yes! Hot strong sunlight at the equator!

  • CaraBeth, we are going on our first African safari a month before you. Although I would rely on others who have been there several times for the best info, this is what we are doing to prepare: we will use picaradin spray for treating our clothing prior to departing. We also will bring insect repellent with not less than 30% Deet (as recommended by our international travel clinic); since I also am sensitive to bug bites, it will be long pants and long sleeve safari shirts as my primary wardrobe; we have our prescriptions for malaria meds; my understanding is that there is not a lot of walking, so I will be bringing my Taos sneakers as my primary shoes (great arch support and very comfortable). The only lotion I use is facial moisturizer with 30 SPF, and of course we will bring our 50 SPF sunscreen as well. REI sells netting that goes over a hat to protect your face from flies and mosquitoes. Also, we are both double vaxed and double boosted for Covid and recovered from Covid in early February; we’ve had typhoid and yellow fever inoculations, and are up to date on other vaccinations. British, have I missed anything? Hope this helps.

  • I also have some Taos shoes. Because I have frequent plantar fasciitis I wear ASICS 2000, but I think I’ll get a pair of slip ons for the safaris! Thanks for the input! We’ve done all the international travel shots and meds stuff too. My husband hasn’t had his yellow fever yet because he had to quit one of his meds for 3 months, but he will have it soon.

  • edited June 2022

    Many of us treat our clothing with Sawyer's Permethrin- available from outdoor stores and Amazon. It can also be used to treat skin. While it can be slightly hazardous to inhale, and deadly to pets when wet, once dry it is non-toxic and has no aroma. Apply per instructions. If you do, you'll notice in takes a fair bit of spray to treat your safari clothes. I mainly treated neck, sleeve and pants cuffs. The product claims that it maintains its effectiveness through 6 washings, is odorless, and fabric/color-safe.

    We treated our skin with Sawyer Ultra, 30% DEET or the wipes often supplied in our rooms.

    I am wearing a mask I use when I apply spray finishes to woodworking projects- it is a bit of overkill :D

  • Jan, I think netting over your face is going a bit overboard, you might need it for Uluru in the height of summer in Australia or in the highlands of Scotland, but not Africa. You might be lucky and not see a single tsetse fly. The mosquitoes are most troublesome at night. Some Deet around your neck should be sufficient.
    Here is a fun pic of Alan Cummings in a hat with netting in Scotland

  • Thanks, Alan and British. Alan, I erred—the Sawyer spray is what we use. One large spray bottle should treat 5 complete outfits (pants, shirt, socks). We also use gloves when applying as it can get on your hands. We also use Off Deep Woods Sportsman’s with 30% Deet. British, as for the netting, it was a recommendation in our final Tauck tour documents for our August tour. Getting excited—we have our visas and our travelers QR code required by Kenya.

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