Be a sissie and slap on the sunscreen, put on your hat and slip on some long sleeves.  Always be prepared for the unexpected when you take on mama Africa’s sun.

THE HOT AND THE SHORT

We all know that we should not embark on a walking trail without a bottle of water in  your backpack, but  this also applies when you are in your vehicle searching for those elusive birds or animals to tick the checklist.  As soon as you start feeling thirsty you are becoming dehydrated.  Remember to consume enough fluids even if you are not very active.

I always have to keep an eye on myself to consume enough fluids, especially when we are travelling, as consuming fluids while travelling brings on other interesting experiences when using public toilet facilities.  The long and the short is that an adult person should consume four to six liters of water per day (including those in foods) to keep the body properly hydrated and healthy.  Remember in extreme conditions you have to up your consumption of fluids drastically.  We found that in Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone, being on the equator where humidity is very high every day, you sweat a lot and we easily consumed up to 10 litres of water per day to keep our hydration levels up to standard and to avoid running into health problems.  Occasionally we did miss our liquid intake targets and like clockwork we ran into health issues!

Also take cognisance that the elderly is more susceptible to heat exhaustion and dehydration.  As we age the skin gets thinner so sunburn and skin damage will happen a lot quicker.   Be on the lookout for the symptoms and act quickly.

TELL TALE SIGNS TO NOTE

So what are the signs of dehydration?

My first signs are normally a headache accompanied by a lethargic feeling.   Signs vary from person to person, but dark yellow urine and a skin that do not return quickly to the original smooth position when pinched and dark circles or puffy skin under the eyes are all indicators of note.

HOW TO PREVENT IT

Wear a hat with a wide brim that provides shade to sensitive areas like your nose, cheekbones and ears.  My nose is my problem area for sunburn, but it is not always easy to protect it fully unless you want to look like the famous cricketer, Allan Donald.

Wear good quality sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.  My Diesel sunglasses has served me well on numerous trips in Africa and Asia.

If you turn from a white crab to a red crayfish from a little bit of sun, slap on the sunscreen and wear thin breathable (i.e. cotton) long sleeve shirts.  For some it may look silly, but it is highly effective!

Remember to cover your feet or slap on some sunscreen, especially when you are on a boat on the water.  Hubby turned from crab to crayfish while on a dhow in Mozambique and learnt this lesson the hard way!

Seek some shade during the heat of the day between  11:00-15:00.  Take a  nap, read a book, sit under a tree, go to a shop and buy your food for the night, do whatever your fancy is for that four hours of the day.  That is when the sun’s rays are the most dangerous.

Damage to the skin caused by the sun is cumulative and you will only discover the damage in later years.

EMERGENCY RESCUE

Keep rehydration sachets such as Rehydrate in your medical kit.  In Africa you will find it almost anywhere, but if you cannot get hold of it concoct your own, like the locals.  The recipe helped me out of some difficult situations in the past:

RECIPE:

1 x tin of Sprite

1 x teaspoon of salt

Let stand until salt is dissolved and drink frequently

The post THE AFRICAN SUN IS NOT FOR SISSIES! appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

If you like your own company and have some travel savvy then going solo is for you.  Going solo gives you freedom of choice and total independence to change your travel plans on the spur of the moment if something interests you on the wayside.

Things that you need to consider when planning your next solo African trip are the following.

You will need the ability to navigate.  There are not many countries left on mother earth that is unexplored, thus you will need a basic ability to navigate as there can be hundreds of tracks and footpaths not necessarily indicated on maps.  You must be able to understand and read maps whether it is a paper issue or a digital issue.  Sometimes you need to trust your instinct and basic sense of direction to find your way.

So you own a GPS, but do you know all the functions of your GPS, such as marking waypoints that you can return to later?  This can be of great value when bush camping as you need to mark a nice camping spot early in the afternoon but need to return to it later in the evening after dark when things have quietened down.

A reliable vehicle is not even questionable and some bush mechanics can take you a long, long way as everything is not always available in remote areas.  Even if you can phone somebody on your satellite phone it may take days or weeks for a specific part to arrive.

You will need a willingness to interact with the local people to ask directions or permission to camp or even buy some firewood.  If there is a village around do the decent thing and ask permission from the headman to camp there for the night.  They may even provide some security to you as a sign of respect.

Can you adapt and react to changing situations such as hazardous roads,  political climate, etc or are you set in your ways and love your comfort zone?  If you love your comfort zone you need to reconsider the urge of going solo.

The bottom line, and I think the most important aspect, that you must ask yourself is if you are prepared to rough it at times and skip a shower (or maybe two) to experience the joy that wild camping can offer?

Wanderlust: === the desire and irresistible urge to travel

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