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Kit List We have done some research and certain outlets will give you some excellent deals if you mention our name. In the UK our main contacts are: Nomad Travel (0207 833 4114), for the terrestrial projects whilst Watersports Warehouse provide good deals on any marine equipment needed, you will receive a discount voucher for Watersports Warehouse with your PADI form but if you want to purchase anything before this arrives please email alison.curtis@opwall.com with Dive Voucher in the subject box and we will send you a copy. Please mention that you are joining an Operation Wallacea expedition when you contact them and you should be able to get a further discount on the published prices. In North America Back Country Gear and US Outdoor Stores have a good selection of equipment for the forest for volunteers in the US, whilst Mountain Equipment Co-operative is the best for Canadian volunteers. Scuba Store has a good range of marine equipment with outlets in both the US and Canada. Try out your kit in realistic circumstances if at all possible before your expedition, especially new boots which can often need time to fully mould to the shape of your feet, and even more specifically new boots which should be soaked and worn till they dry on your feet to prevent blisters whilst trekking. All baggage, clothes and kit should be clearly labelled to avoid confusion. There are many volunteers, and some may have the same or similar items to you. Valuables are very occasionally at risk. Please make sure you have insurance, record all serial numbers and keep all receipts. Remember to carry all personal documents and cash safely in a concealed money belt. The sections below relate to equipment for terrestrial projects, marine projects, medical kits and relevant books. 230V electricity is available at many of the camps. You will need a South African plug adaptor since they use 3 large round pin plugs. In Mozambique the electricity is 220V and they mostly use the same plugs as the South Africans. If you need to contact home or friends when on expeditions you should be able to use your normal mobile phone although reception is very patchy in the various reserves. Changing to an MTN sim card in South Africa generally gives you the best coverage. There is no internet access at most of the sites, so it is best to tell your friends and family that you will mainly be out of touch during the expeditions. What to take for terrestrial based projectsHiking boots. Make sure your boots have firm ankle support, a semi-flexible sole with good grips and dry relatively quickly. Light-weight Gore-tex boots (or a cheaper equivalent) are a comfortable and sturdy solution. Rucksack or Large Travel Bag. Please bring a large rucksack or hold-all. Lowe Alpine and Karrimor are both good makes with adjustable back systems, though other makes also have this feature, providing a more comfortable fit. Many packs on the market today are not ‘rucksacks’ but ‘travelbags’ and there is a big difference. Rucksacks are built for wearing for longer periods, whereas travelbags are designed for carrying between bus stations and airports. Decide what you want not only for now but for the future. Due to the nature of the South Africa Expeditions you will not need to be trekking long distances with all of your kit, and so a rucksack is not essential. Day bag/Small rucksack. Needed for your field work for carrying water, paper, pens, binoculars, cameras etc. Waterproofs. A plastic poncho or lightweight rain jacket is useful, although it very rarely rains at this time of year in South Africa. Expensive heavyweight Gore-Tex raincoats are not recommended – they are hot and may get snagged and torn. Sleeping Bag. It can get extremely cold at night (below freezing), so we recommend a 3-season sleeping bag. It is also worth taking a sheet sleeping bag that can be used as a liner for your main sleeping bag. Roll Mat. Although some sites provide mattresses, it is advisable to take a good roll mat with you. Water bottle/platypus, etc. A combination of leak-proof plastic bottles (total capacity 2 litres) is imperative. There are many styles to choose from – it is not necessary to get anything fancy, though if you do want to invest in one of the ‘hydration systems’ on the market (Platypus, camelback, Ortileb) they do have the advantage of packing flat when not in use. Nalgene do a heavy-duty wide mouthed bottle with a measuring gauge. Whistle. Even if you never use it, it’s important to have a whistle with you at all times to attract attention in an emergency. Torch. Some form of torch is essential preferably a head torch which leaves your hands free. Make sure you take lots of batteries as it is not always possible to re-charge batteries and access to shops is limited. Insect repellent. The surveys take place in the South African/Mozambique winter and biting insect numbers are low at this time of year. At the South African sites (KwaZulu Natal and Kruger) where the chances of mosquito bites are low, hourly application in the evenings of insect repellents based on natural compounds is recommended. In Mozambique biting insect numbers will still be low but there is an increased chance of malaria so synthetic compounds such as deet, which are generally more effective but can melt plastic (eg watch covers, glasses etc), may be preferred. It is suggested that each person reads this link to insect repellents and then decides which of the various compounds they would prefer to utilise. Clothing. It is vital that you do not bring lots of bright coloured clothing for your time in the bush, as this will seriously impact on the viewing of game. Please bring neutral coloured clothes as much as possible (e.g. khaki, beige etc). Temperatures in the Waterberg and Kruger can drop below freezing at night so make sure you bring warm clothing. It is also advantageous to pack as lightly as possible. You may have to do your own laundry at some sites.
Towel. Don’t bring a big thick towel as it is heavy and won’t dry quickly enough. Excellent travelpac towels (eg Lifeventure) are available, but can be pricey—a hand towel will do the job. Sunblock. An important part of any African expedition kit, although at the time of year you will be in South Africa the temperatures will not be particularly high. However, the sun can still be fierce and a factor 25+ is recommended. Notebooks/pencils. These are a necessity for all fieldwork. Binoculars. These are essential for all bird projects and highly desirable for game viewing. (8 x 40 recommended) Desirable Items Head Torch. These are more convenient than normal torches, particularly for going to the toilet in the night! Don’t forget spare batteries! Teva type/reef sandals or flip-flops. After a long day’s working in the bush you will want to let your feet breathe. The advantage of Tevas are that they stay on securely in water if you are also going to the marine side. Alternatively Croc sandals can be used Watch with alarm. It doesn’t have to be anything technical. A travel alarm clock will also do. Sunglasses. Camera Bringing a digital or standard camera will enhance your experience but is not essential. If you want to work on the bird project, a pair of binoculars is essential. Mobile phone Your hand-phone, if it is tri-band, will work at most sites in South Africa and Mozambique although reception is a little patchy. An MTN Sim card purchased in South Africa gives the best coverage. Laptop. Essential if you are going to be gathering data for your dissertation. At most sites there will be limited access to electricity to recharge your batteries. Hot water bottle. Lovely for the really cold nights in the Waterberg Reserve and Kruger!
What to take for marine based
projects
Dive Training Courses
All
those learning to dive will need to bring a PADI Open Water Crew
Pack and PIC card (registration) with them. For UK and
European volunteers the best deal is direct from us. You can
purchase this
here. Note this includes the PIC cards which you need
for certification and if you buy a PADI Open Water Crew Pack from
most dive shops or internet sites they do NOT contain PIC Cards.
For US based volunteers you need to email
diveUS@opwall.com
and the costs will be $77 delivered to you. For Canadian volunteers
you should e-mail
diveCanada@opwall.com. Remember if are dive
training and arrive without an Open Water Manual and PIC card then
you won't be able to complete the dive training course.
If you are already a qualified diver, we will require proof of your dive qualifications on site. You will also need to bring with you your completed log books, and PADI forms.
PADI Forms Please bring your completed, original PADI forms with you and send a copy to Alison Darlington in the UK Opwall office. Without these PADI forms you may not be permitted to dive.
Logbook You will also need a Log Book—a simple A5 sized hard-back notebook will suffice although you can also buy specially designed PADI logbooks on site. Dive watch or computer. This is not essential for the PADI Open Water course, but if you are planning on doing any diving beyond this, you will need a watch that is waterproof to at least 100m. Specific dive watches can be purchased for around £50, although you can pay considerably more. Swimsuit. This is essential if you want to dive! Dive equipment hire. We have negotiated a deal with WEI (for South Africa) and Reef Divers (for Mozambique) whereby whether you are diving or snorkelling a full set of dive gear can be rented for £40 a week. Note this is a discount on the normal $14 a day charge but it has to be paid in advance and there are no refunds available. You will need to bring your own wetsuit (we recommend 3-5mm thickness). Payments will need to be made in advance for those diving in South Africa to WEI when you pay for your transfers to site and the Park fees or to Reef Divers for those diving in Mozambique. Please note that all dive equipment must be checked and serviced prior to departure, if taking your own kit. Roll mat - needed for those going to the Welgevonden and Mozambique site Sleeping bag - It can get extremely cold at night, so we recommend a 3-season sleeping bag. It is also worth taking a sleeping bag liner that you can use for extra warmth and to keep your bag clean. Waterproofs - A plastic poncho or rain jacket is useful, although it very rarely rains at this time of year in South Africa & Mozambique. Expensive heavyweight Gore-Tex raincoats are not recommended - they are hot and may get snagged and torn.
Medical Kit The following are essential items:
You may also wish to consider taking the following:
Important If you need to take prescribed medicines whilst on expedition, please bring sufficient supplies to cover your stay. For example if you are asthmatic you MUST bring you own inhalers, or if you have a history or recognized risk of going into anaphylactic shock due to an allergy, you must supply your own Epipen. Always waterproof and clearly label drugs (with generic, rather than trade names). Occasionally there are restrictions on travelling with certain medicines. If you think this may be relevant to you, please contact your Home Office Drugs Branch (in the UK: 0207 273 3806). Reference books for the South Africa expeditions Although there will be adequate reference books on site for
the surveys you might like to get some of the books listed below to help you
prepare for the identifications and to help ensure that you get the most out
of the expedition: Trees Birds Newman, K (2002)Birds of Southern Africa, Struik Publishers, Capetown. www.struik.co.za ISBN 1 86872 761 0 Chittenden, H. & Whyte, I. (2009) Roberts Bird Guide: Kruger National Park and Adjacent Lowveld: A Guide to More than 420 Birds in the Region. Jacana Media, Pretoria. www.jacana.co.za ISBN 1770096388 Mammals Walker, C (1996) Signs of the Wild - a field guide to the
spoor and signs of the mammals of southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Capetown.
www.struik.co.za.
ISBN 1 86825 896 3. Taylor, P. J. (2000) Bats
of Southern Africa. University
of Natal Press, Scottsville 3209 ISBN 0 86980 982 2 Marine |
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© Copyright Operation Wallacea Ltd. 2011. | Wallace House, Old Bolingbroke, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, PE23 4EX. UK. | +44 (0) 1790 763194 | info@opwall.com