Day 0 April 14: Mrs. Janes' Guide on How to Pack for an African Safari

Hello Class: It's the night before we leave for Africa and we are very excited! If you go to Africa it's important to plan ahead. We have been packed for at least a week. Notice at the bottom right we have packed the Garden School Tee-shirts that your school so generously gave us. How much do you suppose they weighed? Almost 15 lbs.! No problem-we have plenty of room. We also packed about 5 lbs. of Tulare City School books, which Mr. Hollingshead so graciously donated on behalf of the District. We are allowed up to two bags each and they cannot weigh more than 50 lbs. each. The bags are labeled with special tags (they have African animals on them!) for easy identification at the airport. For the trip going over I packed two changes of clothes in my backpack. I will also carry a crossover purse (and a money belt). It will take three days to get to Mt. Etjo so the backpack is a necessity.

Notice the pants in the front on the top picture are TAG Safari pants-I packed two pairs. They are sturdy pants for safaris and can take a tangle with the bushes (or good for running from wild animals!). I also packed several long-sleeved (one UVF) lightweight shirts-easy to roll up if it gets hot while exploring. All the colors of the clothes are earth tones (no bright colors, which may detract or attract animals). Sunscreen. Two hats-which will shade me from the sun, three pairs of shoes-low boots, regular boots and of course if you are from Tulare-cowboy boots! A fleece jacket for the African evenings and a black puffer one for the airports. They do laundry once a day,  so I think I am good to go. I will bring my lap-top, mouse, mini-iPad and iPhone.  I will also carry the smaller suitcase with the t-shirts. Mr. Janes, the Hunter, will carry a big suitcase with his safari clothes, hunting equipment and a locked gun case for his hunting rifle.

So many things, but I think we are ready. Oh, and not to forget the passports, some money and one credit card.

April 15, 2017 Day 1: The first leg of the journey is a drive to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). We will leave about 1:30 PM in order to get there at least 3 hours early for our 9:00 PM all night flight to London, England. First stop.

Let adventure begin.......