Safari Backpack

Something that often gets overlooked when going on safari, at least until the last minute, is what you are going to pack your camera, binoculars and other equipment that you may be taking with you in.

Obviously you don’t want to have to put your camera in the cargo hold with the rest of your luggage and whilst you are actually on safari you want to be able to comfortably carry your equipment around with you as well as have quick and easy access to it.

Best Camera Backpack
So to me it makes sense to have some sort of travel backpack: This is because they are easy to carry on your shoulders, freeing up your hands and so long as they are small enough, they can be taken on board the aeroplane with you. Depending on how much camera and other equipment you have you may decide to use a specifically designed camera backpack as opposed to just a standard daypack or safari backpack – this is because with the best camera backpacks you can be sure that all your equipment will be properly protected, your most used items will be easily accessible without having to dig down to the bottom of your bag and they have a whole host of features that will make travelling with your safari equipment that much easier.

Vanguard Skyborne 51 Camera Backpack with Laptop Compartment

I suppose I take quite a bit of equipment with me on safari, but in my opinion not an excessive amount – just the stuff that helps me enjoy my holiday as well as a few thing so that I can also do a little work. So this will usually include (In order of importance):

• Binoculars (Usually Compact or at least Mid-Sized)
• Camera (Bridge Camera not SLR)
• Telephoto Conversion Lens
• Tripod (Small Travel Version)
• Night Vision Binoculars (sometimes a scope rather than binos)
• Laptop (a small notepad)

(For a more specific list of the exact models take a look at this article I recently wrote: What Equipment I Take on Safari)

So because of all these things, I obviously need a fairly big bag. I took a look on the web to see if I could find the best camera backpack for my needs, but discovered that there very few really good (and impartial) camera backpack reviews and that is why I was very grateful when Vanguard offered to send me one one of their bigger Camera daypacks to test and review: the Vanguard Skyborne 51

So is this review impartial I hear you ask? Well yes, Like all my reviews, even though the manufacturer kindly lends me their product, I am in no way obliged to only say positive things about it – This review as all my others is my honest opinion. Besides I still don’t have my own Camera Backpack for my next trip and so I am honestly looking at it with the intention of buying it if I like it, or choosing another if I don’t.

Plenty of Space

The first thing I thought when it arrived was “This bag is Big” – I know I read it’s dimensions before asking for it, but seeing it for real puts those numbers into perspective. It’s Inside Dimensions are 12 5/8″ x 6 1/4″ x 10 5/8″ (LxWxH inches). Which means according to Vanguard (and I now believe them) that it will take One or even two Pro DSLR cameras with attached lens ( up to 70-200mm), as well as  3-4 extra lenses, a flash unit and accessories (memory cards, cables, battery and charger) plus a 15″ laptop. So plenty space for my specific needs, infact so much so, that it potentially gives me space to take a few other things for the journey.

Compartments
Space is one thing, but it is how the bag has been divided up into compartments that makes it far more useful for camera and safari equipment than if you were to just buy a standard big bag.

Remember that the Skyborne 51 has been specifically designed as a DSLR camera backpack and so what it nice is that the internal space of the bag has been split up and has loads of cushioning in the key areas (where you store your camera and lenses) – for excellent gear protection. This padding is so good that I had no worries by testing it with my camera in it and dropping the bag from shoulder height. The interior dividers can customised to suit your grear if you want, completely removed, should you ever need the bag for something completely different, like carrying clothes for example.

I especially like the quick access side compartment (pictured above) where you store your camera. It is long enough for me to keep my Raynox DCR-2025PRO teleconversion lens attached to my camera and is really quick to access via a zipped door on the side of the bag – Ideal for those times when you need your camera in a hurry (like that unexpected lion sighting!) – far quicker than digging through all your equipment to grab your camera.

Laptop Camera Backpack
A really nice touch is the front compartment that has been designed to take laptops or other notebook type computers up to and including 15″ ones and so I guess you could call it a camera backpack with laptop compartment! If you don’t need to carry your computer with you the big front compartment is also great for carrying a who bunch of other things that you may need – I used it to carry my notebook and other guides whilst out in the field.

A really good quality and well padded laptop cover also comes with the packpack…Nice!

Camera Backpack with Tripod Holder

As I tested it with the Vanguard Nivelo 204BK ultra compact Tripod, the Skyborne 51 is big enough to carry most small travel tripod internally. But if you were be taking an SLR camera, or like me a Bridge camera with a large teleconversion lens attached and you needed a larger and more robust tripod, then this is camera backpack has a tripod holder strap on the back, with a flap that unfolds from it’s own compartment to keep the tripod legs in place. It is fully adjustable and should be able to take most full sized tripods. I tested it with my Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT which worked perfectly.

Attention to Detail

Other nice little touches include the mobile phone case on one of the straps, a little magnetic flap that prevents the zip from accidentally opening on the side pocket and a handy pocket for lens caps, memory cards or any other small things that you often need that can be accessed from both inside and outside the bag.

I don’t think the bag is waterproof, but it does come with a rain cover that has it’s own storage compartment under the lower back support area, so will always be with you, should you get caught in a downpour.

Too Big For Hand Luggage?

One of my biggest issues with this bag is deciding if  this Vanguard bag is too big to take on board the plane with me, the last thing I need is to be told at the airport that I have to put it in the hold with the rest of my luggage.

The Facts: Outside Dimensions: 14 5/8″ x 15″ x 22″ (LxWxH inches)

British Airways Hand baggage allowance: All airlines have slightly different policies but on BA for example (hey.. it’s the “worlds favourite airline!”) you are allowed one piece of hand baggage plus a laptop or handbag. Your main piece of hand baggage max dimensions: 25cm x 45cm x 56cm (10in x 18in x 22in), including the handle, pockets and wheels.

So as you can see it is very close, just the depth of the Skyborne 51 (14 5/8in ) that is the problem – as BA say that you are only permitted 10 inches. If you were lucky you could possibly get away with it. I think where you would most definitely have problems is if you are also taking internal flights on smaller aircraft where they may be more strict.

Conclusions:

Best camera backpack for travel: Unfortunately No, whilst the Vanguard Skyborne 51 is an excellent bag, I feel that for travel and air travel in particular, it is just too big. You may get away with taking it on board on some airlines, but others may not be so lenient. So for me it is not worth the risk a far beeter alternative would be one of Vanguard’s smaller bags like the Skyborne 48 or even the Skyborne 45.

As a Hiking camera backpack: Due to how comfortable it is to carry, with what Vanguard call “air-infused cushioning” on the straps and back area this could be one of, if not the best camera backpack for hiking, especially if you have a lot of equipment to carry.

To test just how comfortable it was, I filled the bag up with a whole lot of stuff that I often take on walks and some more on top of that and went for a pretty long hike – this included binoculars, 2 cameras all my camera gear and two tripods, one Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT and the compact Vanguard Nivelo 204BK Travel Tripod, that once folded easily fitted inside the bag. (I needed two cameras and tripods to take the product photos of myself that you see on this page of me using the bag).

There was no denying that the bag, fully laden was heavy – but even after over an hour of walking I still felt pretty comfortable – the shoulder straps are as good as I have ever used and the support at the base of your back is excellent.

So overall the is definitely one of the best SLR camera backpack bags that I have ever tested and I highly recommend it to anyone who has a lot of equipment where size is not a major issue. If you need to take your stuff travelling like on safari where a plane journey is unavoidable, I would either go for one of the smaller Skyborne bags, one of the many other Vanguard photo bags or at least check with your airline before travelling.

Cost & Where to Buy

At about £190 / $290 they are not the cheapest Laptop and Camera Backpack in the world, but then again they are not the most expensive either. I think that considering all the great features, the quality of the construction and how well it protects your far more expensive gear, it makes them easily worth the money:

UK Residents: Vanguard Skyborne Camera Bags on Amazon.co.uk

US Residents: Vanguard Skyborne Camera Bags on Amazon.com

Promo Video: VANGUARD Skyborne Series Camera Backpack Bags

Related Articles

• Vanguard Skyborne 45 Laptop and Camera Backpack Review
• What Equipment I Take on Safari
• Safari Equipment
• Tripods for Travel & Safari

Lightweight & Compact Safari Equipment

I get many people writing in to ask me “what should I take on safari” – of course there is no absolute list as all adventures are slightly different and different people have different wants/needs. But because I am currently busy planning for a trip to Zimbabwe, where I hope to spend a lot of time on safari, photographing as well as just enjoying the wonderful wildlife that the country has to offer, I thought that with my experience, what I take with me may be of interest to others as well and at least give you a starting point.

I have already written an article with an essential packing list & what to take on safari, and another one that covers what clothes to take on safari, so I won’t go over the basics again, but rather go into specifics on the actual equipment that I take on safari:

On this trip I will be going with my wife as well as our new daughter who will be just over 4 months old when we leave, so I have to make sure that what safari equipment (Cameras, Binoculars etc) I take are as compact and lightweight as possible as I will also need plenty of space, free hands and available weight to carry baby clothes, prams etc!

Best Safari Binoculars

For me the most important piece of kit is my binoculars, as they take viewing wildlife to a whole new level and I highly recommend that anyone who goes on safari invests in a decent pair. Through working on this website (see my section on Safari Binocular Reviews) and from working on my Best Binocular reviews website, I test and review many binoculars every year. The cheapest binoculars are rubbish, little more than toys and I urge you to stay well clear. That does not mean you have to spend a fortune as most good quality pairs are sufficient and far better than not having any at all.

Like all my other equipment, the most important feature I am looking for is a pair to take on safari is one that is light and compact. The very compact pairs have the disadvantage of not being as suitable as larger versions in low light conditions, so for me the ultimate pair would be a mid-sized binocular where you combine decent light gathering ability with a fairly compact binocular.

Of all the binoculars I reviewed last year and taking all things into consideration (including cost) the best for safaris were the Minox BL 8×33 Binoculars and if price is not really a factor, the Kowa Genesis XD 10×33 Binoculars.

If you are looking for a cheaper pair and want to keep size down to a minimum, favourites of mine are the range of Steiner Wildlife and Safari compacts. I often use them when out walking in the bush, especially when I am carrying other equipment like my camera as they can fold up small enough to fit into your shirt or jacket pocket. Take a look at the Steiner 10.5×28 Wildlife Pro Binoculars or the cheaper Steiner Safari Pro 10×26 Binoculars.

Would it not be for the fact that I am going to combine this trip with a little work and take a pair of binoculars that I have not used before to test and review, I would definitely take one of those pairs above.

Best Camera For Safaris

For this trip, I am looking to get myself a new camera – For me it is important to get the best possible wildlife photographs, not only for my enjoyment, but also for this website and so it is vital that I don’t sacrifice quality for gear that is too lightweight and compact.

I have already written an article as to why I feel that for me, a Superzoom Bridge Camera is the best camera to take on safari, rather than an SLR with a powerful telephoto lens (Digital SLR vs Compact SuperZoom Cameras) – The main reasons being cost as well as weight and size.

Panasonic FZ100 The obvious choice?
I have been using the range of Panasonic FZ cameras years now and I am a real fan of them, indeed some of my favourite Zimbabwe safari photos were taken with the now very old Panasonic FZ18 (see my gallery of Bird & Wildlife Photographs taken in Kariba, Zimbabwe)

I especially like the way that you can so easily attach a Telephoto Conversion Lens to the Panasonic’s to further increase the focal length, which is especially useful for bird photography.

So looking at my list of the best Superzoom Bridge Cameras 2012 and the fact that I thought it was excellent when reviewed it a while back, I was very tempted to go with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100.

Newcomer: Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR
Brand new for 2011 is the Fujifilm FinePix HS20EXR that in many of the specifications is very similar to the Panasonic FZ100, except in some key areas like having a more powerful 30x zoom (compared to 24x on the Panasonic) and a EXR CMOS sensor that records images with a very high resolution (16 Megapixels compared to 14M on the Panasonic).

What I also love is that at the end of the lens there is a 58mm thread, meaning that I can also attach a Telephoto Conversion Lenses (more on that later). So even though it is a little bulkier and heavier than the Panasonic, it is still far smaller and lighter than the equivalent SLR set-up.

So because of this, the camera I have decided to buy and take the Fuji FinePix HS20EX with me, which to be honest I am very excited about.

Telephoto Conversion Lens

Whilst I will admit, that the Fujiflim with its 30x (720mm – 35mm camera equivalent), will be more than enough for most situations on safari, but I also have a real passion for birds and love bird photography. Because of their small size and the fact that most are very timid, the bigger the zoom, the better the chance you have of getting close enough to take great photos. To do this I add a Teleconverter lens to my camera as for me the added size and weight that this entails is well worth it. Up until now I have always used the Olympus 1.7x Tele Conversion Lens (TCON-17) attached to my Panasonic – but have recently purchased a 2.2x teleconversion lens made by the Japanese company Raynox that I am extremely happy with. For more take a look at my Raynox DCR-2025PRO Super Telephoto Conversion Lens Review.

Best Compact Tripod For Safari and Travel

Because this FinePix HS20EX camera has a powerful 30x Zoom (35mm camera equivalent: 24-720mm) and the fact that I will also be attaching the Raynox 2.2x teleconverter lens to it, I feel that even with it’s very impressive image stabiliser, to get the best photos and video, without any blurring or image shake, a tripod is necessary.

As I write in my page on the Best Tripods for Travel & Safari, they need to be small and light enough to easily carry with you, but strong enough to take your camera with as little or better still no flexing or movement.

A while back after reviewing the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT Tripod for my Binocular Reviews website, I liked it so much that I decided to buy it. But unfortunately as much as I would love to take it with me, I feel that it is just too it is just too big and heavy for this trip.

Another option that I considered, also from Vanguard is their excellent PH-242 Pan Head Window Mount, but as well as vehicle and houseboat safaris, I am also planning on doing a lot of walking in the bush and even though you can attach the mount to objects like tree branches, you cannot always guarantee that there will be one exactly where you need it.

Ultra Compact Tripod?
So I contacted Vanguard asking if they could help me with some lightweight equipment for the trip and they very kindly sent me some kit to try out and review, including the Nivelo 204BK Aluminium tripod. You can read my full review of the Nivelo 204BK Aluminium tripod here, but to sum up I was really impressed:

With a folded height of only 30cm and weighing just 600g it is certainly extremely lightweight and compact, so no problem packing it away with my luggage. It extends to over a meter which is good and I love the “twist-n-lock” legs that allow you to extend and lock them in seconds – a very important consideration a few seconds can mean the difference between capturing a picture of a skittish bird or not.

It has a load capacity of 2kg (4.4lbs) and considering it is so lightweight this is very impressive and easily holds my Superzoom Bridge camera. Admittedly when fully extended there is a little movement and flexing, which is to be expected, but as a base for safari photography and as a travel tripod it is steady enough and far better than none at all.

The problem I have with it is the added instability I get once I attach a Teleconverter lens to my camera and this is mainly due to the extra length added to the camera by the telephoto lens. I feel that if I was just taking photos, it would be acceptable, but I also shoot a lot of video with my camera and so I need a tripod that is a little more stable, which is a shame because I really love just how light and small it is.

So all in all an excellent lightweight travel tripod, ideal for super zoom bridge cameras and the new Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, but if you are planning on using a DSLR camera or indeed a Bridge Camera with a telephoto lens attached and want to take steady video footage, I would recommend getting a slightly beefier tripod.

Compact Travel Tripod
Slightly larger and less compact than the ultra compact tripods a compact travel tripod can also carry a little more weight and is more stable, making shooting video on a superzoom bridge camera like the Fujifilm FinePix HS20EX or Panasonic FZ100 with a teleconverter lens possible. Here again you have some excellent choices from Vanguard and many in their Alta+ look ideal and I especially like the look of the Vanguard Alta+ 225CT that weighs just over 800g, has a folded hight of less than 35cm and yet it can carry a load of 3kg or for added stability the Alta+ 284CT, weighing 1.37kg’s with its folded height of 50cm, that should still easily fit into my suitcase and can carry a weight of 6kg.

Latest Update: I know I said that the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT Tripod was too big and heavy to take with me, but because I felt that the Nivelo 204BK was just not steady enough for my camera with the teleconverter attached, I have decided that I will now be taking it with me. I would have preferred to take a more lightweight carbon version – but my budget just won’t stretch that far.

Cost & Where to Buy
UK Residents: Vanguard Alta+ Tripods on Amazon.co.uk

US Residents: Vanguard Alta+ Tripods on Amazon.com

Tripod Head

I have decided that because I am not going to take an ultra-lightweight tripod with me, instead opting for a more sturdy full-sized tripod, I may as well also take what is now one of my favourite pieces of kit as well. The Vanguard GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball Head.

Because the handle that is attached to a ball head is so intuitive it makes moving the camera into position very quick and accurate – even more so than a standard ball head. Panoramic shots are really easy and panning for video is also possible.

I can’t begin to tell you how many shots I have missed in the past (especially of birds) because I was fiddling, trying to get my camera into the correct position on the tripod – with this I hope to rectify much of that – so for me even though it is a little bulky and heavy for travel, I have decided to take it on safari with me this year.

Read the full Vanguard GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball Head Review.

Night Vision Binoculars

There was a time not so long ago that the only people that had half decent night vision equipment were the military, police and other law enforcement professionals. This was mainly down to their high cost and whilst I wouldn’t describe a good quality night vision binocular as being cheap, their prices have come down a lot over the past few years and it is now a real option for you to take your own night vision binoculars on safari.

Why Night Vision?
So much of what goes on in the African bush goes on after dark. Most predators hunt at night and many other animals are far active during this time when it is much cooler.

In the past most people would use a spotlight at night, this had the major disadvantage of disturbing the animals natural behaviour. A night vision device is a far better and more ethical option and I now almost never go on safari without one.

For more on how they work and why I highly recommend taking a night vision binocular or monocular on safari read my article on Night Vision for Safaris and Wildlife Observation

Night Vision Monoculars or Binoculars?
On this latest trip I will be taking the excellent Luna Optics LN-PB3 Night Vision Binoculars with me. In the past I have often opted for a night vision monocular as opposed to a binocular, just to save weight and space in my bag.

However after reviewing the Luna Optics LN-PB3, I was so impressed with the quality of the view through it, especially after adding the optional LN-ELIR-1 laser illuminator, that I just can’t resist taking it with me. Besides because it’s body is made from aluminium it is pretty lightweight. It is also one of the smaller full size night vision binoculars out there. (it is about the size of a standard full-size binocular).

For more details – take a look at my full review of the Luna Optics LN-PB3 Night Vision Binoculars

Cost & Where to Buy
UK Residents: Luna Optics Night Vision on Amazon.co.uk

US Residents: Luna Optics Night Vision on Amazon.com

Travel / Camera Bag

Obviously I don’t want to have to put my expensive equipment in with my luggage on the plane with the cargo, so I always carry it on board with me as hand luggage. To do this, with as little hassle and as much comfort as possible a good Travel / Camera bad is essential.

Over the years I have used many and in my experience a bag that has been specifically designed to carry photographic equipment works the best. This year I will be taking the one of the Skyborne Series of bags from Vanguard as they have kindly sent me one to review – Read my Vanguard Skyborne 51 Laptop and Camera Backpack Review

As I mention in my review, I think that this Skyborne Camera Backpack is one of the best that I have ever used. The only thing that I would say about the Skyborne 51, is that I am a little worried that it may just be a little to big to take on as hand luggage, it will probably just depend on the person at the desk on the day. To be safer, it may be better to take one of their smaller bags like the Skyborne 48 that can carry one Pro DSLR with attached lens (up to 70-200mm f/2.8), 3-4 extra lenses, a flash unit and accessories (memory cards, cables, battery and charger) plus a laptop up to 14″or even the Skyborne 45, which can still carry one Pro DSLR with attached lens (up to 70-200mm f/2.8), 1~2 extra lenses, a flash unit and accessories (memory cards, cables, battery and charger) plus a 12″ laptop.

Whichever one you choose, one of the best bits is the quick access opening, that enables you to quickly grab your camera without disturbing all your other gear.

Cost & Where to Buy
UK Residents: Vanguard Skyborne Bags on Amazon.co.uk

US Residents: Vanguard Skyborne Bags on Amazon.com

Also worth Considering

Below are a few new pieces of equipment I have reviewed since first writing this article and what I am planning to take with me on my next trip:

MINOX DTC 500 Trail Camera Review We took this excellent remote Minox digital camera with us to Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe where we would leave it overnight and got proof of what ever passed by. What we got back was some incredible video and still photos of elephants, honey badgers, hyenas, a porcupine, African civet, warthogs, bats and many more animals that you very rarely see in the wild and we managed to capture them on film!

Whilst I know it may seem a little strange me writing about a battery charger on the Safari Guide, but I have recently been on the look out for a good one to take with me on my next trip to the bush. Why? Well like many people going on a safari holiday these days, I take quite a lot of electrical equipment with me (Cameras, Video Camera, Phone and my Mp3 player). On their own they take up quite a bit of space, but when you include all the different chargers and cables, it can become a nightmare. Surely there must be a one charger that can be used for them all? Well there is and the one that I have been trying out is the Braun 1-For-All-Plus Universal Battery Charger, which for me ticks all the boxes:

This incredible device from Braun Germany will charge almost any digital camera battery, camcorder, mobile phone and mp3 player battery as long as the charge contacts are exposed. This charger will also recharge 2 AA or 2 AAA size NiMH batteries.

To do this, the charger has two movable terminals which you simply align with the charge terminals of your battery and then charging begins. The charger will check the voltage of your battery and automatically give the correct charge. Charging status is diplayed clearly on a backlit LCD which shows you the progress of the charge.

Travel Friendly
The charger also adjusts electronically to voltage between 100V – 240V, meaning that you don’t have to worry if the country you are visiting uses a different voltage than that back home.

It also comes with a car cigarette lighter adapter which for me is brilliant. There are certain place that I visit in Africa on safari that don’t have mains electricity. This used to be a major problem and is why in the past I have had to buy multiple spare batteries for my camera. Now I can charge them whilst on the move, or even whilst I’m on a game drive! Brilliant.

For more take a look at the video I put together of me demonstrating how to use it with my camera battery, my cell phone battery and a couple of rechargeable AA batteries:

Price and Where to Buy

At around £30 I feel that it is incredible value for money. I as yet have not been able to find it in the US, but there are similar ones available:

Braun Universal Charger on Amazon.co.uk

Universal Battery Chargers on Amazon.com

Main Features

• When you insert a battery, the available capacity left is shown on the display.
• The Micro-processor measures the voltage of the lithium battery to be recharged and has automatic adjustment to 3.6V / 3.7 V or 7.2V / 7.4V.
• You won’t over charge as there is an automatic cut-off
• The charge current is 1,2 – 1,4A.
• It is possible to charge 2 NiMH AA Mignon or AAA Micro size batteries in two separate charging slots. Charge current for 1 AA batteries = 1200mAh and for 2 AA batteries = 1000mAh.
• The moveable contacts of the charger can be easily adjusted to the contacts of the battery to be recharged by using the supplied pin to be found at the side of the charger.
• The charger automatically detects and adjusts the polarity as well as the voltage for the contacts of the lithium batteries.
• The LCD displays the charging status in steps of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%.
• Defective batteries will be recognized and the word „ERROR“ appears on the display.

Related Links

• Safari Equipment

So much of what happens in the bush occurs during the night and as such we only really see a small snippet of what goes on when you go out on safari during the day. This is especially true for many predators like lions, leopard, hyaenas and the smaller cats like serval, caracal and tha African Wild Cat.

We would time our afternoon safari drive at the safari lodges that I have worked at, so that we would stop at sunset at a nice scenic spot somewhere to enjoy drink (sundowner) and then drive the last half hour or so back to the lodge in time for dinner keeping an eye out with a spotlight for anything interesting on the way back. There are also many lodges that will take you out on night safaris (we would only do so if we knew that there was something interesting in the area)

Viewing animals at night with a spotlight does have its problems and in many cases can even be unethical.  Responsible guiding teaches us that should we spot any animal, especially nocturnal ones, not to shine the spotlight directly on them as this can temporarily blind them, which could lead to an injury. This is especially true for birds like owls, where if they were to fly off blind they could easily break a wing. A spotlight will also obviously change the behaviour of that animal which is not ideal, prey animals can be distracted giving the predators an unfair advantage or you could even point out the predator to it’s prey ruining it’s chances.

So is there an alternative?

Night Vision Devices: Binoculars, Monoculars, Goggles and Camcorders

The answer is a Night Vision Device, many camcorders come with some sort of night vision capability these days. Notice how the video of elephants at night (above) which were filmed with a camcorder using night vision, carry on with their normal behaviour. A spotlight on them would have disturbed them.

There are also now also many night vision binoculars, monoculars and goggles available on the market, and whilst you would probably not find decent quality cheap night vision, the prices are getting more and more reasonable.

Night vision has been around since the Vietnam War and since then the technology has improved, each new step is known as a Generation. We are now up to 4th Generation Night Vision, but the cost of these devices usually means that they are reserved for the military and other law enforcement forces. 1st Gen (Gen 1) devices are still the most popular on commercially available products and these days you can get some excellent results from them.

For more information:

Check out Night Vision Glasses, Binoculars, Goggles and Monoculars on the Best Binoculars Reviews website, including how they work, what to look out for when buying a device and where to get the best deals from.

I also have a page on Night Vision Binoculars on the main website.

Walking Safari in Zimbabwe

So you have decided on a Safari holiday, you know which country(s) you are visiting and what game reserves. Now you need to make sure that you have the right equipment and to begin with that means the right clothing.

The environment in Southern Africa and the bush that you are visiting is more than likely going to be much different to what you are used to back home so to make sure you have the correct clothing to make the safari both comfortable and safe.

In my article on Safari Clothing Advice on the main part of the Safari Holiday Guide, I go through each item of clothing and discuss what I think is appropriate and why.

The correct Safari clothing, made from the correct materials are important because:

• It helps to prevent you from standing out too much in the enviroment and possibly scaring away skittish wildlife like antelope
• They will not make too much noise when rubbed together, enabling you to get closer to the wildlife you came to see
• They protect you from the sun
• Protect you from the cold
• Help protect you from insects and things like snake / scorpion bites

So for more information on what clothes to take on safari please take a look at the new Safari Clothing Advice page.