Health
& safety |
| Health information |
Always inform your crew of any allergies,
medical conditions, or if you are on any medication, and ALWAYS tell
them if you are feeling unwell. They are much more experienced in
dealing with tropical diseases such as malaria and will know where
to take you if you fall ill. It is essential that you have comprehensive
travel insurance - you won’t be able to go on the tour without
it, and your tour leader will want the details of your insurance company
before the start of the tour. Each truck carries a first-aid kit but
if you use anything try and replace it so it remains well stocked.
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| Bites & stings |
Water & hygiene |
Sun burn |
Upset stomachs |
Security |
Safety |
| Bites
& stings |
Scorpions, spiders, ticks, mosquitoes,
and flies are all resident African critters and occasionally they
will demonstrate their wrath on an unsuspecting overland passenger
and leave a nasty bite. These should be looked after carefully as
in tropical regions of Africa they can easily become infected and
are know in the overland community as scabby sores. Keep the bite
clean - a tube of antiseptic cream is useful, as is washing in medicated
soap.
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| Water
and hygiene |
You will be living closely
together and sharing equipment so pay extra attention to hygiene.
Always wash your hands, particularly before touching yours and everyone
else’s food. If you’re not feeling well don’t share
drinks bottles and cutlery – bugs pass around quickly in close
groups. Your crew will know where to source good drinking water -
if not they’ll purify it. Think about conservation – far
better to fill one water bottle off your truck than buy several non-disposable
plastic bottles each day. Don’t waste water – clean teeth
from a cup and not under a running tap, don’t use drinking water
to wash your socks and use dirty washing-up water to clean mud off
your boots or to douse a fire. In many places, water is a precious
resource – don’t abuse this. On many tours you’ll
be told to flap your plate and cutlery dry after washing up –
this is far more hygienic than using a tea towel so as ridiculous
as it looks, a bunch of people standing around waving plates, there
is good reason for it.
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| Sun
burn |
The African sun is perhaps
stronger than you are normally used to and is at its strongest between
10am - 2pm. Minimize your exposure during this time. Apply plenty
of sun protection and wear a hat and sun glasses. Just because the
sun is not shining does not mean that you are safe - on an overcast
day the suns rays are just as damaging. Remember that on a camping
and overland trip you will be spending almost all of your time outdoors
and sensible sun protection is essential. Suntan lotion and aftersun
products are not always readily available in some parts of Africa
so best you bring plenty with you.
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| Upset
stomachs |
Diarrhoea affects at least
50% of travellers in Africa, so expect a bout of runny tummy and you
wont be the only one jumping off the truck urgently with a toilet
roll in hand. Most upset stomachs last just a day or two and are a
result of a simple change in diet and water. The best way to deal
with it is drink plenty of fluids and avoid food until the bugs have
been flushed out of your system. It’s a good idea to pack oral
rehydration salts in your medical kit. Always follow the advice of
your tour leader and if the problem persists you may need to consult
a doctor and get medication. Avoid buying snacks from the side of
the road, particularly fried items which easily harbour stomach bugs.
Generally, food cooked on an overland trip is fresh and healthy and
you are unlikely to get sick from truck grub.
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| Security |
As well as your own possessions,
the truck and its equipment must be looked after at all times and
security is the responsibility of the whole group. Everything must
be put away and locked up at night, and often in towns or markets
everyone will have to take turns to guard the truck. All the vehicles
have safes for passports, money, credit cards and flight tickets.
Please use this facility as lost passports/money causes delays and
may result in you having to leave the tour. Your possessions are your
responsibility at all times. It is advised that you take out comprehensive
insurance if you are planning on bringing expensive cameras etc. on
tour.
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| Safety |
In Africa, as elsewhere
in the world, crime exists, and we advise that you keep an eye on
any valuables and have your wits about you at all times. But in saying
that, most African crime takes place in the bustling downtown cities
and it is very rare to be robbed in a campsite in the middle of the
African wilderness. Also, overland crew are aware of the potential
problem areas and these are avoided entirely. Political calamity is
common in many African countries and we constantly monitor Foreign
Office advice. When tours are organised, our Operators ensure that
client safety is top priority.
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