pt.2 - your ULTIMATE wilderness packing list 🇲🇬

welcome to part 2 of my Madagascar series! i spent just over 1 month in the wonderful country of Madagascar in July and despite being well seasoned with solo backpacking around Europe, Africa is a whole different ball game. so here i am, armed with the mistakes of my trip and lessons learnt from them, to provide your ULTIMATE packing list for backpacking Madagascar 🇲🇬

📌 PACK FOR RUGGED-NESS

this is not the urban streets of paris or berlin, and dirt roads reign supreme in Madagascar. if you are here to see the famous lemurs, baobab trees, or any other wildlife or plants, you will definitely be going off-roading. your clothes should be able to withstand hard travelling and be practical for the different weather conditions you will experience. good walking shoes and a good pair of sandals will go a long way to ensuring your feet get the protection and air it needs for different ocassions (such as going through forests or wading through swamps/puddles/lakes)

📌 LAYERING, ONCE AGAIN, IS KING

i went during the winter season (mid-year, just like Australia/NZ) and it can get cold especislly at night. temperatures in the capital (antananarivo) and other central cities can drop to ~6°C at night and will be ~20°C in the day while coastal cities will be warmer. despite it being the dry season, rain does occur every few days so always have waterproof clothing and equipment or risk getting soaked! 😅 in the summer (end of year) temperatures tend to go up to ~35°C in the cities and above 40°C in the desserts in rural areas so always hydrate and bring breathable clothing if going in the summer ☀️

layering will allow you to feel warm at night while staying cool in the hot daytime no matter the season, and also protect you from the rain which can escalate to cyclones especially during the wet season!

📌 CONSIDER HARD ABOUT EQUIPMENT

arguably the most important aspect of your packing list, you don't want to end up not having the equipment to record your sightings and adventures when you've made it halfway across the world! headtorches are excellent to spot nocturnal species of wildlife, a good camera will allow you to capture the many different wildlife you will see, especially the birds flying in the sky above you, a go pro will allow you to capture you travelling through rough terrain without habing to worry about it getting damaged, and if you have it, a drone is perfect to get a bird's eye view of the wonderful endless landscape of Madagascar! 📸📸📸

for those who have been through NS, you might get flashbacks with the amount of ziplock bags you will use throughout your trip here. they are very important to keep your cash, phone, and other non-waterproof valuables from getting soaked! and they can be a little difficult/expensive to find in the country so do bring plenty with you!

for women, consider bringing a sarong to cover your legs as it is inappropriate to wear shorts above knee length throughout the country, especially in rural areas. if you don't have one, you can easily purchase local ones known as lambars that you can find everywhere! finally, female sanitary items are generally accessible in bigger cities so you likely will not need to bring your own 👍🏼

and that's it! i have compiled everything that i brought with me for my trip below for easy reference too! i only brought with me a 40L osprey backpack (to check-in) and a small 10L decathlon bag as my carry-on (see pics for reference) ⬇️

PACKING LIST:

clothes:

- 1 rain jacket

- 1 windbreaker

- 3 cotton t-shirts (or airism if possible)

- 2 dry fit t-shirts

- 2 long sleeved uniqlo heattech tops

- 1 short sleeved button shirt

- 3 pairs of sports shorts

- 2 pairs of hiking pants

- 1 pair of track pants

- 1 pair of bermudas

- 8 sets of underwear

- 6 pairs of socks

- 1 quick-dry travel bath towel

- 2 face towels

- 1 3-season sleeping bag

- 1 black jungle hat

footwear:

- 1 pair of quick-dry travel sneakers

- 1 pair of sandals (from decathlon)

- 1 pair of flip flops

hygiene:

- 1 travel toothbrush

- 1 tube of toothpaste

- facial wash requirements & shower gel (under 100ml each)

- 1 travel nail clipper set

- 1 comb

- 1 hairband

- 1 set of retainers

- 1 nailbrush (impt to scrub feet)

electronics:

- 1 phone

- 2 portable chargers

- 1 garmin instinct 2 watch (good GPS)

- 3 head torches

- all charging cables (and spares)

- 1 pair of wireless earbuds

- 1 pair of wired earphones

- 2 electric shavers

- spare batteries

medication:

- pills for fever, cough, sore throat, stomach issues, cold, flu, malaria (IMPT)

- antiseptic cream

- many plasters/bandages (waterproof)

- mosquito repellent

miscellaneous:

- scanned copies of passport, flight itinerary, accommodation bookings, passport photos, recent vaccination history

- 2 wallets to split cash, ID card, ATM cards

- many ziplock bags

- many carabiners

- 1 foldable shoe bag

- some snacks from home

and there you have it! the only ultimate in-depth packing list for Madagascar that you need to travel here 👍🏼 if you have any other questions or tips to share please do so in the comment section below! till then, stay safe and happy travelling y'all 🐢

#TravelGuide #Lemon8SG #lemon8travel #solotravel #SavourTheMoment #ThingsToDo #travelrecommendation #traveltips #backpacking #madagascar