When planning a camping expedition, it is important to understand that some basic items help you make it through an ordinary day and others you must use in case of extraordinary circumstances that catch you by surprise. In the parlance of camping aficionados, gather supplies for your personal camp kit. The personal camp kit should be considered the essential list of things that every camper needs.

Compass

If you don’t know where you are, you can’t tell where you’re going. A compass is a basic need for every camper, so that means every camper in your group needs his own. A compass in the hand of the group from which you get separated does you, the lost member, absolutely no good.

Map

Many cell phones are equipped with GPS technology, and there are dedicated handheld GPS devices. However, neither of those are any good if the power supply runs out or if the signal fails to reach it for one reason or another. The best advice is to equip yourself with a GPS device and a map, but definitely make sure you take a highly detailed and updated map of the camping area with you. A map with a scale of at least 1:100,000 provides the necessary view of detailed land features that help you determine where you are.

Flashlight

Rains come and campfires go out, and the last thing you want is to be left alone in the dark. Every member of the party should be equipped with a small handheld flashlight, but make sure to bring a couple of larger lanterns that can be used to illuminate larger areas and scare off unwanted nocturnal animals who may come looking to take your food.

Swiss Army Knife

A Swiss army knife is one basic camping need that many people nowadays don’t think about, but it can be a lifesaver. Not only do you get the requisite knife that you need for everything from gutting a fish to tying off your tent, but the knife also may include a fork, spoon, tweezers, scissors and saw.

Food and Drink

If you want hot food, make sure you bring a fire starter or a book of matches. Metal plates are durable and easily cleaned. Plastic cups are lighter than metal cups, but melt if placed too close to the fire. Bring some bottled water, because if you do find a freshwater supply, it may be contaminated with bacteria. Although the romance of drinking from a fresh stream remains intact, the reality is that in most cases bottled water is probably safer to drink.

When planning a camping expedition, it is important to understand that some basic items help you make it through an ordinary day and others you must use in case of extraordinary circumstances that catch you by surprise. In the parlance of camping aficionados, gather supplies for your personal camp kit. The personal camp kit should be considered the essential list of things that every camper needs.

Compass

If you don’t know where you are, you can’t tell where you’re going. A compass is a basic need for every camper, so that means every camper in your group needs his own. A compass in the hand of the group from which you get separated does you, the lost member, absolutely no good.

Map

Many cell phones are equipped with GPS technology, and there are dedicated handheld GPS devices. However, neither of those are any good if the power supply runs out or if the signal fails to reach it for one reason or another. The best advice is to equip yourself with a GPS device and a map, but definitely make sure you take a highly detailed and updated map of the camping area with you. A map with a scale of at least 1:100,000 provides the necessary view of detailed land features that help you determine where you are.

Flashlight

Rains come and campfires go out, and the last thing you want is to be left alone in the dark. Every member of the party should be equipped with a small handheld flashlight, but make sure to bring a couple of larger lanterns that can be used to illuminate larger areas and scare off unwanted nocturnal animals who may come looking to take your food.

Swiss Army Knife

A Swiss army knife is one basic camping need that many people nowadays don’t think about, but it can be a lifesaver. Not only do you get the requisite knife that you need for everything from gutting a fish to tying off your tent, but the knife also may include a fork, spoon, tweezers, scissors and saw.

Food and Drink

If you want hot food, make sure you bring a fire starter or a book of matches. Metal plates are durable and easily cleaned. Plastic cups are lighter than metal cups, but melt if placed too close to the fire. Bring some bottled water, because if you do find a freshwater supply, it may be contaminated with bacteria. Although the romance of drinking from a fresh stream remains intact, the reality is that in most cases bottled water is probably safer to drink.

Some deals are made to remember through out our lives; especially the travel deals which take you for great outdoors out there. Finding big deals on some adventures can be hard, but if you take your time and look out from different tour operators and travel agents, you can easily find out one which would help you save much on your holiday. You have to make deals in every step of your life; so why not making a travel deal before you decide to travel either for adventure, pleasure or for work. Making travel plans and then executing them, is a time consuming process involved with lots of mail exchanges, discussions and bargaining. Wouldn’t it be great if someone to make that easier for you?

Travel deal is a simple way to plan your journey to a destination. All you have to do is think and decide the time when you are ready to go; and leave the rest to your travel dealer/s. Such deals are good options in your busy schedule. Why would you take the pains to plan everything in details; when you can rely on the companies who offer you the best travel deals?

The travel companies have a dedicated team eager to help you. They would plan the whole journey for you and customize itineraries to suit your interest. All you have to do is to carefully understand their offer and accept the deal according to your preferences. And the rest is done; relax, pack your bags, take your family or your documents and laptop and leave the worries for your travel dealers.

Now, the question arises – how to find a reliable travel company? Well, you can research on the web to find the reliable and sincere travel deal makers. Also, you can ask your friends and families. That sounds so easy but be careful while choosing a travel dealer. Traveling is an important part of our lives and you deserve to get the best travel deal. The companies offer you various options and make your journey a memorable one; the travel deals include the journey, the stay, the sightseeing, but with all these the most important thing the offer is your privacy.

So the bargain is good and systematic. In the present world you can get everything you want if you are aware. And for making your traveling experience a smooth one all you need to do is make look that travel deal which was not available few years back. But now this opportunity is waiting for you, just go and grab it.

In backpacker travel, one of the most important rules not to forget is to travel light. But unless you are a survival expert that can get along with just some basic tools and what he finds in nature, you should always carry certain backpacking essentials with you. Your needs of equipment depend on the kind of backpacking trip you plan and the area you travel, but certain things should always be part of your baggage.

Here are 8 must-have backpacking essentials:

Backpacking tent
Backpacking gear
Sleeping bag
Basic equipment
Food & water
Means of communication
First aid kit
Navigation system

Backpacking essentials #1: Backpacking tent
Some people sleep under the stars, but it’s always better to have some form of tent or shelter. Your tent should be as light as possible, and must be suitable for the area you travel and all weather conditions you might face. Don’t go without a rain fly if you might encounter rain, and make sure your tent is sturdy and can be secured additionally if you might see days of heavy winds.

Backpacking essentials #2: Outdoor gear
Your normal clothes certainly won’t be suitable for backpacking. If you are serious about backpacking and won’t to do it more than once, invest in some special outdoor gear. These clothes are lightweight, take up little space and dry quickly. Make sure you have an appropriate set of gear for the trip you plan (consider area and weather conditions).

Backpacking essentials #3: Sleeping bag and mat
These should be lightweight and space saving, too. But make certain they are suitable for the temperatures in which you travel. Rather take a bigger and heavier sleeping bag than freeze to death when backpacking in winter.

Backpacking essentials #4: Basic equipment
There are no restaurants and take-aways out there. You will need to make your own food. Get some basic equipment like a set of cutlery and cookware and a little stove. Outdoor stores carry special items that meet backpacker’s needs. You should also take some basic means along to defend yourself, like a knife or pepper spray.

Backpacking essentials #5: Food & water
If you don’t want to live on the food and water resources of the area you travel, or if you won’t find enough there, make sure you carry enough food and especially water with you. Keep your meals simple so that your food won’t weigh much.

Backpacking essentials #6: Navigation system
You don’t want to get lost. Make sure you got a means to find your way, like a map, compass or GPS. Be sure to test your navigation system upfront to know that it works and how it works. Also make sure it will work in the area you travel to.

Backpacking essentials #7: Means of communication
This is crucial and can save your life, especially when travelling alone. So much can happen. Let’s say you fall and break your leg, or you fall ill. Make sure you have a cell phone or other means of communication that works where you travel (a cell phone won’t help if there’s no reception), so that you can call for help if you need it.

Backpacking essentials #8: First aid kit
Get a travel first aid kit at your outdoor store. Since you often get dirty, plasters are a must to take care of small wounds and prevent infection. You should also have some basic medicines to deal with issues like fever, pain or diarrhea. And if something big happens, like fractures or injuries of major vessels, a first aid kit can save your life until help arrives.

The golden rule for backpacking essentials is: Don’t take more than you need, but don’t take less than you need either. All backpacking equipment should be light, take up little space, and be suitable for your specific trip.

Backpack is one of the most important outdoor and camping equipment that you need to make a successful and smooth journey. Any outdoor camping trip cannot not happen without a backpack and good quality backpack provides smooth and pleasant trips across the world. Backpacks are designed to fit to each personality of travelers whether men or women. Though the purpose of carry backpack is simply enabling us to carry all necessary things that you need during your travels, it is not easy for one to travel from one place to another without the right backpack. And when you decide to buy your backpack, there are things you should know as well as the purpose you intend to use it for.

It is quite obvious that backpacks now are becoming the most important equipment that traveler and most especially outdoor enthusiasts like campers, hikers, backpackers must have. However, the factor to determine the type of backpack you would need is to consider from the objective. There are various types of backpack and they can be divided into four major categories which are, military backpacks, assault packs, full packs, day packs.

Therefore, the following detail will take you thought the basic guide of these types of backpack. You will get to know each of them about what they look like and short description of their usage. We are going to start to know assault pack. Assault pack typically known as mountain pack, which is suitable for camping and mountain climbing activities or any other recreation trip. The pack of assault type is probably biggest among pack of any other type of backpack as they are designed for carrying more stuff for long or mountain vacation. Also the packs come in two main types! They are internal frame and external frame. The purpose of these frames is to distribute weight evenly through the pack. The internal frame may have less capability of hold heavy stuff than the pack that has external frame.

The first type of backpack is day pack. Day pack means to some kind of pack that we use to contain stuff that will be used during the day. Therefore, it doesn’t need to be big and they are usually has low capacity. Day pack may not suitable for long trip that requires bigger and tougher backpack. However, you may use day pack with your long trip by us them as a personal bag to carry traveling stuff such as wallet, purse, air tickets, and all travel document. This is because when you travel, especially if you travel overseas, you should keep this kind of stuff handy.

The third type is military backpack. Military backpack is quite flexible and utilized because they are designed to be used in very hard and tough condition. However, you may find that military backpack may not have as large size as other type of travel backpack. Military backpack is also suitable for short trip and if you are willing to travel to remote rural area, military backpack maybe the one that you are looking for. The fabric used for military backpack is extremely hard and you cloud make sure that it will never easily tear.

From the detail described above then you can see that there’s practical value in learning more not only about backpack topic but for all other ones. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered in this article and as your knowledge about this topic may continues to grow, you will begin to see how it fits into the overall scheme of things.

If you are thinking of taking a gorilla safari in Africa, you are looking to either visit Rwanda or Uganda. These are the two best places to go gorilla trekking given that they are safe, secure and have promoted gorilla tourism. After writing the comprehensive guide to gorilla trekking, many respondents wanted to get a relative comparison between gorilla trekking in Uganda vs Rwanda. Below are just some of the comparative things that you should know about planning a trek in both countries. After reading this comparison guide, the ball lies in your hands to choose which place to go to;

Accessibility

Uganda is located astride the Equator within Eastern Africa. The country can be easily visited with ease of attaiing visa on arrival. You can easily travel to Uganda from Nairobi, Kigali or Tanzania via a commuter bus. It can also be accessed via air with several airlines flying to the Entebbe International Airport.

Rwanda is located in Central Africa though politically it is within the East Africa Community. It can easily be accessed by via by taking flights to Kigali International Airport. Rwanda requires application for visa before traveling to date and this can be done online at https://www.migration.gov.rw/index.php?id=245

Please note; you can travel both destinations on a single tourist visa.

Mountain Gorillas: Rwanda v. Uganda

Cost: Both countries charge different fees for the gorilla permits. Rwanda gorilla permits cost $750 per person while Uganda charges $600 per person. A gorilla permit is required for every tourists looking to gorilla trekking and it permits for a full hour with the gorillas. The trips to the gorillas are taken in groups of 8 persons per group and are led by local tour guides. Therefore if you are looking to save on your next permit, you can save $150 in Uganda.

Duration of Packaged Trips: Rwanda provides the easiest access to gorilla trekking for travelers looking for shorter trips. Rwanda offers day trips and 2 Days gorilla treks for travelers with less time yet would like to see the endangered gorillas in the wild. This is due to that Ruhengeri the region where PNV lies is located just 2hours from Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. For Uganda, the shortest trip is a 3 Day Gorilla Safari given its location from Kampala or Entebbe where most trips start. A gorilla safari in Uganda involves an 8-10 hour drive from the international airport in Entebbe, traveling to the remote South western Uganda, where Bwindi lies.

Trek Difficulty: There is no specific time for a gorilla tour in any of the parks. The walk in search of the mountain gorillas can take between 3o minutes – 12 hours of hiking to find them in the wild. Guided by tourists the hikes can vary quite a bit depending on the particular group visited, the terrain and the last known location where the mountain gorillas were last seen. Tough most people consider that treks in Rwanda are slightly easier while those in Uganda are slightly more strenuous given the different landscapes it is not a guarantee that the treks in Rwanda will be shorter than that in Uganda.

Better Gorillas: Many travelers ask about which gorillas are better, the truth is there is no difference. Today there are 10 habituated troops in Rwanda and 10 habituated gorilla groups in Uganda. Therefore there are 80 gorilla permits available everyday and you can reserve the gorilla permits quickly though a tour operator. The system of tracking the gorillas is nearly the same in both countries with a few slight difference. Upon reserving your gorilla permit in Uganda, your permit carries the gorilla group to be visited while in Rwanda, you have to wait till the D Day and the local rangers will asign you to the gorilla group you are to hike to.

The Gorilla Watching Experience

In general, the experience can only be different due to the way a particular gorilla family behaves in front of the trackers, how long and tough one has to track before reaching the gorillas and the way the park staff conduct the exercise. Personally, I found the Rwanda gorilla tracking package more charming than the Ugandan one on the tracking day. Should we say that this’ because of the gorilla permit price difference? Anyways, on your gorilla tracking day in Rwanda, you will definitely get more than that. At about 7:00 AM, tea/ coffee dispensers with cups are laid for visitors going for the trek. You are free to take as much as you wish. As visitors are enjoying the tea/ coffee, they are entertained by the lively traditional dance troupe (SACOLA Traditional Dancers) who bring on a wholesome Rwanda traditional cultural experience that all visitors enjoy. However, you can get this in Uganda in evenings (at a fee) from the various traditional cultural groups that are near the park.

Other Things to See

The drive from Kampala to Bwindi is a very fabulous one traversing at least another national park (either Kibale or Queen Elizabeth National Park famous for tree climbing lions and many other big mammals, or Lake Mburo National Park) and not to miss- the Equator. In a way, even before you arrive Bwindi you have had a bit of the ‘Pearl of Africa’ as is fondly known. To many, driving along paved eucalyptus avenues to the gorillas in not the best deal. Indeed many to purchase tour packages combining both Rwanda and Uganda, first doing Gorillas in Rwanda and then crossing to Uganda to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for the BIG 5 safaris and chimpanzee tracking among other tours.

Let’s compare the tour costs of a Trip

Because of the long drive one endures from Kampala to Bwindi, the general cost is increased (even when you travel by public buses). It even increases more because you have to travel 2 days (to and from Bwindi). However, the increased cost is countered by the low cost gorilla permit of US$600 ($350 in April and May 2014). A low budget 3 days gorilla trek tour in Uganda goes for about $1250 (with gorilla permit, accommodation, and transport). The two days Rwanda gorilla trek costs about $1220 ( with gorilla permit, accommodation, and transport) and a three days Rwanda gorilla tracking tour costs is about $1280 (with gorilla permit, accommodation, and transport) . Costs samples got from Gorilla expeditions website effective Jan 2014.

Lastly, if you are not travelling just to see the mountain gorilla, and you want to include other activities in your visit, Rwanda may not be the best choice. Many tourists have continually had to cross to Uganda after their Rwanda gorilla trek to tour other reserves like Queen Elizabeth National Parks so endowed with abundant wildlife one cannot see in Rwanda. This is why probably folks continue enduring the long drives to Bwindi yet there is an easy way out.

At the end of the day – the ultimate jury are those who are looking as to which country to visit in order to track Gorillas – it is not Rwanda, not Uganda, not the Democratic Republic of Congo but where their pockets and hearts choose. If you precisely want the mountain gorillas and nothing else, go for a one-day gorilla trek especially in Rwanda but if you are a one who wants it and all of it, go for the long drive in Uganda – you won’t regret.

Uganda is exceptionally one of the best safari destinations in Africa. It is famous for its over 480 individuals of rare mountain gorillas representing about half of all those that thrive in the entire world, more than 60 distinct tribes are all confined within this stunning country, over 100 different mammal species without excluding numerous water bodies and stunning landscapes and forests which make it one of the loveliest tourist destinations by most travelers in the world. With several extra ordinary tourist attractions that widely spread across the nation, the perfect way to get around is only if you rent a vehicle with one of our professional drivers or simply embark on a self drive and discover what this country holds for the world. However, prior making your last decision on which car to rent for your safaris in the country, we have tried to give some important information that we feel will be of great value to you while hiring a vehicle for a safari in Uganda this year whether for guided or self drive safaris.

Car hire company reputation

Never be a prey to any fraud and unreliable car hire agency. Make sure that you spend sometime checking through what other have said about the same car rental company that you intend to deal with. Go a head and verify the office address and contact numbers as well as examining the costs of vehicle that you intend to rent for your safaris. The other thing that you shouldn’t forget is the terms and conditions that you will be required to follow in case you have any plans to rent a car for road trip in Uganda. By following this, you will certainly make the best choice and you won’t regret in life.

Traffic rules

Like any other destination in the world, traffic rules and regulations apply everywhere; most of these are government laws which are intended to control road users, you have to drive on the left side of the road in Uganda, always put on your safety belts, don’t over speed and above all you need a valid driving permit or license and in case you are foreign visitor, you should have an international drivers license so as not to be a culprit in the hands of the traffic officers on road.

Entrance and parking fees

Uganda features a number of stunning tourist destinations but whereas national parks might have a standard price of about 40 dollars per visitor and 20 dollars for car entrance other tourist sites have different costs set below those for national park entrances for instance paying a visit to Kabaka’s palace, Kasubi tombs or Kabaka’s Lake the entrance and parking price can be around 20 dollars per visitor. For Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Kibale Forest National Park which are the famous primate sites in the country, you may not incur entrance fee but you must have a gorilla trekking permit or chimpanzee tracking permit.

Safety precautions

For visitor safety purposes, you are advised not to over speed, over take, driving under the influence of alcohol, never drive at night and above all always remember to leave the doors and windows on lock so as not to be a culprit in the hands of thieves. You will need to have a permit and passport with you or any other kind of identification so as not to be incriminated by any traffic police along the way.

In conclusion, in case you are planning to rent a vehicle in Uganda this year and you are wondering what to do or not to do, which car hire company to deal with, we believe that with the above information, you certainly make the perfect choice and you will have the best comfortable and enjoyable road trip in Uganda.

Bwindi is home to more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Bwindi is considered to be the richest biodiversity forest in East Africa with hundreds of plant species, birds and other wildlife. The main tourist activity in the park is tracking the mountain gorillas. Bwindi has different habituated gorillas groups open for gorilla trekking tours in Uganda. There are groups in the northern sector of the park, 03 in Ruhija and 03 groups in the Buhoma and southern sector, in Kisoro district – 08 of which are in Rushaga and the other one is Nkuringo.

The supreme threat to the Mountain Gorillas is human encroachment for settlement around them.  previously there was a slash as well as burn mentality however, through an educational program by the Uganda Wildlife Authority plus cash motivation to the community through the tourism industry that the gorillas within Uganda are today no longer as threatened by various poachers as it was in the DRC. Additionally they are threatened by various diseases transmitted by human visitors into the park, and for that reason the Uganda Wildlife Authority has set up strict rules to prevent spreading of such diseases. All this has come in place to save the lives of mountain gorillas in Bwindi.

Visitors into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest frequently inquire if mountain gorillas are dangerous?  Although dominant and very strong, these are gentle as well as shy, and in addition the mountain gorillas which visitors see within Uganda have been habituated.  In other words they are habituated to people, which process that takes close to 2 years.  Dian Fossey actually was against the idea of visiting mountain gorillas which is done today, however it’s the money collected that survival of this endangered species, and seen their number increase over the recent years.

There are more than seven hundred and eighty six mountain gorillas in the whole world.  Uganda hold close to half of their total population, and the majority of them live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, whereas the others are found in Mgahinga Gorilla Park; however these at times cross over to Rwanda.

Fortunately the Gorillas are growing in numbers because of the protection they are offered from the government of Uganda which also included efforts of the adjacent communities to the parks to whom part of the USD 600 fee of Gorilla tracking permits charged from foreign visitors to Mgahinga as well as Bwindi is offered to them in order to have a strong protection to the gorillas.

A maximum number of 8 visitors may visit a group of habituated mountain gorillas in a day. This minimizes behavioural disturbance to the gorillas and the risk of their exposure to human-borne diseases. Always wash your hands before you head out to the gorillas.

Please always keep your voices low. You will also be able to observe the great bird life and other wildlife in the forest.  DO NOT leave rubbish in the park. Whatever you bring into the forest should be carried back out with you.  You will be taken to where the guides observed the gorillas the day before. From there you will follow the gorilla’s trail to find them. Look out for the gorilla’s nesting sites along the way!  When you approach the mountain gorillas, the guides will inform you to get ready.  A 7 meter (21 feet) distance should try to be observed at all times from the gorillas.

The further back you are, the more relaxed the group will be. You must stay in tight group whey you are near the gorillas. Keep your voices down at all times. However, it is okay to ask the guide questions.  Do not smoke, drink or eat when you are near the gorillas. Eating or drinking inevitably will increase the risk of food/drink morsels/droplets falling, which could increase the risk of transmission of diseases.  Sometimes the gorillas charge. Follow the guides example (crouch down slowly, do not look the gorillas directly in the eyes and wait for the animals to pass).

Do not attempt to run away because that will increase the risk. Flash photography is not permitted!  When taking pictures move slowly and carefully.  Do not touch the gorillas. They are wild animals. The maximum time you can spend with the gorillas is one hour. However, if the gorillas become agitated or nervous, the guide will finish the visit early. After the visit keep your voices down until you are 200 meters away from the gorillas. All these rules are part of the gorilla Eco-tourism which needs to be observed in order to save the gorilla lives.