The Bush Telegraph: what to pack on safari Luggage bags Choosing the best luggage is a key component for efficient packing. Many international airlines now only allow one piece of baggage per person in the hold which means that smaller, soft bags for use on light planes must be packed inside the large suitcase or taken on as hand luggage while the larger suitcase is left behind at a hotel to be picked up again later in your trip. Weight (and size) limits must be adhered to or else you get clobbered for overweight which can really add up when you use more than one airline to get to your final destination. We managed to get around this annoying "only one piece of luggage each" rule by splitting our four soft bags into two pairs and wrapping each pair in the security bubble wrap service available at the airports. Bubblewrap and/or small padlocks are always a good idea if you're travelling to Africa. You may also find yourself on internal flights in small light aircraft which have a strict weight allowance. It's well worth talking to your operator to find out the details beforehand to avoid unpleasant surprises. Typically, this will be between 12-15 kg in the hold with a total baggage allowance of 20 kg per person (which includes everything you carry on as hand luggage like heavy camera equipment, binos etc). On light planes, you must travel with soft bags so they can fit more easily into the small hold underneath the plane. Without hesitation, our favourite safari bag company is Sandstorm (www.sandstormkenya.com; Large Explorer bag £245). Sandstorm is a Kenya-based company with outlets all over the world that specialises in safari luggage whose safari-chic good looks are combined with a strong, rugged build quality and where aircraft cabin size is key. Sandstorm offer a full travel range of tan, safari green coloured leather and canvas bags - everything from leather holdalls, duffel bags, backpacks and wash bags. Best of all from the male perspective is Sandstorm's computer bag (Tracker Bag £235) which I use at home as well. It is incredibly strong and very well-designed with pockets in all the right places so that you can easily access wallets, passports, pens, notebooks etc while knowing that your laptop (s) is well protected. Technical kit - (aka boys' toys) Binoculars On safari, a good pair of binos are arguably more important than a camera. Your first priority should be to watch the action through your own eyes and it's easy to miss out while trying to record it all for posterity. Yes, they are expensive, but Swarovski (www.swarovskioptik.com) binoculars have the best optics available and they are tough, waterproof and beautifully designed. I have a pair of the CL Companion 8x30s (£720) - 8x magnification and 30mm diameter base lens - which are incredibly lightweight for the clarity and power they provide. Every safari guide aspires to owning a pair of Swarovskis and one guide recently referred to them as the "Ferraris of the bush." The quality of the optics are particularly noticeable in low light, early in the morning and at dusk - just the time when activity in the bush peaks. Video Camera As well as my trusty Nikon stills camera, I always carry a Panasonic HC-X920 (£820) video camera (www.shop.panasonic.com) on which we've been shooting our Bush Telegraph video reports. It's an incredible piece of kit for such a small unit and is light and fits neatly into the palm of your hand. The picture quality is superb (Leica lens) and the zoom (x12 in normal use) has a digital function that increases it to x25, x40 and nominally up to x 700. However realistically x25 is the most you want to use to retain picture quality. Go to www.telegraph.co.uk/bushtelegraph to see some of our video reports shot with the Panasonic. Night Vision Cameras In the best safari camps, the wild animals stroll in and out at will. A night vision camera will capture all the action and identify the perpetrators of those strange snorts, growls, grunts and howls around your tent. Along with their excellent range of monoculars and binoculars, a Bushnell (www.bushnell.com) Trophy Cam night camera (£185) is well worth it. They also make a fist-sized BackTrack D-Tour GPS (£99) which is an excellent way of keeping your bearings in the bush and surprising your guide with your incredible sense of direction. Smartphone If you don't feel like taking a large camera or video, the iPhone 4S Smartphone (www.apple.com) is a great stand-in. You never know when you might want to snap a picture or film something and keeping your iPhone close is never too much trouble. We have captured some magical unexpected events/appearances which we wouldn't have been able to if purely relying on a camera. Plus you can use Twitter and Instagram when there's a signal. Even if you have to stand on a termite mound to get one. Clothing Lightweight packing is essential and bringing the correct clothing to wear for the time of year is key. The only constant is heat - but you may also have to contend with wet and cold depending on the time of year. Yes, Africa's weather can sometimes be just as complicated and varied as ours. Safari For all-round safari clothing requirements, my personal favourite is the beautifully designed, intelligently practical and extremely stylish Swedish outdoors clothing brand, Fjӓllrӓven (stockists: +44 02392 528711, www.fjallraven.com). Lightweight, technical and with UV and bug protection, its Micro Travel (MT) fabric is hardwearing, cooler than cotton, and doesn't crease. They have a very good selection of combat style trousers, shorts, hats, cargo pants, shirts, belts and jackets. As well as being an environmentally responsible company they also support many conservation projects worldwide which is how they got their Arctic fox logo. My favourite item of Fjӓllrӓven clothing is their Reporter Lite jacket (£195) which could hardly be better designed for my needs with a plethora of pockets perfect for lenses, notebooks and gizmos while also being water-resistant with removable sleeves turning it waistcoat style. Beautifully designed, love it! Other favourite items include their Ruaha Trousers (£105) - named after the National Park in Tanzania - which are very light and strong with two leg pockets and zipped back pockets and inner safety pocket. The leg length can also be adjusted to suit changes in footwear. Also, the Thistle Shirt (£80) wicks away sweat very quickly, has mesh openings on the sides and built-in sun protection, UPF25. Lightweight Down Jacket An alternative to taking a fleece is to pack a lightweight down jacket for the cooler nights/early mornings that you get in the winter months. Kathmandu (www.kathmandu.co.uk) have an ultralight down jacket which folds into a very small sack that converts into a pocket (so it's part of the jacket and you won't lose it!). It's also feather-light and comes in a slate grey neutral colour that works for the bush. On safari I live in my Craghoppers shirts (www.craghoppers.com) which never seem to smell however long I wear them, are cool and comfortable, and are also made of Nosilife, an insect-repellent material that keeps mosquitoes at bay and doesn't come out in the wash. They also dry very quickly when wet. Boots It may seem strange to fall in love with a pair of boots, but that's not far off how I feel about my Alt-berg (www.altberg.co.uk) Desert Microlite Boots (£185). Despite the Germanic-sounding name, Alt-berg is in fact British (Yorkshire, no less) and masters of their craft to boot! Alt-berg makes boots for the army and the police and their products have been tested extensively in war zones around the world. These boots are tough, light, phenomenally comfortable and keep your feet really cool. Superb for both desert and bush. Rain Jacket An optional extra depending on the time of year - and many safari companies provide ponchos - but it's always useful to have your own. Crucially the Odlo Air (www.odlo.com) is extremely light, packs down small and when the wet stuff starts falling does the job admirably while wicking away any sweat build up inside. It's also very comfortable to wear and as stylish as any functional clothing can be. Sunglasses Sunglasses with polarising lenses are vital. Oakley (uk.oakley.com) hit the spot in every department from design to technical superiority - if you want to spot a croc underwater before everyone else (polarising lenses), arm yourself with a pair. Medical/Cosmetic/Health Like many males I have an admittedly rather stupid "I'm immortal" gene and don't really worry about my health until something bad happens. Luckily I have Sarah to think about these things for me so I can confidently refer you to her words of wisdom on her earlier "What to pack on safari - Her" feature. Skin Care Lest you should think I'm an unreconstructed male, I do like to look after my skin! The African sun can be brutal so I swear by Skinceutical's (www.skinceuticals.co.uk) Ultra Facial Defence SPF 50 which is a high UVA/UVB broad-spectrum moisturising sunscreen which works synergistically to help prevent photo damage. Part of the reason I like it so much is that it doubles up as a great moisturiser and has up to 24 hours hydration with an ultra light texture and is ideal for all skin types. I also use Phyto Corrective Gel which includes anti-inflammatory cucumber and anti-bacterial thyme to soothe and calm sun-irritated skin. A.G.E. Interrupter is a unique treatment formulated to correct severe signs of intrinsic ageing in mature skin. As Bob Dylan once sang: "And may you stay, ay, ay, foreeeever youuunggggg." The basics Richard and Sarah Madden are travelling with Wilderness Safaris (wilderness-safaris.com), which offers access to more than eight million acres of Africa's finest wildlife reserves through the environment-friendly camps it runs in nine countries and its overland safaris. Their flight to Maun was with South African Airways (flysaa.com). A return from London with SAA costs £1,150 per person, including all taxes, when booked through Africa Travel in London (0845 450 1520). @BushMagic (Richard); @SarahOnSafari (Sarah)