Hot days, cool nights, relentless dust, rough roads and limited resupply. A practical list built around those four facts — plus what to bring for photography, and what to leave behind.
Pack for four realities: heat, dust, rough roads, and limited resupply. Almost every sensible decision follows from those.
Clothing
- Lightweight, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers in breathable fabric — better than shorts and
vests for sun, dust and insects, and more appropriate in communities.
- Neutral, muted colours that hide dust.
- A warm layer: highland nights (Jinka, Konso) and early starts are cooler than people expect.
- A light rain layer if travelling near the rains.
- A scarf or buff — the single most useful item for dust on the road.
- Modest, practical clothing for market days and community visits. Dressing respectfully matters more
than dressing ruggedly.
Footwear
Closed, broken-in walking shoes or light boots for uneven ground and thorns; sandals for the evening. Nothing that requires care.
Sun, dust and heat
Wide-brimmed hat, high-factor sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses, and more water capacity than you think — a large reusable bottle plus a way to purify or treat water where supply is uncertain. Rehydration salts are worth their negligible weight.
Camera and electronics
A headlamp, a power bank, and the right plug adapter round out the essentials. Before you photograph anyone, read photography and consent — the ethical preparation matters more than the gear.
Health kit
Personal medications in original packaging with enough margin for delays, plus a basic kit: rehydration salts, blister care, antiseptic, painkillers, insect repellent. Discuss anything clinical — including malaria prophylaxis — with a travel clinic; see health and insurance, and note we do not give medical advice.
Money and documents
Bring: passport plus copies, insurance documents, and small denominations for community and photography fees — see permits and community fees.
What to leave behind
- Anything you would be upset to see ruined by dust.
- Drones, unless you have arranged permissions in advance — assume you may not fly them.
- Gifts to hand out casually to children. Well-intentioned, but it encourages begging and reshapes
encounters; ask your guide what, if anything, is genuinely appropriate. See responsible travel.
Luggage
Soft bags travel better in 4x4s than hard cases. Keep a small day bag for water, camera, layer and documents so you are not opening the main luggage on the road.