Eric and I began to plan our Kenya overland trip early in the year and it has taken us months of researching gear, thinking through fine details, and doing a trial run to decide what to buy, pack, and add to our rig. We’ve had a running list, constantly being edited and discussed and we weren’t even entirely sure of the final list until we pulled out of our driveway. Then, five minutes down the road, we realized we both forgot our razors, so I can’t say I’ll be entirely beach-ready when we reach Watamu. Oh well.

We’ve been thankful to learn from other bloggers who have done similar trips in order to give us an idea of what to take along. I didn’t find anyone who had overlanded in Africa with such small children (which certainly gives me pause), so I thought we would share our packing list in case someone stumbles here looking for some direction. No doubt, amendments will be needed to this list, but here is what we left home with, all packed thoughtfully and carefully in the back of our Land Cruiser.

We packed most of our things in action packers, divided inside by a piece of plywood. We had one action packer for me and Pax, one for Leo and Eric, one for our pantry, one for our kitchen supplies, and one for other rarely-used items like car safety and meds.

The rig

We did a lot of research on which tent to buy, knowing this would be an investment in our family for years to come, but the options are limited when you are looking for a tent for more than 2 people. We considered buying two 2-person tents, but settled on a 3-person tent with the annex, knowing the annex could be very versatile. If we should have another child, we figured a couple of us could sleep in the annex. We are very glad we invested in it, as it provides a lot of privacy and a place to put our things at night for easy access.

On our trial run, we learned just how heavy our vehicle was with everything packed up, so we had to upgrade the suspension system so we didn’t break an axle. In order to save weight and not unnecessarily stress the vehicle, we won’t fill up the fuel and water cans unless we are going somewhere very remote.

Eric worked with an electrician before we left and built a dual-battery system so we have one deep-cycle battery dedicated to off-grid power, which can keep our refrigerator going for about 4 days and charge other gadgets if needed. But we also charge

Car:

Vehicle: Toyota Landcruiser Amazon - 100 series (model year 2000)
Engine: 1HD-FTE (4.2L 6-cylinder turbo diesel)
Suspension: 400kg payload upgrade (TJM shocks + Dobinsons coils/torsion bars/bushings)

Gear:
Eezi-Awn 1800 T-top exclusive rooftop tent with full annex
Eezi-Awn 100 series awning (2 meters)
ARB 50 quart refrigerator
20-liter fuel can
25-liter jerry can for drinking water
25-liter jerry can for washing water
Maxtrax

Electricity and lighting

USB rechargeable lantern
2 Headlamps
2 small solar lights
Cigarette lighter plug adapter
1 outlet adapter
12v power inverter (500w)
100ah drycell deepcycle battery with 350w inverter and 300w charger

Cooking

For our cooking situation, we took 2 small propane tanks and used a 47-liter (50 quart) refrigerator to keep our food, in addition to our “pantry” box. On top of 2 action packers, we put a piece of plywood covered in canvas so we could use them as small tables without things sliding off. We also put plywood and canvas over the tailgate so we could put hot pots and pans on it and so it wouldn’t get so dirty. We debated for a long time whether to bring our large fold-out table or not, but in the end, we are glad that we did. It provides us a lot of space to set things out of Pax’s reach, which is very useful

Food

Marshmallows (priorities)
Digestive biscuits
Chocolate
Rice
Quinoa
Oats
Chickpeas
Lentils
Black beans
Curry powder
Cinnamon
Cumin
Paprika
Chili powder
Mixed herbs
Salt
Hot sauce
Pasta
Gnocchi

Pesto sauce
Spaghetti sauce
Coconut milk
Canned corn
Almond milk
Honey
Peanut butter
Soy sauce
Tea
Coffee
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Eggs
Trail mix of nuts and raisins
Crackers
Chips
Fruits and veggies
Chicken breasts
Hot dogs
Bacon

Cooking supplies

Skillet
Pressure cooker
Small pot
4 plates, cups, bowls, and silverware
2 travel coffee thermoses
2 dish cloths
5 hand towels
oven mitt
sponge
steel wool
dish soap
Tupperware
Immersion blender
2 cooking knives
vegetable peeler
2 wooden spoons
serving spoon
spatula
whisk
can opener

strainer
matches
aluminum foil
cutting board
French press
Camping grill
Basket for veggies
Water bottles
Fold-out table
Travel high chair
2 fold-up adult camping chairs
1 fold-up child camping chair
2 gas cookers

Entertainment

I packed almost no “toys” for the boys. Anything I brought for them was with the intention to get them to interact with the environment around them. I gave them hand shovels and pails as a Christmas gift before we left and took along a blank journal and crayons for Leo, hoping he will draw pictures of the things he sees.

Toys:

2 metal pails
hand shovels
crayons
blank journal
kite
slingshot
stuffed animal
2 board books for Pax
balance bike for Leo
children’s books

Nature exploration:

child binoculars
catch-and-release aquarium
children’s books about the ocean, safari, geography, and poetry
Reference books on birds, insects, and shells
Adult binoculars
Small containers to keep nature finds
Camera gear

I think I’m most proud of our children’s book selection. I’m such a sucker for children’s books and a fair portion of our weight and space was taken up with them, but again, I chose books that will orient them to their environment, so they include story collections from Africa, safari-, ocean-, and geography-themed books, and a couple of Christmas books.

Christmas

We plan to be on the ocean during Christmas day and I brought stockings to fill with a few treats we will find along the way. This will be all they open on Christmas and they will have a few presents waiting for them back at home. We also took a star ornament that Leo picked out to put on top of a “tree” that we plan to figure out when we arrive at the beach. As a lover of Advent, I planned to tell Leo a Christmas-themed story each night of Advent, so I brought along a wonderful book of these stories, along with print-outs of other readings for me and the O Antiphons to sing during the week leading up to Christmas. I also threw in our Advent wreath at the last minute, seeing that Leo was really enjoying lighting the candles each night before dinner.

Christmas and Advent observance:

Stockings for the kids
Star for the top of a make-shift Christmas tree
Book of Advent stories
Print-outs of readings and songs
Advent wreath and candles

Health and safety

Medicine and such

First aid kit
Thermometer
Band-aids
Ibuprofen
Child’s fever reducer
Malaria prophylaxis
Azithromycin tablets and suspension
Antihistamine cream
Oral rehydration packs
Antibiotic cream
Antifungal cream
Insect repellent
Sunscreen
Teething tablets and gel
Hand soap

Car safety and repairs

Duct tape
Multi tool
Ax
Recovery/tow rope
Jumper cables
Toolbox and tools
Hazard triangles
Reflective vest

Laundry and beddings

Laundry is what I am looking forward to the least. I am not good at hand washing and do not enjoy it (who does?), and to top it off, we have Pax’s cloth diapers to add to the mix. To help me out, we bought a little hand-washing bag we saw a good review about.

The beddings will always be kept in the tent and can thankfully just be folded into it when we pack up, so we don’t have to take those in and out.

Beddings and linens:

2 adult sleeping bags
1 child sleeping bag
2 sleep sacks for Pax
3 pillows
2 shukas (thin blankets)
3 kikoys (scarves)
Hammock

Laundry:

Scrub bag
Clothes line
Laundry bag
Detergent
3 basins

Personal items

Me:

2 novels and 1 book of poetry
journal
bath towel
swim suit
rain jacket
hiking boots
sandals
hair clips
toiletries
3 leggings
comfortable bras, socks, and undies
2 sweaters
1 scarf
2 jeans
2 shorts
8 blouses
linen pants
4 tank top undershirts
sunglasses

Eric:

Bath towel
Swim suit
Rain jacket
Toiletries
Running shoes
Sandals
2 shorts
1 pair jeans
4 t-shirts
2 other shirts
undies, socks
hat
pj pants
sweater

Leo (4 years old):

Bath towel
Swim suit
Hat
Sweater
Rain jacket
Rain boots
Sandals
Tennis shoes
2 pants
6 t-shirts
4 shorts
4 pair pjs
socks, undies

Pax (1 year old):

Cloth diapers, wet bags, and wipes
Bath towel
Swim clothes
Hat
1 pair shoes
4 pjs
5 pants
6 shirts
2 sweaters
6 socks

Other:

Kenya guide book
Toilet paper
Baby carrier
Umbrellas
Back pack

The things we carried: Packing to overland Kenya with children