The question about meds made me think of one I have regarding safety etc., if some serious diseases weren't common among tribal Africans, I would not ask this. I mean it as an honest inquiry, not racist or being overly sqeamish.

1) Isn't it common to have one of the hunting crew wear/carry your personal hydration pack for you when hunting/stalking?
2) Is there any material danger of the person carrying the pack transmitting a disease to you if he drinks from it and drink from it later?

JPenn

The crew does not drink from the same water source as you do.

Mark

What Mark said.

And, in most all cases. you won't be needing a hydration pack as the trackers/gun bearers will be carrying a pack filled with bottled water. I know when I go i fill my pack, not a hyrdration pack by the way, with sealed water bottles. No issues.

My experience has been the same as those here. but then I confess that I share snuff out of my can with my trackers with no worries or adverse effects.

As for hydration any of the pre paked gatorade products work great and you will not get that cottonball mouth when the walking and heat is on... At the end of the day you will still have it in you to do a few more miles...

Bottled water is the way and your staff will not touch it..

Mike

As others have observed, the trackers and game scout will be drinking from their own source.

In my experience, the PH will also be drinking water from bottles, as you will be.

I've seen the bottles reused on more than one safari, but the battles were only used by the PH and me and were washed so the risk was minimal.

I've been on elephant tracks long enough that, on the real marathons, the trackers and game scout began drinking out of elephant dug holes in dry rivers, joined as the tracking progressed by the PH (PH first of course, they are also concerned about transmitted desease), and then later out of standing pools, a few times joined by the PH too, to ensure that there was enough water for me not to go too dry.

An unaccustomed hunter might get by drinking from a fresh elephant hole, but the standing water would likely end a safari, even if it was treated with iodine, which I put in a tracker's pack at the beginning of every safari, just in case.

I have come to the conclusion that the average tracker will drink less than one fourth of what I will drink, and the PH about half.

When elephant hunting, it is a good idea to watch the trackers pack the water, at least as you set out on tracks the first several times. Their idea of enough water for you and yours may be vary different.

BTW, a bottle of ice cold water and a cold beer sure taste great after one of those marathons.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:

I've been on elephant tracks long enough that, on the real marathons, the trackers and game scout began drinking out of elephant dug holes in dry rivers, joined as the tracking progressed by the PH (PH first of course, they are also concerned about transmitted desease), and then later out of standing pools, a few times joined by the PH too
JPK

Spring and sand river water isn't that bad, in fact its often cooler than the bottled water that been in a hot bag for most of the day.

I always carry my own water in a camelback - no worries & intermitment - trackers have other things to do:

I like to carry my own water (along with a camera and a few other things) in my fanny pack. I like to use Platypus collapsable water bottles. I had a very unpleasant experience years ago with dehydration in very hot (100+) weather hunting in California. Since then I have always been willing to put up with the extra weight of extra water so that I KNOW I have enough.

for whats it is worth I carry my water in a camelbak

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:

I've been on elephant tracks long enough that, on the real marathons, the trackers and game scout began drinking out of elephant dug holes in dry rivers, joined as the tracking progressed by the PH (PH first of course, they are also concerned about transmitted desease), and then later out of standing pools, a few times joined by the PH too
JPK

Spring and sand river water isn't that bad, in fact its often cooler than the bottled water that been in a hot bag for most of the day.

True, but the runs that can come with the unknown, arrrg!! Better to drop your bottles in the spring to cool them off! I can't even watch the trackers drink from some of the stagnant pools I've seen them drink from. But some of those clean running springs look inviting, but some have bilharzia (sp?)

Mouse, your not going camping for a friggin' week! If I started out with all of that unecessary crap there would be a trail of discards beginning within an hour or two from the truck and and ending when I was down to a dozen solid cartridges in an ammo belt, hat - ventilated, sunglasses, handful of hard candies and gum to keep my mouth moist, small multi tool on ammo belt, might hav a two round slide with a couple of softs.

Iodine tablets, extra contacts and associated kit, small camera, anti diarreal, TP, ibuprofen all in a small pocket of a tracker's pack. Lots of water in the main compartment. That is why he has it and is wearing it to begin with.

Big camera, 8x30 binos, extra ammo, extra rifle, etc, in the truck.

Occasionally will hump with a small pair of 8x20 Liecas, but ussually not.

JPK

I have worn a hydration bladder since 1998 when I became dehydrated on the first morning of an Elephant hunt after flying from SFO to Bulawayo the day before. I shot the Ele around 11 a.m. and perhaps the adrenaline rush accelerated the impact. I know the long flight had already dehydrated me. It took lots of water and an hours rest in the shade before I was right again. Dehydration is no joke!

I handle the filling and care of my hydration bladder personally and have worn it on 120 degree stalks. I'd rather have it than have to stop and get a bottle from one of the crew, thereby slowing everyone.

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:
Mouse, your not going camping for a friggin' week!JPK

Well - one can never tell, Africa is a broad, hot place with some interesting creatures runing around & the day when I will afford a film crew is yet to come, till then I am a shipping one man band

Mouse,

You are a better man than I am if your carrying all that gear each day in the bush. I have to agree with JPK in carrying a minimum on my body. I carry no water, hunting knife, ammo belt.

I do think there are some essentials:

Your own TP

A multi tool

Sunblock

Sunglasses

Compact binos

Pocket digital camera

Rifle/cartridges

The crew with carry everything else.

Mark

I took Retreever's advice and it was glad I did. My PH called it woosie water but I told him he had a cute ass and that kept him guessing the other 15 days. I did suffer from a lack of salt and that caused some momentary problems.

I generally just put a bottle in my cargo pocket of my hunting pants and it was unobtrusive but handy. The trackers enjoyed the Gatorade also.

Dutch

The one thing about a Camelback or similar device is that it can be difficult to get clean!

A nalgene bottle is much easier to clean...and that's at least as important as what goes in it or who touches it in the first place.

Have a good hunt!

friar

My Camelbak was the best thing I took along with me to Namibia. With temps in the mid to upper 90's during the afternoon it was nice to be able to drink on the move. My host on the other hand hardly ever drank....to the point where I thought he was a camel himself! In the evening I filled the bladder and dropped the whole thing in the freezer overnight. Of course depending on where you are you may not have the same amenities......like a freezer.

On my last trip to Namibia I gave the PH three camelbacks - 1 for him and 2 for his trackers. They were well appreciated. I also gave away my own personal camelback when I left. Usually, I take bottled water with me out hunting and enhance it with powdered Propel or ice tea. In addition, I carry a water purifier/filter straw in my shirt pocket, along with a pocket knife and a disposable lighter, which are the only things I take for emergency survival in Africa.

Namibiahunter

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Mouse,

You are a better man than I am if your carrying all that gear each day in the bush. I have to agree with JPK in carrying a minimum on my body. I carry no water, hunting knife, ammo belt.

I do think there are some essentials:

Your own TP

A multi tool

Sunblock

Sunglasses

Compact binos

Pocket digital camera

Rifle/cartridges

The crew with carry everything else.

Mark

Perhaps that pic of the backpack is misleading - it is just a small light army Camelback 12x19x45 cm - holding 2.5 l watter with additional mesh pocket - nothing else:



So all in all I carry ammo belt with Swiss knife and pocket camera, binos, pipe & lighter the only difference is I cary my own water. The big camera stays in the truck.

Camelback - Never leave the truck without it. I prefer to carry my own water. I also carry a leatherman, some snacks, a compass since I also always like to keep track of where I am, a personal first-aid kit, sunglasses, pocket camera, rifle, ammo, and binoculars.

I have had to use everything I carry, at one time or another. I have also had the PH ask to borrow my compass.

Mouse,

Please don't misunderstnd. I am not criticizing you and I do see the point of carry your own water but I don't want to do it.

Mark

Thanks for the responses and opinions, as usual, choices seem to be very much a matter of personal preference. For me, the next possible trip is more than a year away, think I will wear the Camelback my son used in Iraq this summer, on my daily 3 mile walk (well, really it is Annie dog's walk). Hot, humid Houston should give me a decent test of whether that is a good idea for me.

Mouse,

I sure hope you know I was "funin' ya" about going camping!

JPenn,

Also add as much bottled water as you can to the pack. Its a good pretty compact way to add weight and can be useful on those hot and humid days too, especially for the dog if you're using the camelback.

If you become accustomed to humping, say, 13lbs of water, ~2gal, everyday, you will feel lightfooted and fancy free when you walk without it in Africa, or with just your son's camelback.

I also use a 43" steel pipe with caps to contain enough all thread rod to bring the weight to 11lbs, which is just a bit more than my elephant rifle. The pipe is equiped with small welded eyes to enable its use with a sling as well (but I don't use a sling when elephant hunting.)

JPK

If you are going to use a pack, be sure to wear it during your pre hunt fitness walks. Get you a 12 lb weight bar and attach a sling to it.
You will get some strange looks,and well wish from those who are smart enought to know what you are doing. I worked up to 10 miless in south louisiana 90 degeree heat (spring).
The weight was not a problem but it took a while for the shoulder to toughen up
useing the sling or africian carry.
JD

well, mouse it would appear that we are in the minority! I carry a three day pack with all sorts of stuff I MAY need. I operate on the theory that you can always bring it back if you dont need it, but, its hard as hell to use it if you dont have it!

quote:

Originally posted by Bryan Chick:
well, mouse it would appear that we are in the minority! I carry a three day pack with all sorts of stuff I MAY need. I operate on the theory that you can always bring it back if you dont need it, but, its hard as hell to use it if you dont have it!

I don't think anyone here is too far off anyone else's view, except on the point of who is carrying that stuff!

JPK

With regard to carrying a "rifle" on conditioning walks, I plan to do that, I have a stainless steel rod that will do nicely. It is a "Cajun Anchor" that I no longer use, found a better "stick pole" for the skiff.