You know, before I left for the Valley, I checked, double checked and triple checked my packing list. I looked at other peoples packing lists and checked it against my packing list. I unpacked my stuff and re-checked it and re-packed it. One night two days before my flight, I racked my brain thinking I'd forgotten something. AH! My Surefire flashlight. I decided I'd set it up on top of my safe so I'd remember to pack it, but it was gone. I'd lost it. I checked my truck and my jeep and all my gear bags and gun cases. Then I tore through all my packed stuff only to find it was already neatly packed away. I had my cash, I had my passport, I had my tickets, everything. At 3AM, I left for the airport and was off for NY, and then the Afton House, and on to camp.

My hunt went off without a hitch in terms of my packing list, in fact, even though I had been warned, I OVER packed and ended up not needed two thirds of what I'd brung. Then, on the last day it came time to stroll on down to the dinner hut and settle my bill.

MY BILL! Holy crap, I'd brought all kinds of cash for tips and gifts and junk like that, but I'd forgotten my check book!!!!

Now how Is this going to look? Luckily, I'd traveled with my buddy Tim "Shumba" Helgeson, and he had two checks in his wallet! So everything worked out, but you can imagine the headrush and panic I felt when like a bolt of lightening, I realized that I was a few thousand dollars short!!!! The only thing worse in my mind would have been losing the bolt to my rifle or something of that nature. I'm sure they would have excepted a wire transfer or something when I got home, but it just would have been plain old awkward and embarrassing if Tim had'nt of been there.

The best part is, Tim has forgotten all about it, so he paid half my trophy fees!

So, what did YOU forget on your last safari? I know I can't be the only one...(Anybody remember Russell Taylor forgetting the key to his Tuff Pak?)

I always forget to bring a 6t foot hot blond to the camp for Christer, but he always seems to forgive me for that one.

Yeah, I have to admit, Christer actually found the best place in town with all the hot blondes when he stayed with us on one of his previous trips. I chose to stay home with the family that night, but the next moring, he pulled me aside and whispered, "Mark, do you know what a HAPPY ENDING means!!!!"

I thought he was from the land of the hot blondes. I guess some things you never get tired of...

Steve,

Don't let me start the post again on how I didn't find any hot girls in Sweden when I was there.

I suppose there was but compared to Pretoria is
it's a spit in the bucket

You're right on there. The signal-to-noise ratio in RSA is pretty good. Something about that dutch-french-everythingelse mix.

-Steve

I brought $100 bills and not many small bills for tips. Next time, I will bring about $1000 in 5's. 10's and 20's.

quote:

Originally posted by N'gagi:
So, what did YOU forget on your last safari? I know I can't be the only one...(Anybody remember Russell Taylor forgetting the key to his Tuff Pak?)

Actually if I remember the story correctly he stuck it in a side pocket of his luggage and it came out...

Actually, now that I think about it, he said he gave the only key he had to a security guy who was going to "check the serial numbers", then he had to saw a hole around the hasp to get it open, and then I think he shipped it home unlocked. What a mess that whole thing was.

When we went I carried copies of Shumbas paperwork and a copy of his keys, and he did the same for me.

quote:

Originally posted by N'gagi:


So, what did YOU forget on your last safari? I know I can't be the only one...(Anybody remember Russell Taylor forgetting the key to his Tuff Pak?)

That's not the only thing he forgot. He also forgot to bring money and an appropriate rifle( I think his rifle was a 14.5 Lbs benchrest gun in .416 Rem)
But he did NOT forget to bring a sleeping bag!!!

quote:

Anyway, I was freaking out to get onto the plane, and FORGOT TO GET MY KEY BACK FROM THE KLM GUY. This is an important point. This now left me with only one key, the backup... normally, no problem.

I'd bought one of Mims Reed's very-nice TuffPak "carry-on" pieces of luggage, that goes around the TuffPak. I love this thing, it's great... but I have one minor suggestion for an improvement... make a key pocket. Oh well.

So, in my nine hours to Amsterdam and 10 hours to Dar Es Salaam, I'd gotten into my carry-on bag several times, in the overhead compartment. I'd had the backup key in one of the zipper side pockets. To make a long story short... somewhere along the way, the key had slid out and is still, today, probably sliding around inside the overhead compartment of a KLM airplane. Whatever.

Looks like some of both.

The infamous thread.

One year I forgot my laptop computer, and of course we all had digital cameras.

AS we got to camp, I asked Walter if I could store our photos on his laptop - which I had given to him.

"Why would I want to lend you my laptop to store your photos on, when it was you being brainless and forgetting yours?"

"Well, if you don't, we are not going to have many photos of this hunt. Surely none of your will be saved"

"I will hire you my laptop. NO, no, I will hire you SOME space on my laptop, and you have to pay me for the space you use"

"Fine, just go bring your computer so I can empty my memory card in it"

"No, no not so fast. We have to agree a deal, signed and witnessed, before I will let you have my computer"

"OK, how much do want for the use of your computer?"

"Let me think, I am the only one who has a computer, and you are the one in desperate need of it. I think the price has to reflect the market demand. How about one dollar per megabyte per day? We will caculate the final bill at the end of the 22 day hunt"

"Walter, that is bloody day light robbery! Come on be reasonable!"

" You don't have to pay me, just go find another computer to use then. And I have decided that I need payment, in cash, right here before we leave the camp"

By this time everyone was crownding around us.

"I am going to have a word with Roy, I think he might be able to help me"

"Roy does not have a computer. He does not even know how to switch a computer on. He is more brainless than you are, which is VERY difficult to understand"

Roy says "What have I got to do with this argument to get insulted?"

I said to Roy "Just so that you know, I am NOT paying for Walter to be here. I suggest you sort that out with him"

"Alright Walter, I need payment for your stay here for 22 days now, in cash please. The cost of the animals you shoot you can pay me at the end of the hunt"

The look on Walter's face was pricelss! He eyes were almost popping out of their sockets, and his mouth was wide open, and the most amazing thing was he was absolutely silent!

I said "Somebody should slap him to wake him up!"

Horst walked to wards him, but Walter re-gained his composure.

"This is a bloody conspiracy! I should have known you two would gang up on me! I don't know why I bother to come here. I get the same treatment every year!"

"Shall we arrange for a plane to pick you up tomorrow so you can go back home?"

"Of course NOT! And miss all the fun here? You know, I was only kidding, you and Roy are my best friends. You can have my computer any time you like. I will make sure it is charged every day before you come back to camp"

"Aren't you going to come hunting with us?"

"Not with you and Roy. I will go with my friend Alan. You two I do not trust ONE LITTLE BIT"

Walter lent me his laptop, I stored all the photos on it. But, being Walter, something HAD to happen to ruin our day.

On the plane back home. He had the laptop in his brief case on the floor in front of him. He then pushed the button to get the foot rest to come out of his seat. In doing so, he crushed the computer, breaking the screen!

We had to take the hard disk out, install it in another computer, and get our photos out of it.

A few weeks ago he went to have his medical. They took a blood sample from him, and they put in a testing machine.

The macine packed up! Despite the fact just before he came, they tested several samples from other patients.

He called me as he got out of the hospital.

"Poor doctor. He does not know how lucky he is the machine did not break the last time I came here. You know, I wish I can find a way of making this jinx work for me?