On several discussions here I have read about appropriate and appreciated small gifts to distribute to trackers, skinners, drivers, etc. I've seen some items described as particularly desirable from their viewpoint, such things as digital watches, tuques and multitools. In preparation for my first trip this summer, I've purchased some of these things, hoping to give them gifts that they will actually enjoy.

Then I read a posting commenting how every tracker in the bush is equipped with a cell phone, with better service than I have at home! What's the deal? How can I expect a local to appreciate a $10 digital watch, when he has a more sophisticated cell phone than I do?

What do you guys do or recommend for gifts of this type?

Ask your PH what they need.

Beyond that US dollars will always do.

Cash.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
Ask your PH what they need.

Beyond that US dollars will always do.

What he said. $$$$$$$$$$

I brought cartons of Marlboro cigarettes and they seemed to be appreciated. I noticed while there they still regularly smoked hand rolled cigarettes using newpaper or magazine pages for the paper. I was told they'd save the Marlboro's for special occasions.

don't know where you are going but other than game ranches in RSA, Namibia and a few other scattered locations, cell phone service is spotty at best in Africa. if you are headed to real bush Africa, you can rest assured that the camp/hunting staff won't have cell phones. PH may have one but its use is intermittent. small gifts are much appreciated- in addition to CASH

Ditto the comment about cigarettes. most black African males smoke and even if they don't, they will trade the cigarettes with others that do.

Although I offered modest cash tips for all the staff. I was advised to base it upon their weekly pay which was not much. I generally gave the guys 3 weeks wages as gratuities. I also gave my binos to the learner ph's and tracker, my pants, boots, shirts and jackets were divided as best I could. I also gave them all my toiletries and sunglasses, caps and what I did not need to wear home. I had also carried over packages of needles, thread, small quality tools, cd's of my favorite music, and a small tourist view-master which was a very big hit. I gave all my medicines, bandages and such to the camp manger for the crew that needed it.
Next time, more cash. boxes of rolling papers- if they are going to smoke, I would at least want them to stay away from newsprint. The guys all needed watch caps for the cold mornings, wool and fleece light jackets, gloves, and more fun stuff. I took over Yo-Yo's and frisbies which they all seemed to enjoy. More music for 18 to 25 year olds, more foo-foo stuff for the women in camp, or for the wives of the guys.
I am also taking way more stuff for the children in the villages and the children of the staff. I secured lots of educational giveaways from a local college leftover from their own promotional programs. Stuff like schoolbooks, backpacks, school supplies and tote bags full of things for children who want to read and learn and go to school. What a difference kids that want to learn and kids who have it all and don't.
Frank

CASH! Everything is else nice but should in no way substitute for or even reduce the cash tip. In addition, I usually give the PH a nice knife or binos or spotting scope. I also make sure the trackers get a pound or two of loose rolling tobacco, rolling papers, a pair of cheaper binos, or a good multitool. I also get the skinners, who have the toughest job in camp, a good set of knives and sharpening stones in addition to an unexpectedly large tip for the tough gig that they have.

quote:

don't know where you are going but other than game ranches in RSA, Namibia and a few other scattered locations, cell phone service is spotty at best in Africa. if you are headed to real bush Africa, you can rest assured that the camp/hunting staff won't have cell phones

Go to a Hunting Camp in Selous or Massailand and you will be very surprised with cell phones the Staff use.

Seloushunter

Cash and cigarettes

Camp Staff will appreciate a lot Us dollars more than any thing, being away from home for more than 5 up to 8 month it's not a joke. They need to pay annual school fees for the childen, house rents if living in urban areas, buying cattles mostly for Maasai, costs for agriculture and many things. Salaries not enough to cover all these expenses.
Others have got divorce b'se of being away for so long and get back with little money and gifts like knives, hats, pen, etc. This is my experience in Tanzania Tourism industry in general.

www.mbugatours.com

I just came back from Namibia. First and foremost, I gave cash to staff and the tracker. In addition, I gave the tracker a pair of gloves. It was cold when we out hunting the last morning and he didn't have any gloves with him. He seemed quite happy with gloves. I also gave him an inexpensive set of knives. That appeared to be appreciated, as well.

The things they seem to like the most are cash, cigarettes and hard candy. Also, I have left for them shoes and clothes that seem to have liked very much.

we frequently take some bright tee shirts, which they all like, but they hold double purpose in that we can wrap fragile stuff up with them on the way over

As others have said - Cash. Check with your PH to determine what is appropriate. In addition to cash I have left clothes and such. Aside from the cash, the most excitement I got from a gift was a roll of duct tape. Go figure.

Cash, of course as it can be employed as needed.

Over the years we've taken cheap watches, lightsticks (those can be a REAL hoot), hard candy, cigs, etc. Since in my business I wind up with large quantities of oilfield "gimme" caps, we usually take a dozen or two with us. Mardi Gras beads are also a big hit, as the guys take them home to wives and/or girlfriends. We leave our boots and shoes as well (except what we wear home)...

Besides cash for the PH, we also leave every bit of the substantial quantities of medications we bring over. The vast majority of the stuff is OTC antihistamines and decongestants, eyewash, antibiotic ointment, etc. As I've got friends that frequently travel south of our border, we've also taken bottles of Mexican antibiotics. For the trackers and camp staff, medical attention may be largely non-existent, so anything they receive may have to come from the PH.

Our daughter once took along a Polaroid camera (remember those?) and had great fun taking pictures and giving them to staff, villagers, etc. Fun stuff!

Anything you take will be appreciated, believe me!

Mark

cash,,,,I also took a bunch of "soccer balls", I deflat a bunch of them and put them in the bottom of my suitcase. I take a ball needle and they are easily inflated and the kids,,, and trackers seem to like them but go by a local school or village and drop a few balls off, the game is on!

As others have said cash is the best tip. It also packs better than anything else. Hats, T- shirts, sunglasses etc are all appreciated but not in place of cash. Those Victorinox (paring) kitched knives are very well received, of great quality considering their cost and take up little room in your luggage. I usually bring a couple of real hunitng knives for the main trackers.

Mark

M&M's -- American "Smarties" for fun.
Cash for "Thanks!"

I always bring some good skinning knives for the skinners amd some binos for the trackers and clothes and footballs for the children in the camp + they get their tips!!dont have to say that we always are popular in the camp

I too have given cash of course, but before my trip to Zambia I found a quantity of very small inexpensive radio/flashlight combo's that ran off a charge by a crank, no batteries. I thought this would be something that they could use in their staff camp off in the bush. It even picked up some sort of radio station in the bush, although I couldn't make out what was being said. Seemed pratical to me.

Then again, they may have just sold them the first trip to town.

My wife brought a suitcase full of cosmetics which she purchased, and friends donated, prior to our trip. Most of our camp staff were female, and we distributed the cosmetics amongst them when we left. We left a cash tip with them as well. The male staff (trackers, drivers, skinners, etc.) we tipped with cash. We tipped our PH with cash and gave him all my left over ammo and brass, plus left a pair of boots for him to allocate as he pleased.

As others have indicated, cash works well, but there are some products that simply not available in thirds world countries. Many of the cosmetics we brought are simply not otherwise available to rural, third world women, and they were a big hit. The fun of watching the delight on their faces as they inspected their gifts was worth the nuisance of hauling them half way around the world.

When going into the bush it is always wise to ask your PH prior to leaving home how many staff will be in camp, as you don't want to short anyone. I've had as many as 23 staff members. And be sure to include your government game scout.

Over the years I've taken wrist watches for everyone, pocket knives for all, t-shirts, mini-binos for trackers and a case of chocolate bars - Nestle's Crunch seemed to hold up well and were considered a real treat - soccer balls, writing paper, pencils and hard candy for the kids. As a non-smoker I do not take cigarettes.

All the above are in addition to the cash tips that usually go onto the PH staff tip book.

And be sure to leave all unused medicine with your PH for treating staff and villagers.

In this opder : $$$$$$$$$$$$$
Med's, including toothpaste, disposable razors ect..

Socks, clothing , gloves , whatever you can spare is VERY appreciated.

Come on folks, let's be real here. This isn't the 50s. A tracker, driver, skinner etc can only use one cheap ass knife, one pair of $29 Bushnell binos and one radio. If they get any more, they will sell it.
I've got an idea. Try giving the same items to a Bear/ Moose guide in Alaska. He will probably stuff em up your posterior.
It's fine to give tee shirts, soccer balls, frisbees etc to the local KIDS, but not the other older guys.
There are some items the local folks cannot buy, but not much.
Simple solution... $$$$$$$$. Give them dollars, they can then buy what ever they need/want.

These are really great. I have a couple of these flashlights.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com...ion/sl.aspx?s=14&r=Y

Leatherman will make you a nice "group buy" price on a dozen of the new tools. Talk about a bunch of happy campers!

Rich
Buff Killer

On my last trip into Tanzania's Selous all the camp staff had cell phones and service was only a 5 minute walk from camp.
I have the nature that if someone EXPECTS me to give them a large cash tip that's exactly what they aren't going to get. I do show genuine interest in their culture, spend some time learing the basics of their native tounge, don't eat candy in front of them without offering to share and when we stop for lunch I make darn certain the scouts and trackers eat just as well as we hunters are. On my last trip the PH got a mouth full from me for only offering these men our leftovers, etc. .
When the hunt concluded I felt I had made friends with the staff an as I stood with the PH as he handed out my cash tips I shook each member of the staff hand and gave them a true treasure seldom found in the jess.... a large bag of JOLLY RANCHER HARD CANDY! They loved it.

We asked the PH well in advance what to bring. He said coat hangers for his family...hard to get there and I got plenty to spare. He said anything but cash and the staff will sell it first chance they get (read leave the farm and go sell it, leaving him short handed) so cash it was. I have him two separate tips, one for him and one for the staff. For the staff I gave it to him and he distributed as he saw fit. I told the staff as we left that there tip was w/the PH and they seemed OK w/it. I did leave some LNIB shoes behind that never did fit right. The tracker they gave them said they fit perfect but he wouldn't wear them on the 'veld yet, said they were too nice and he was saving them for church!!!!!

Cash is the best........some PH's don't like cigarettes being handed out as it only makes the trackers cough more!

I gave a head tracker a Gore-Tex jacket for those long cold rides in the truck. Another time I gave a bloke a Cold Steel Master Hunter in San Mai as he had remarked on it's sharpness.

But generic camp staff gifts are just that, too generic........cash is best unless you see a specific need by a guy for a piece of kit.........

The RSA PH's I was around were very happy with cash and super happy with Wrangler jeans. Real Wrangler and Levis are very $$$

Thanks all for your input. I wasn't intending to replace the staff tips, but rather supplement them with these items. It certainly does make more sense to just increase the tip amount in lieu of dragging all these goods halfway around the world. I already intended to leave as much gear (clothing, ammo, meds, etc.) as possible in order to make room for souvenirs.

John

Cash is the predominate winner when all else fails -- One of my ph's commented that the mulit tools were a total waste as they have been given so many they just trade or toss -- also considering they do not have the means to sharpen a blade in the manner normally assonciated with the blades on a mulit tool they wind up in the trash with almost everything broken off -
Ask the PH of recomendations -- you might be supprised --- one time they ask me to bring river rafter type sandals --- that was a huge hit!
G

I took a LOT of items with me, feeling in a generous mood. If I go again, I'll just bring cash and any items that my PH and his family need that they can't get over there. I did the soccer balls (took up a lot of room and space as I had a lot of them), kites (lots of fun, but again took up space), candy, etc. Being in health-care I refuse to add to the drug dependencies of others and will never give out tobacco. The one item that was GREATLY appreciated was a CD/MP3 player and close to 20,000 songs I burned onto CDs for the PH and his family - they loved it! If you can get a small DVD movie player and a bunch of movies, that might also help for those who live way out from town.