Hope to go on my first African Safari in the next year or two.
As it looks now, I would be flying from the U.S. into Johannesburg and spending the night at one of the Meet & Greet--Bed & Breakfast places, then catch a flight to Windhoek, Namibia the next morning.
The only things that concern me are flight mix-ups, hotel reservations and other travel problems that I would need to get in touch with my travel agent back here in the U.S. Also, if the above happened, I would need to get in contact with my PH.
Should I take a Satellite Phone or not?
I really don't mind renting a phone and taking it with me for peace of mind and a 2 or 3 week rental is not that much.

Thanks for any suggestions

MauserK98

Yes.

I've taken one every time I've gone and there are places that it doesn't work worth a darn but all in all, it has been a worthwhile accessory.

Yes, a sat phone and a GPS. God forfid you need to use med evac, they would have communication and exact location.

As a frequent sat phone user, I can certainly see the value in having one when in a remote place, but I wonder if you wouldn't be able to get away with using your cell phone in the places where you're going. There's certainly cell coverage in Johannesburg and Windhoek, although it's likely your camp won't have coverage. However, if you don't have cell coverage where you're hunting, it's almost certain that your PH will have a sat phone you can use for emergencies, either for free or for a small charge. If you were going to be in a very remote place for a long time and wanted to make frequent, lengthy calls, it might make sense to rent or buy a sat phone. Otherwise, just use your normal cell phone in the cities and use the camp sat phone for emergencies in the bush.

I won't go anywhere out of the states without a sat phone.

My buddy took a sat phone to Namibia last year and his cell phone and amazingly enough his cell phone worked about 10% of the time. The sat phone is great for peace of mind.

hell no - you are going to africa. it's a different world. take things as they come
besides that you've listened to enough phones ringing, its a vacation

What's the downside?
If you are the person who wants no outside contact, keep it off. If you need to touch base with home, you have it to use.
Like any emergency device, you only need it when you need it but when you do ...

After I broke my leg on the first day of a 21 day safari in Tanzania, I have taken a sat phone on every remote trip. Interestingly enough, the outfitters and PH's told me I wouldn't need one...but I have used it when we were stranded out of radio range with a truck break down in Zim and to call for help in Alaska when we were stranded in Alaska with a dead battery on our plane.

I also take an cell phone equiped to cover most African areas. It's a must if you need to call from inside a building/airport where you can't get sat coverage.

Best regards, D. Nelson

YES ,take one , if never use it thats fine but if you really need it you will be mad that you didnt have one - i have used mine a lot when broken down or needing something from the base and we are too far from the main camp for radio ,

also nice to share your success with family from time to time -

Mauser,
It appears that you are planning to hunt in Namibia. I used to take a sat. phone to Namibia on my annual trips. However, in the last three years, Namibia has established an incredibly good cellular network that has precluded the need for sat. phone communication.

Unless you will be hunting way out in the various conservancies, there should be little or no need for a sat. phone.

Most smart phones today are "world phones" with the 4 frequency capability. Some require a special sim card to work in Namibia. Check with your local cell phone provider to see what handset will work there.

Geoff

i agree with you geoff - satphone minutes are aboput 90c , roaming with usual cellphone about 2 dollars plus , of course the expense of the rent of the sat so you are far better getting a cheap local phone , most US phones are locked to a specific provider so other sims wont work ,

i have a cheap nokia that i change the sims in for africa ( i have about 6 sim cards !0

I would take a phone whether cell or satelite.
Turn it on when you want to use it, turn it off when you don't.
But it's a great peace of mind to have in case of an emergency.
Also, check with your P.H. about cell coverage where you'll be hunting.
It's just like a leatherman, I've taken mine on 3 trips & have not needed it yet, but I sure like having it along.

Mostly you'll just get calls from people that think they are in an emergency situation and want you to fix it from wherever it is that you are, which is highly inconvenient for them. They will also call around 3 AM since figuring out what time zone you are in requires conceptual skills they lack. "Oh, it's not 6 hours earlier where you are?"

"Emergencies" will range from the domestic type (Honey, one of the tires on the Toyota is flat. Is it OK to drive it to the gas station to get it repaired?) to the professional type (the printer just called and wanted to let us know that the new letterhead stationary won't be ready for another week. Is that OK?)

You will develop a whole new frame of reference for what an emergency is. I secretly hope that my phone will be outside of any coverage, but if there is coverage I leave my telephone off, except for perhaps a narrow window of one hour per day. Let your eventual callers know what time of the day they can call you, in their time zone. If some people just have to hear your voice every day for their own peace of mind, you might want to break it to them gently that this will probably not happen.

I have found that a total disconnect from what is euphemistically called "civilization" is one of the major benefits of an African safari. I let the PH worry about dealing with local emergencies, which he is much more competent and much better equiped to do than you will be.

I always take my iridium and bgan

+1 for Wink's advice...check ahead, if you feel the need, with your PH to see what communications systems are already in place- - for medical emergencies.

Yes - I always take one and buy a SIM card good for an entire year. I can then use the phone for other hunts and trips throughout the year. The other bonus is that you get "double minutes" when calling from Africa. I buy a 200 minute SIM card for about $400, but when I call home from Zimbabwe, I get 400 minutes of air time. Also, if I plan my hunts correctly (like August this year and April in 2013), I can get 2 hunts worth of SAT Phone usage from one SIM card.
Mangwana

I was in Zimbabwe in 2010 and got zero reception with my iPhone. If anyone has insight on how to use it (or any other cell phone)in Africa, I'd appreciate it. Also, any recommendations for a good satellite phone rental company for my trip to Zim next month?

Take one but don't tell anyone your phone number. That includes your best friend, your work and your wife.

I give Wifezilla the office phone number for the outfitter and she knows what an emergency is.

my experience has been that damn near every outfitter has some sort of emergency communication device in camp. i never take a phone as i don't want to reachable when in the bush. i am on vacation and my wife/family will just have to deal with whatever arises in my absence. they are all adults- DEAL WITH IT! DON'T BOTHER ME! selfish i know but its not like i can hop on a plane and be home in 6-8 hours.

I think that a sattelite phone is very much like a handgun. You will almost never actually need it, but if you do, you need it VERY BADLY and RIGHT NOW.

I'm not too bust today so..................

I guess my feeling is that if you are truly in the wilderness by yourself a satphone is an excellent idea. I used one several times when dropped off in Nowhere, Alaska. If you shoot your moose on day one of a 7 day hunt you want to get out with the meat in good condition so a call to the pilot can really help there. Also when in an area only accessible by float plane a satphone could actually save your life if you had an accident.

As for Africa I think you have to decide what type of experience you want. For me I'm available to clients almost 24/7 but when I'm in Africa and in the bush I'm not available. To me I can't fully enjoy my hunt if I'm working while there. I do fully understand that others don't feel they can do that. If that is your situation I'd check to see what the PH had available first and then maybe rent a phone if you really feel you need one.

I'm almost an anti-traditionalist as far as safari gear, guns etc are concerned but I don't want a laptop, satphone or cellphone in my kit. I want the safari to be focused on my hunt just as it would have been before the information age. I don't need my mind cluttered with other issues while I'm hunting and I want to be AWAY.

Mark

Been going to Namibia every year for the past 5-years. I have Verizon and my wife is on AT&T. My phone doesn't work and hers does - every freak'n where!!!

It is because of the differences in the network signals between the two providers - Verizon covers more of the US but AT&T's covers most of the world. She can use hers all over Europe too.

Yes, the International roaming and call fees run her about $5 per minute to call back to the US. It stays turned off unless we call back just to check in to let family know we are OK every 4-5 days and don't check v-mail. We are in Africa and everyone needs to leave us the hell alone!!!

If there is a no kidding emergency the family has the phone and email address of the PH. Over the course of a month the bill adds about $100-150 for the duration of the trip.

Ask your PH if a cell phone works. On my 2011 hunt with Gavin Rorke in Dande North, it worked at one of his two camps but not the other one.

A satellite phone will ALWAYS work except when trees are in the way. You have to get out from under them.

I'm glad I took one in May, 2011. A grandson was born (the same day I took a bull elephant) and my father-in-law, who lives in another state, passed away during my safari.

Satellite phones are much more compact and cheaper to rent than they were during my 2008 safari.

Incidentally, while my cell phone worked from Kanyemba, the most northeast place in Zimbabwe, and also worked from Jo'burg, it would not work from the Harare airport.

The Communist Chinese are currently building cell phone towers all over Zimbabwe so soon cell phones might work everywhere.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
I'm not too bust today so..................

I guess my feeling is that if you are truly in the wilderness by yourself a satphone is an excellent idea. I used one several times when dropped off in Nowhere, Alaska. If you shoot your moose on day one of a 7 day hunt you want to get out with the meat in good condition so a call to the pilot can really help there. Also when in an area only accessible by float plane a satphone could actually save your life if you had an accident.

As for Africa I think you have to decide what type of experience you want. For me I'm available to clients almost 24/7 but when I'm in Africa and in the bush I'm not available. To me I can't fully enjoy my hunt if I'm working while there. I do fully understand that others don't feel they can do that. If that is your situation I'd check to see what the PH had available first and then maybe rent a phone if you really feel you need one.

I'm almost an anti-traditionalist as far as safari gear, guns etc are concerned but I don't want a laptop, satphone or cellphone in my kit. I want the safari to be focused on my hunt just as it would have been before the information age. I don't need my mind cluttered with other issues while I'm hunting and I want to be AWAY.

Mark

amen Mark. WHAT'S THE POINT OF A VACATION IN THE BUSH IF YOU HAVE TO BE REACHABLE/ACCOUNTABLE 24/7?

I always take one, I ended up to purchase one a year or two ago. The reasons for taking one far out way any reason not to. Better to have one and not need it then to need one and not have it. Seems someone in camp always ends up asking to borrow mine to check in at home. I know my wife really appreciates it.

quote:

Originally posted by Mauser K98:
Hope to go on my first African Safari in the next year or two.
As it looks now, I would be flying from the U.S. into Johannesburg and spending the night at one of the Meet & Greet--Bed & Breakfast places, then catch a flight to Windhoek, Namibia the next morning.
The only things that concern me are flight mix-ups, hotel reservations and other travel problems that I would need to get in touch with my travel agent back here in the U.S. Also, if the above happened, I would need to get in contact with my PH.
Should I take a Satellite Phone or not?
I really don't mind renting a phone and taking it with me for peace of mind and a 2 or 3 week rental is not that much.

Thanks for any suggestions

MauserK98

What would you have done 45-50 years ago? We got along just fine without them.

I don't take one because my PH has one as do the camps I've stayed in. Save your money and put it against another trophy fee.