I'm planning my PG hunt and have been reading AR a lot.
One question I have never seen addressed is what do you do when you have 7K in your wallet on a hunt?
Do you carry it with you every day while hunting?
Do you give most of it to your PH for safe keeping?
Here at home I won't even take my car keys into the hills let alone my wallet.

Most African PH's have accounts in the US and encourage clients to make a deposit before they leave to keep you from traveling with that kind of dough. Even if they don't have a US account, you should be able to wire transfer the funds to their account before your departure.

Worse case scenario you give it to the PH upon arrival and ask for a receipt. He can put it in his safe for the duration of your safari.

I wouldn't want to travel with that kind of money.

My friends in Namibia have individual wall safes in the guests rooms for their personal use. I just threw my extra valuables/papers into my gun case and locked it up. I pay my daily rates and some trophy fees ahead, to minimize the amount of cash and TC's I carry. The real key is being with someone you trust.

I give my passport and money to the PH, as he normally has a safe in camp.

I have never asked for any receipt, nor had I any problems whatsoever.

I have done as Saeed. Once, in a camp without a safe, the PH suggested locking valubles in my gun case. No problems encountered.

JPK

If there is much more where that came from then give it to the PH.If not, I suggest you keep it in your pocket at all times and use velcro or some adhesive.

That suggestion is ludicrous. Its hard enough humping you own backside, ammo and rifle.

If you insecure about your PH, and you shouldn't be if you've done your homework well, lock it in you guncase and lock your guncase to something that isn't going to move too easily, like a bed.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I give my passport and money to the PH, as he normally has a safe in camp.

I have never asked for any receipt, nor had I any problems whatsoever.

+1

- mike

there are three options i suggest..

1/if you know and are comfortable with the outfitter , transfer what you think you will shoot and he will refund what you dont use ...

2/ see if he will take a check at the end of the hunt , even if its a bank guaranteed check , makes more sense .this is usually an option if you discuss it ahead of time , travellers checks also come in $1000 bills.

3/ all your cash and passports etc should be locked in your gunbox while you are hunting anyhow .. keep temptation out of temptations way

dont even think of carrying it with yoiu while you are hunting ...you will have enough other stuff going on !!!

good luck , sounds like you will be getting a lot done over there !!!!

On my last four African hunts, I paid using my Sat phone and carried very little cash.
I had prearranged with the Outfitters for an electronic telephone deposit directly into their accounts. This can be done through most Banks and the required paperwork is minimal.
The first deposit I usually make into the Outfitters account is 50% of Daily rates.
At the end of the Safari, after we review the total bill, I then add the appropiate tips for the PH and camp staff and come up with the grand total due.
I raise the antenna on the Sat Phone, dial the telephone wire transfer desk at my bank, and enter my PIN and amount. You will then receive a confirmation code which I give to the PH for reference.
I then hand the Sat phone to the PH so he can call his bank to verify the deposit.
This telephone wire transfer is immediate and easy. It usually takes less than a minute and saves the enourmous hassle of carrying archaic 'Travelers Checks'

I´ve usually transferred the bulk of the money and then carried about 3K of Euros in a money belt (Samsonite). I´ve always given my PHs anything I needed locked up without a second thought -I´m a bit naive and use my paranoia elsewhere

Once on returning early from a successful morning hunt, I saw a camp-boy exiting my tent. I discovered that two of the four locks on the guncase(in which were my papers and cash) had been picked. These were simple locks (2 TSA and the two on the case itself). From now on I will use better locks.

Try something like one of these. Available on the internet or at Target. I have been to Africa 8 times and have never experienced any problems or situations where I was ill at ease with carrying my $ around.
Money pouch

I used a money pouch that you wear around your neck while traveling. When in camp I put it in my TuffPak and locked the TuffPak.