The locals and travel magazines alike often refer to Uganda as the Jewel of Africa and it sure does live up to its title. The weather is temperate and it is border to border rainforest. The people are as welcoming and friendly as any I’ve ever met. There are areas to take caution but that is true in any country. If you are thinking about seeing Africa make sure to put Uganda on your list.
Backpacking is an outdoor activity where a participant packs all of their gear into a backpack. This gear may include food, water, bedding, and perhaps shelter, or the means to obtain them, and often little else. Since each item must be carried, weight is a very important factor in equipment and supply choices and options.
Backpacking trips may consist of just an overnight stay, a weekend (one or two nights), or an extended length, as in long-distance expeditions of weeks or months, sometimes aided by planned food and supply drops. A backpacking trip without an overnight stay is considered a day hike.
People are drawn to backpacking primarily for recreation, to explore places that they consider beautiful and fascinating, many of which cannot be accessed in any other way. A backpacker can travel deeper into remote areas, away from people and their effects, than a day-hiker can. However, backpacking presents more advantages besides distance of travel.
Preparations
There is no exact way to pack a backpack, but there are some general guidelines that will make it easier for you to access what you need, when you need it, and ease your load carried over a long day.
Packing heavy items centered in your pack helps create a balanced, comfortable center of gravity. The goal is to have a load that rests on your hips and feels stable and predictable as you hike.
Whether packing at home or at the trailhead, spread out your gear and visually confirm that you have everything that you need.
Use a checklist. You may be tempted to simply throw everything into your pack, but packing it properly will improve your overall experience. A properly packed backpack can feel lighter than it actually is.
Choosing the right travel rucksack is everything – if your bag is too small you may not fit all the essential items which are important for backpackers. However choosing a large bag can be heavy and inconvenient for travel.
Avoid last-minute packing. If you hurry and pack at the last minute, you’re more likely to throw in things like extra clothing you don’t need.
If you need a pack cover, use one that’s very light, like the ones that are made from 1.3 ounce silicone-coated nylon. Or, use a lightweight garbage bag. Or, spray your pack with a waterproof coating. Your pack may already be waterproof. Check the manufacturer’s specifications.
You might be able to save the weight of a pack cover. The grand Lake Victoria also offers the unique Ugandan wildlife diversity (add the benefit of thick forest covers as your natural sunscreen). But, as there can only be so much sightseeing and game watching to be done, rafting on the Nile, or quad-biking off it are less mundane options.
While there is the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan of Kampala that while teems with mighty buildings and sophistication and, unfortunately reeks of gas fumes, Entebbe is a far cry from the fast-paced life at the capital where a day drifts slowly with the birds sing pleasantries while the chimp rustles leaves in percussion.
Accommodation:
In all major backpacker stops such as Jinja, Kampala, Murchison Falls, the Ssese Islands or Lake Bunyonyi exists one or many backpacker places (or compound would be a better description), these are not particularly good value or worthwhile, however they do offer a good information point where you can arrange tours, get questions answered, stay safely in a dorm and meet other travellers (Red Chili’s would be a good example and the better option in Kampala).
Sometimes an overland truck can be in town and you would rather wish you were anywhere else and equally after a while you might question why you came to Uganda to sit around drinking beer behind a high compound wall surrounded by white faces. Conversely outside of tourist areas there are some great places to stay and some terrible ones.
Uganda is full of foreign owned accommodation which is always a great standard, but rarely a bargain. Almost all rooms have mosquito nets, but good to have your own treated one. Power cuts are frequent and an average cost for a double would be US$10-20. For the most part forget hot water.
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