Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Questions of the Day

For the experienced:

1. Do you guys ever buy Global Rescue?
2. What do you guys think of Red Oxx duffels?

Gracia Amigos!

1. Yes
2. I like and have a few pieces of their gear, but for my trips across the pond I only utilize their rucksack.

Fost, #2......why?

If I'm checking luggage, it's only going to be a tuffpak. In addition to the regular rifle sized case, I also have one that's approx. 1/2 the height. Definitely more secure than regular luggage, and J'burg is notorious for pilfering through luggage.

The Red Oxx rucksack is perfect for a complete change of clothes, personal items, and my optics and camera gear.

Ok. Since ammo must be put into a hard lockable case inside checked luggage I was wondering how people handle that. Thanks.

I take a lockable ammo case from Cabela's, load it with boxes of ammunition, and stick inside at the very top of the tuffpak.

Only once did SAA give me a hassle when I was departing for Zimbabwe as they wanted it separate. No problem, since it's a hard case and lockable, I just took it out and checked in as a second piece of luggage.

The wife and I always buy Global rescue or one of the other med evac policies.
The only Red Oxx we have is 2 gun slips that go inside the TuffPack. They are lightly padded and keep anything from getting scratched up in transit. We also have our rifles in them on the bakkie. They save the guns there also as well as keeping them dust free. Very well made and very well worth the price.

1. I did for Zimbabwe but don't think I would for Namibia
2. Don't know a lot about Red Oxx other than they are high quality but also pretty pricey. Could probably find suitable, similar alternatives for less cost.

I use a Tuffpak for my rifles, then take a normal suitcase with my ammo in a lockable ammo box with TSA locks inside my checked luggage. I would have a couple non-TSA locks in my carry-on in case SA wants you to check the ammo box separately.

I've had them do it both ways, sometimes they are fine with it inside checked baggage, one time they wanted it checked separately so be prepared to do both.

Delta has always been fine with ammo in my checked baggage.

Hope this helps, you're getting close now!

I appreciate the replies guys. I should have stated that I already have a premium hard sided aluminum gun case (ICC), so the luggage piece would be a stand alone bag. I also have 3 boxes of ammo stashed inside a Pelican 1200.

The Pelican 1200 is the box I use and put it in my checked luggage.

Obviously you can pull it out if SA wants and slap on a couple padlocks and check it separately if required.

I've successfully used Italian Surplus duffles with a chain that loops through the links and you lock the side. Keeps the monkeys out.

http://www.swisslink.com/products/packs_bags/italian_gear_bag_w_chain_o_d-16-2332/

You're the freaking man Steinbrenner! The pearl of the day right there! Just for that, take the rest of the day off.

Thanks, Skipper!

yes on Global rescue. I like the redoxx bags but for my Namibian trip last year I used a non descript black backpack carry on that was just under the maximum carry on size. Took a change of clothes, meds, toiletries, important papers, camera, and other things that would have been hard to do with out. Once at my destination the backpack transitioned into my hunting day pack. Will be doing it the same way again this September in Mozambique. 163bc

Yes
Red Oxx is great stuff!

TSA locks required on all bags? Or will any lock work?

I have carried Medjet Assist since 1995.

We recommend Medjet or Global Rescue to everyone.
I have seen it at work when we had a client injured in Zimbabwe and the response time from the bush to hospital in Johannesburg was impressive. After being stabilized in Johannesburg the client was then transferred back to the States without cost to him.

There is a lot of discussion on which one is better. I recommend speaking with both to see which one appeals to you.

Answer 1 - for Namibia I am not sure I would spend the money for Global Rescue. The Gov't is stable and really no need for Global Rescue's armed recovery/evacuation capabilities or stepping on a landmine etc. In most of Namibia, the biggest threat most will face is possibly a broken bone, heart attack, car wreck, maybe snake bite.

That said, we do take an annual membership with Medjet Assist just to help off-set the potential cost/expense IF a medical condition occurs that requires air MEDEVAC back to the US. The several US EXPATS that I've talked to who've been living in Namibia for extended (years) periods of time, have all said the medical care they have received at the private Medi-Clinic (not the public clinics/hospitals) has been just as good as anything they ever received in the US from small/medium sized hospitals. The REALLY serious stuff goes to J'berg. Other advantage with Medjet is it is good for a year and can also be used in the US if something happens and your are over 500 miles from "home".

Very few if any US based medical insurance policies will cover you outside of the US. Depending on your personal health, you may want to consider taking out a short-term "International Traveler Medical Insurance" policy. They are short duration and cover up to the limits of the policy. Cost varies from company to company, the country you are traveling to, the duration and limits. Typically, a $50K policy for 14-21 days will be a couple of hundred.

Answer 2 - I personally don't do "expensive" luggage. Like Bud said above, a cheap thrift store hard sided with a couple of small hasps and small TSA locks - never any zippers even IF they do lock. A simple writing pen shoved through the "teeth" and they open like a....zipper. If the zippers slides are locked together, once they are done rummaging through your stuff and taking what they want, they just run the sliders around and it is closed again. If the zipper sliders are locked together in the frame of the case, they just don't bother zipping it again and your .....stuff gets scattered from there to Timbuktu. Truth is every bag can be opened. Lots of Youtube videos if you look.

All you can really do is make yours less attractive than the next one. I've got a couple of old hard sides I picked up after 9/11, put the hasps and small TSA locks on that look like hell and have been with me on dozens of trips to dozens of countries - most "turd world". When one gets too beat up by the baggage apes, $5.00 to replace it, $5.00 for a set of small hasps and 30 minutes of my time. Nothing, I repeat NOTHING of any value or irreplaceable EVER goes in my checked luggage. That stuff goes in the rifle case(s) or carry-on. Unless you are taking or planning on having to take a small charter into/out of your hunting area the soft side luggage may not be much of an advantage. But to each their own and take what you want.

Case in point - if you are a baggage gorilla in a turd world country and you see two pieces of luggage coming down an conveyor belt. One is a high end very expensive soft side with zippers and one is some old beat up hard side American Tourister or Samsonite with no zipper and some slightly more cumbersome hard locks and you only have a few seconds to make your choice as to which one "might" have the "good stuff" in, with the least likely chance of anyone finding something missing or even detecting someone had been in it until it gets to its destination....which would you choose?

Rifle cases are Pelican/Storm.

I got that solid advice on the ugly hard-sided luggage on another forum and decided to go that route, for the reasons M3taco described so well. I knew not to put anything of value in checked bags anyway, but my hard sided Pelican 1200 ammo case will reside inside on this trip. The cameras, binos, etc will be on my carry on backpack.

hatari already mentioned the merits of hard sided aluminum cases, so I took his advice and I got an authorized return piece from ICC, a premium case maker, for $150 shipped that I can't tell from a new one. It is very impressive and extremely well made.

Once again, you guys rock! This is a great place to get great advice from experienced hunters, and IMO you guys came through again. It is most appreciated, as always.

Great choice!


...and, YOU SUCK!


Have a great and safe safari.