Especially in light of Richlacal's insight, have you considered rescue/evac insurance?

Hi

From my personal experience as a flight medic in Africa:

Don't travel without a good medevac / emergency hospitalization insurance (SOS International, REGA, AXA, BUPA, etc).
In most places, medical treatment is extremely limited and a (very) fast transfer to an adequate facility in Europe will often determine the outcome.

Carry at all times:
1. an IV administration kit + Sterile Saline Solution.
2. Hypodermic needles
3. Syringes (2.5 ml / 5 ml / 10 ml )
4. Sutures (different types)
5. Wide Spectrum antibiotics (IV antibiotics also recommended - i.e. Rocephine )
6. Celox (or equivalent) granules and dressings
7. Israeli Bandage (small + medium)

Drinking Water is always an issue ! (endemic cholera, cryptosporidium, schistosomiasis, amoebas, etc)
1. Boil your water for 10 min.
2. Carry a good personal water filtration system (i.e. Katadyn Pocket )
3. do not eat uncooked food (i.e. salads ) or anything that has been washed with local water
4. That includes brushing your teeth with contaminated water

Malaria is an important issue. Even if you do take Lariam (high occurence of highly undesirable side effects), it will not provide full protection against the Plasmodium Falciparum variety.
Always use netting for sleeping (carefully check for trapped mosquitoes before using).

PLB's are of limited efficiency in Africa - there are no SAR services in many regions.
A good Satellite phone is highly recommended (i.e. Irridium)- A dependable solar energy charging device is also advisable (no electricity in many areas).

Credit Cards are not always accepted (lots of scams) - and it will certainly not help if you need to "buy" your way out.
Always carry at least 1000 $ (in 50$ bills) in water tight bags (carefully hidden in your shoes).

Good luck.

Thank you. It is always nice to hear from someone who has been there and done that.

I am just curious about your statement about boiling water for ten minutes. Various sources indicate various times for boiling in order to kill pathogens - anywhere from just boiling to ten minutes. Credible sources claim that longer times are unnecessary and are only required if you are trying to sterilize cloth for sterile bandages.

As I say, just curious - are there some exceptional organisms in Africe that require extended boiling times?

If you choose to use a water filter, remember that a filter alone won't stop viruses unless it has an iodine or chlorine stage. You'll be at much higher risk of having viruses in your water in Africa than in the backcountry of the USA.

http://sawyer.com/viral.htm

This water filter will handle viruses, and large quantities.

There is a lot more flying in that region than most people realize. A PLB would be a very good idea, just do some research to make sure you have the right one on the right frequency. One from here in the U.S. may not work there.

A PLB works worldwide.

Wow, that's a new one on me; thanks for the update. I didn't realize anyone was doing mechanical filtering of viruses.

I did some googling and it seems like the Sawyer company is a little hit-n-miss with data and customer service, but it still bears investigating. Though, I can't imagine a 0.02 micron filter (yes, that's 2/100ths of a micron!) doing very well with anything but crystal clear intake water.

In addition to the other good recommendations, a multi-fuel stove (I have long used the MSR XGK) and bottle since it can use AvGas or Jet Fuel and you don't have to carry fuel.

Good science has shown that bringing water to a boil will kill all the bugs. You don't need to keep it boiling for any time (especially at or near sea level). There of lots of comments that come from older sources around that recommend longer times.

If you use a good filter (I have used a Katadyn Pocket Filter for many years) and viruses are a problem in the area, a little chlorine (I usually use SweetWater) and 5 min will fix the problem. Fast and so little chlorine that I can't taste it.

The MIOX and SteriPen are both good options. All of the above have their strong and weak points, you should choose the one that is best for your situation. I have and use them all.

The best,

Jerry