For most first-time travellers to Africa, the thought of the strict luggage allowance can be quite daunting. Most safaris limit luggage to 15kg, however, this can range from as little as 12kg to as much as 20kg, depending on the type of safari and transport you will be using.
Not only is weight important, but it is also the type of bag you have. Bags must be 100% squash-able i.e., rolling duffel bag style. Your bag should have no hard sides and no wheels. The reason for these requirements is that luggage space in 4WD Landcruisers is limited, and on light aircraft, the luggage pods are often only 25cm high and oddly shaped, so the pilots must have the ability to manipulate the bag into the compartment so that why soft-sided luggage is a must.
A small soft bag packed to it’s absolute maximum, is also harder to manipulate and will resemble a hard suitcase when loading. So, it is usually not a problem if your bag is slightly bigger, but not full, so it remains 100% squash-able and can fit into the vehicle or in the luggage compartment of a light aircraft.
Here are examples of some bags that are 100% soft-sided: