Clothing and washing on your trip to Namibia

Long, loose-fitting clothing provides protection from both the sun and mosquitos. Wear a wide-brimmed hat to shade your face and neck, and pack a high-factor sunscreen, even in winter. Summer temperatures can reach 40°C and above, and winter days can still top 30°C. Winter nights, especially in the south and the interior, often drop below freezing, so be prepared for extremes, regardless of the season. One thing you can almost certainly leave behind, however, is your rain gear. A light rain jacket might be useful in the Zambezi Region in summer, but when rain does fall in Namibia it’s usually concentrated and brief, and things dry up quickly afterwards. A self-drive holiday will mean lots of time on gravel roads and in dusty campsites, so expect your clothing to get dirty quickly. Greys and khakis show up the dirt and dust less, and muted colours are also better on safari as they’re less conspicuous and less likely to disturb the animals. All lodges and hotels will have their own laundry facilities, but they can be expensive and most are only available to guests. If you’re predominantly camping, you’ll need to wait until you reach a major town where you can make use of a local laundrette.