Madagascar Bound For 2 Months!

In case you are new, here is a little bit about me – I received my Master of Science in Global Health at Duke University in 2018. My work background has consisted of reproductive health research in Kenya and Uganda, and trauma and mental health research in the United States. On a bit of a whim, I applied for a new position at Duke University. From application to offer letter took all of 3 business days, and before I knew it I had given my notice to UNC Chapel Hill, and accepted a new position back at Duke. Not only am I headed back to my alma mater, but I am joining an ecology and infectious disease research team departing for Madagascar this month!

It’s true – I am Madagascar bound! I depart September 28th and will be living in the SAVA Region for two months … in a TENT. So here I am, with my comprehensive packing list for this trip.

UPDATES ARE HERE!!

Read about My First Month in Madagascar , My Marojejy National Park Summit, or My Ultimate Madagascar Packing Guide!!

Where is the SAVA Region?

The SAVA Region is located in the Northwestern part of the country. I will be just South of Marojejy National Park, in the village of Mandena (approx halfway between Andapa and Sambava). We will be conducting this ecology and infectious disease research study in various locations across Madagascar, but I will be primarily located in Mandena. We will build our campsite about a 30 minute walk outside the village, and will make multiple trips into the village daily to work with and speak with the people of Mandena.

Quick and dirty summary – our team is looking to better understand how people’s interactions with one another, with the environment, and with animals (domesticated and not), ultimately impacts infectious disease transmission. With the use of surveys, animal tracking and trapping devices, collection of basic health information, GPS data, and more, we hope to understand the spread of zoonotic disease in the region.

The weather should be in the 70’s / 80’s (Fahrenheit) during the day, and 60’s at night. We are entering the rainy season (hence the rain gear listed below), but will depart before cyclone season begins in December!

The Good Stuff – What Am I Bringing?

From the time I applied for this position to flight departure out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport, was less than 4 weeks. You bet your bottom I have fully obsessed over my packing list in that time, and it has expanded and contracted nearly a dozen times since early September. My goal is to tell you everything I am packing, and then do a follow-up blog post at the end of my time there, evaluating what I did right, and what I did wrong. I should say a couple of things:

1. I am not a camper – While living in Uganda I purchased camping equipment and did 1-2 nights at a time for specific outings (see above, running a race at Mburo National Park)
2. I am not listing toiletries, granola bars/protein/vitamin supplements, medications, clothing, etc. but feel free to ask! I am using biodegradable body wash / laundry detergent as I will be bathing in the river next to our camp. Clothing is tricky, but I’m not bringing much with me! I am packing some granola bars and various supplements due to the limited diet we will be eating (mostly beans / rice)

Condensed List of Critical Items

• Patagonia Blackhole Wheeled Duffel Bag 100L – the only bag I’m bringing (other than my backpack linked below), everything will fit in this guy!
• Patagonia Ascensionist Climbing Pack 30L – this pack saved my life in East Africa, can’t wait to take it on another adventure
• Marmot Catalyst 3P Tent – This will be my own tent, no sharing!
• Marmot NanoWave 45 Sleeping Bag (I also packed a heavier sleeping bag my husband had, and sent it over early, but I didn’t note what brand it was)
• REI Co-op Trekker Self-Inflating Sleeping Pad (I also packed the Sea to Summit UltraLight Backpacking Air Sleeping Pad, I’ll let you know which I prefer)
• Helinox Lite Sleeping Cot
• Patagonia Black Hole Cube (2 10L, 1 6L) – One is holding all of my prescriptions, granola bars, protein powder, multivitamins, etc. Another is holding all of my toiletries, and the 6L is holding important electronics like my power bank and chargers)
• Nemo Fillo Backpacking Pillow
• Black Diamond Cosmo 225 Headlamp
• REI Co-op Flexlite Macro Camp Chair
• Eno Hammock
• Nite Ize Radiant 300 Rechargeable Lantern
• WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive – for all of my TV shows, movies, etc. I am downloading!
• Wise Owl Outfitters Microfiber Towel – packed 1 XL, 1 L and 2 S
• Chaco Women’s Z2 Classic Athletic Sandal
• Anker Powerbank
• Patagonia Women’s Calcite Jacket (Raincoat)
• Patagonia Iron Forge Field Journal
• Pack Rain Cover
• Ultralight Black Hole Duffel 30L – I have tried my best to back in “compartments” within my large Black Hole Duffel, lots of misc items will be going in this, inside my larger duffel
• Biolite Solarpanel 5+ – my emergency solar power. We will be working entirely on solar energy, but our work equipment is priority for charging, so I am bringing my own to charge my phone when needed!

Wish Me Luck!

New job, new team, new research mission, new country, and an entirely new way of life lay ahead! I am thrilled to be a part of this team’s mission to improve health outcomes for the Malagasy people, and to protect the environment and existing ecosystem.

While I won’t have a ton of down time for travel within Madagascar, I do plan to see the lemurs! We work closely with the Duke Lemur Center, and will certainly hike through Marojejy National Park.

I plan to share quite a bit about my journey – please join me! Write your questions and comments below, I will have lots of random down time and would love to chat!