I made packing mistakes on an 8-day safari in Tanzania. Here’s what I’m glad I brought — and what I’d do differently next time.

• I spent eight days on a safari in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.
• I thought packing for the trip involved a strict color palette and rugged outdoor clothes.
• I’m glad I had items like jackets and binoculars, but I’d do some things differently for future trips.

Packing for a 20-day trip, regardless of location, is a challenge.

Packing for a 20-day trip to three destinations is even harder.

And fitting all your clothes in a soft-sided bag weighing less than 33 pounds feels impossible.

But that was my task for my first trip to East Africa, where I spent eight days on a safari in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.

I managed to fit it all in a backpacking pack, but not without making a few mistakes. Take a look at what I did right, what mistakes I made, and what I’d pack for future safaris.