While in the midst of trip preparations for South Africa, I have made a point of jotting down notes and an associated checklist of details that anyone should consider if they plan to take a hiatus from the good old U.S. of A.

My very least favorite of these details has been crossed off of the list for the past several weeks. Amen.

Yep, that would be the series of inoculations which made my right arm resemble a long slab of suntanned Swiss cheese: Malaria, Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Tetanus. I might add that, due to my brilliant planning strategy, these shots were also perfectly timed to take place during the second week of the Professional Tarpon Tournament Series. This scenario made my normally less than cat-like reflexes even more challenged. Well…I didn’t reel in a 180 lb tarpon that week, so both my arm and my ongoing pursuit of a tournament silver king remained intact.

At any rate, I thought it might be helpful to post a few of “Deb’s Travel Abroad Tips” so that any of you fishing folk might reference the info if an international angling adventure happens to be on your bucket list.

• When traveling outside of the U.S., find out where the U.S. Embassy is located.

• Research safety concerns in your destination country by visiting the U.S. Department of State’s website at: http://travel.state.gov/travel/

• Always make copies of your passport and travel itinerary. Give a copy to your emergency contact and keep an extra set with you.

• If you plan to rent a vehicle, check the driving requirements for that location.

• Do not use unmarked taxicabs.

• Do not use your home address on your luggage tags. Use a company address or use covered luggage tags.

• Stay with your luggage until the luggage is checked.

• Carry all-important papers with you and photocopy your passport, driver’s license and credit cards.

• Bring a small flashlight. You never know when you may find yourself in the dark in unfamiliar surroundings or if you need to check under your bedding for (ewww!) bed bugs.

• Pack Pepto-Bismol in the event that foreign water or food causes digestive issues.

• In areas that are prone to heavy concentrations of mosquitoes, Permethrin-containing repellants are highly recommended on clothing, shoes bed nets and camping gear.

• Research detailed fishing rules and regulations to ensure you don’t fall foul of the law and get the details on how to obtain your licenses online in advance of your trip

DEB

Debbie Hanson, the blonde half of the B'ASS duo, grew up fishing with her grandfather in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She has fished competitively for the past nine years and writes on the subject of women and fishing for various online and offline publications. When off the water, she runs online content marketing and social media consulting agency. One of her biggest passions is to promote angling and empowerment among her fellow outdoors women.

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