My conclusions from the past more-than-a-year are the following... this is only a portion of them, but maybe the things most helpful to others planning expeditions.
1) The availability of mobile telephony and mobile internet has improved vastly in the past few years. With a simple 12v DC circuit and one additional fuse in your box, you can have wifi on your truck. Even if only from a safety standpoint, it's worth having. But it's also a vital communications asset, with the ability to use Skype for international calls, etc.
2) Overall, I would say of these places the wildlife in northern Uganda is the most underrated (and the wildlife in Kenya, while beautiful, the most overrated). I would say that if you want to take one drive to a park in East Africa and really have "the experience," that Kidepo is the park to visit (South Sudan).
3) The security concerns in Somaliland and South Sudan in particular seem quite overblown. While the situation now in South Sudan is more tense than it was even a month or two ago, for the most part this country is beautiful expanses of unpopulated space. The rugged terrain and fascinating people are worth visiting.
4) I've re-thought the vehicle for the next expedition, and though it will be Tacoma-based rather than FJ-based, I do think the FJC has about the right length and wheelbase for an expedition vehicle. Its big weakness is the amount of enclosed load space available without removing the rear seats.
5) The cost of containerized shipping has declined substantially, especially on major port routes, and now it is much harder to make the roll-on-roll-off ("roro") argument versus containerizing. Especially if you can get a good rate on the origin port fees.
6) My girlfriend, who is the one with the medical background, has totally rethought our first aid and trauma kit through this process. It began with a small backpack with the basics, a suture kit, etc. Now it's a whole 1520 Pelican case.
7) Related to #6 above, we took a four-day field medicine course together focused on post-conflict zones and found it very helpful. Though much of the material was a review for her, much of it was new to me, and it made us more confident dealing with other (non medical) problems in the field. It also was an excellent teamwork exercise. I would highly recommend this.
8) Don't underestimate the importance of a reliable food supply. We are adventurous eaters and pretty talented at preparing meals in bush conditions. Nevertheless, we found ourselves stuck more than once. The additional weight of that chocolate bar or half bag of granola is negligible and it could completely change you and your co-driver's morale one morning as you pull out of the village. Think about it.
9) We have been very pleasantly surprised by the Garmin East Africa map. It is excellent and works well with the Garmin Nuvi-series units. I highly recommend it for anyone traveling in Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, or Somaliland. Its coverage of Ethiopia is questionable, but there are good UN and Italian maps available of all major roads in Ethiopia. I would also highly recommend the trans nile ferry maps (available in Kinshasa, Arua, Kaya, and other places), which show both routes and schedules and are published often (laser printed); the old maps marked "Series 93" or "Series 95" are not accurate and do not correctly portray the ferry patterns, particularly on the Albert Nile.
10) This is a learning experience. A lot of what we've learned on the road is to let things go. Both of us have "loosened up" a lot. The key is to survive today and do it better tomorrow. Trying to do more than that is just a recipe for disappointment.
Travel safely. Until next time... I look forward to writing another of these posts next year.
Please don't hesitate to contact me aubrey.r.moore "at" gmail.com if you need assitance. I am in Johannesburg but have contacts widely dispersed
