I've always admired long-time BPL Member Francis Tapon's thirst for adventure that leaves most of us well out of our comfort zone. In the face of adversity, including the burden of carrying an ivy league education and the unexpected death of his father, Francis has a unique ability to meander his way through trials by facing adversity gracefully, patiently, and without surprise.
Francis is currently on a four-year mission to visit every African country (54 of them!), document their unseen culture, and develop the media into a TV series. Francis is currently raising money for the pilot episode via Kickstarter, check it out:
Please consider contributing to Francis' ambitious campaign.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- An Interview with Francis Tapon
- What's in My Pack?
- Francis Tapon's African Gear List
# WORDS: 4220
# PHOTOS: 9
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Discussion
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Companion forum thread to:
Unseen Africa: Francis Taponâs Four Year Journey Circumnavigating Africa
It's funny that the last time BPL interviewed me, I was carrying about five pounds of gear:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/podcast_090407_francis_tapon_cdt_yo-yo.html#.U6Cun_ldWSo
Now I have the longest and heaviest gear list on BPL! :D
Of course, when I go backpacking, I leave nearly all that gear in the car, and go back to my ultralight ways. Indeed, desert backpacking is ideal for going ultralight, aside from the water issues.
As I mentioned in the article, I love umbrellas for the heat. And I'm not the only one. Here are Nigerien kids playing with Euroschirm umbrellas as the sun sets:
Wonderful. Stay safe, Francis.
I enjoyed this interview. Inspiring journey.
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