For Africa? Building up a tolerance to alcohol and too much really delicious food. Practicing lounging around a cheery fire in the early a.m. and in the evening. Handload 50 rds for ea gun (splitting a box between softs and solids for DG bores.) Alernate arms on the (reloading) press as not to tire either. Also work on wrists (filling out forms, signing proposals, acceptance letters.) If you have a day job, practice the phony serious-at-work look, while you constantly e-mail, whats-app, or text your guide about the trip and interface with Cheapoair.com and Flora & Fauna Customs Brokerage (there are better ones near ATL and I recommend Waldun's Tannery in SC-they can handle everything for you!) Stay hydrated (during those 18 hr flights,) take your shoes off, but do continue the build-up by graciously accepting their free libations and gustatory delights. Watch the free movies all night long and listen to music you've never hears (you will be watching the bush TV and listening to birds every single day thereafter!) Practice socializing with pretty women (flight attendants-it's a long, several miles high trip for all!) A lot of Africa is relatively flat, but at greater than mile-high elevations, and it can be quite hot at times (SC and S. is already Africa hot in summer-no worries! It's dryer there in our (N. Hemisphere) summer; African winter. A few places can be as strenuous as NA mtn hunting (i.e. the Mtns of Tanzania, Ethiopia, and one chain-smoking PH PT'ed us through the Kopjes of the Namib-I lost 10 lbs! but we still kept up. There are some mtns in Zim and SA also, but the exception to the norm.) For the real hot, desert locales, I will hike the mountains here in the heat of day (i'd say heat and elevation are what most coastalites are going to have to deal with). On DG hunts, you can get lucky, but most involve a significant amount of walking (Walking a lot in prep will pay dividends. Bench pressing, bow-flexing and popping 'roids with Arnold will not.) It is entirely possible to pop some 'roids on an 18 hr flight, while seated, but that's a whole 'nother story. What did EH do to prepare himself? He spent a season skiing Sun Valley ID, rang up ole PH Percival and instructed him to have a month-long supply of Gimlet and Martini ingreds on-hand (and beers for when he had to type after the hunt) and copious quantities of upland bird hunting to prep for the walks! LOL Just about anyone can handle an African safari! The PHs have a plan for every human tooth length, form and ability. I even know of a wheelchair-bound kid that went on a whirlwind safari (w/ the ins. proceeds of the person that struck him with a car, prior!) Turkey, any country ending in 'stan, Mongolia, AK/CN mtn hunt-get in-shape!!! No worries. Enjoy. No GNC recomendations I can think of. African coffee (oddly French-pressed?) may just be the finest in the world, and that's what gets the hunter ready for each day afoot while on Safari. *Put real coffee in the contract! Do not accept Instant. Now, I've really done it...*As mentioned above-GOOD Footwear (including Good socks!!!) I did run into a problem once with too well worn, favorite boots with too hard a sole for the Namibian (No, it was the Zim Save watershed!) sands. Walking 10s of miles for a good daggaboy. Fixed that next trip, and thereon out with nearly fresh Kenetreks (and good hiking socks) each and every trip. IF you're tired and worn, that's why God made the Landcruisers and 'rovers (advantage being your co-pilot is the cooler full of food & drink.) Hydrate at all times (esp before bed, as you're sunburnt, full of food and already dehydrated from the day's walkings.)
