Trip Insurance/Travel Insurance, Trip Cancelation, Medical Evacuation, Firearm/Gear and Trophy Coverage

What is your experience with Insurance?
Who have you used and would you do anything differently?
What would you get and who would you use (Agencies) for 24 day trip to 3 African countries with 2 rifles.

Guideline:

• Emergency medical evacuation.
  • Remote Field Extraction: Ensure the plan covers helicopter or ground-ambulance retrieval from remote concessions (e.g., in Botswana and Mozambique).

• Firearms & Trophy Coverage: Lost, stolen, or delayed sporting equipment (including rifles and optics) is explicitly covered?

• Trip Cancellation/Interruption: Protects your investment (which often spans tens of thousands of dollars for trophy fees, daily rates, and international flights) in case of sudden illness or travel restrictions.

Am I missing anything?

My approach

Uncontrolled_round_feed said:

My approach
View attachment 782764

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I've used the same system for years... Same as yours! Figured I would try something new, like actually have a back up plan in case my luck ran out...

NIGHTHAWK said:

What is your experience with Insurance?
Who have you used and would you do anything differently?
What would you get and who would you use (Agencies) for 24 day trip to 3 African countries with 2 rifles.

Guideline:

• Emergency medical evacuation.
  • Remote Field Extraction: Ensure the plan covers helicopter or ground-ambulance retrieval from remote concessions (e.g., in Botswana and Mozambique).
• Firearms & Trophy Coverage: Lost, stolen, or delayed sporting equipment (including rifles and optics) is explicitly covered?
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption: Protects your investment (which often spans tens of thousands of dollars for trophy fees, daily rates, and international flights) in case of sudden illness or travel restrictions.

Am I missing anything?

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Depending on how you pay for some of those items, your coverage may come through your credit card.

For instance my credit card offers trip cancellation insurance for any trip you bought with that card.

RLD said:

Depending on how you pay for some of those items, your coverage may come through your credit card.

For instance my credit card offers trip cancellation insurance for any trip you bought with that card.

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Good point, I'll check AMEX. Thanks...

NIGHTHAWK said:

What is your experience with Insurance?
Who have you used and would you do anything differently?
What would you get and who would you use (Agencies) for 24 day trip to 3 African countries with 2 rifles.

Guideline:

• Emergency medical evacuation.
  • Remote Field Extraction: Ensure the plan covers helicopter or ground-ambulance retrieval from remote concessions (e.g., in Botswana and Mozambique).

• Firearms & Trophy Coverage: Lost, stolen, or delayed sporting equipment (including rifles and optics) is explicitly covered?

• Trip Cancellation/Interruption: Protects your investment (which often spans tens of thousands of dollars for trophy fees, daily rates, and international flights) in case of sudden illness or travel restrictions.

Am I missing anything?

Click to expand...

I have used both Global Rescue and Ripcord both are very good. On my upcoming August trip I chose Gobal Rescue yes a little more expensive but I trust their added option I take of if political problems in Africa causing a need for evacuation beyond just medical they will send a group of basically mercenaries in to save my ass. Just me

I've used both Global Rescue and Ripcord as well.


Global Rescue denied my claim in 2020, telling me that the Covid-19 Pandemic was not a natural disaster. (I bought rescue insurance and travel insurance from them).



Ripcord gave me hardly any problems in 2021, even through I missed 3 days of hunting due to testing requirements, etc.

If you need think you might need rescue via machine gunners, then Global Rescue is the only answer, as far as I know.

Don't wait too long to buy it as you lose some options if you do.

Delloro said:

Don't wait too long to buy it as you lose some options if you do.

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Please elaborate?

It’s not needed. Until it is.

Your health insurance and or credits card insurance will not evacuate you due to medical injury or illness or local political unrest. Also, Verify terrorism is covered.

Ripcord has retired US SF medical and tactical personnel physically in Joberg for a QRF.
I think Global Rescue does as well. Could be wrong.

While climbing in Nepal a member of our team died half way up the Lhotse Face. The team lowered and drug his body back down to camp 2. While his wife in California arranged for a Helo to come pick him up. We put him in his sleeping bag until the pickup could be made 2 days later.

Fortunately he owned a large construction company in California and his wife had the means to fly his body down to Kathmandu and then back to California.

I’m sure the cost was at or above $100k in 2005.

I choose the free option on the required forms. Throw me in a crevasse or over the hill.

But I had Global rescue for medical evacuation. Those GR and Ripcord policies Evac you to your preferred hospital at home. Many policies only guarantee to get you to “A medical facility” of their choosing.

Ensure you verify where they will take you.

Not having your own separate policy can break most people’s bank account. And your normal health insurance will almost always contest and be a hassle. I would not take a local insurance agents word. Get that exact language in writing.

The important thing is that everyone in your trip orbit knows to call GR or Ripcord first and allow them to coordinate. If your Ph calls the locals first. The policy may not pay.

Also know most health/medical insurance policy stop at the US border as I have been led to understand.
I have been using BCBS Global international health insurance. Open an account. Put in you basic info and days needing coverage and deductible amount and it quotes you what I find to be a very reasonable rate. A heart attack or even broken bone could cost you a fortune. This give me peace of mind.

Then get a hold of Cole at Gun & Trophy Insurance (a site sponsor here) for a fast, painless way to cover your expensive fire arms and sleep peacefully on the ride over in cattle class.

Altitude sickness said:

It’s not needed. Until it is.

Your health insurance and or credits card insurance will not evacuate you due to medical injury or illness or local political unrest. Also, Verify terrorism is covered.

Ripcord has retired US SF medical and tactical personnel physically in Joberg for a QRF.
I think Global Rescue does as well. Could be wrong.

While climbing in Nepal a member of our team died half way up the Lhotse Face. The team lowered and drug his body back down to camp 2. While his wife in California arranged for a Helo to come pick him up. We put him in his sleeping bag until the pickup could be made 2 days later.

Fortunately he owned a large construction company in California and his wife had the means to fly his body down to Kathmandu and then back to California.

I’m sure the cost was at or above $100k in 2005.

I choose the free option on the required forms. Throw me in a crevasse or over the hill.

But I had Global rescue for medical evacuation. Those GR and Ripcord policies Evac you to your preferred hospital at home. Many policies only guarantee to get you to “A medical facility” of their choosing.

Ensure you verify where they will take you.

Not having your own separate policy can break most people’s bank account. And your normal health insurance will almost always contest and be a hassle. I would not take a local insurance agents word. Get that exact language in writing.

The important thing is that everyone in your trip orbit knows to call GR or Ripcord first and allow them to coordinate. If your Ph calls the locals first. The policy may not pay.

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Date was not 2005 but 2010. Man I wish I had an insurance policy on my memory of late.

NIGHTHAWK said:

Please elaborate?

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I put a deposit on the hunt, bought plane tickets, and then later thought about insurance. Because it had been a few months by then, there was some coverage not available to me, I don't recall exactly what but it had to do with trip cancelation.

If you have already booked, look into insurance now. Don't wait.

Can recommend trip insurance, whether through a credit card on purchase or otherwise - those flight cancellations will get you - potentially looking at a total scrapping of my trip.

Ripcord says it has to be booked within 14 days of deposit in order to receive all coverage. Not sure of Global Rescue. We are getting ready to book tickets and insurance shortly. Using Ripcord since we will only be in SA and not further north. Praying not to need a rescue like @Scott CWO needed a while back!

NIGHTHAWK said:

What is your experience with Insurance?
Who have you used and would you do anything differently?
What would you get and who would you use (Agencies) for 24 day trip to 3 African countries with 2 rifles.

Guideline:

• Emergency medical evacuation.
  • Remote Field Extraction: Ensure the plan covers helicopter or ground-ambulance retrieval from remote concessions (e.g., in Botswana and Mozambique).
• Firearms & Trophy Coverage: Lost, stolen, or delayed sporting equipment (including rifles and optics) is explicitly covered?
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption: Protects your investment (which often spans tens of thousands of dollars for trophy fees, daily rates, and international flights) in case of sudden illness or travel restrictions.

Am I missing anything?

Click to expand...

I did buy an emergency medical evacuation plan for my last safari. Didn't need it, thank God, but less than a year later I had a heart attack. Could have been bad if that happened in middle-of-nowhere, Zimbabwe!

I didn't buy the other two that you mentioned, but it might be a good idea if I make back to Africa, or somewhere else remote.

Safari Dave said:

If you need think you might need rescue via machine gunners, then Global Rescue is the only answer, as far as I know.

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This ^^^^ ... but only if Johnny Strong is part of the Global Rescue team.

'Gordie's gone man. I'll be outside!'