What Do You Wear?

[postoak]

When you hunt in Africa?

Do you go all great white hunter, or go the opposite direction and just wear jeans and a T-shirt -- or somewhere in between?

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp192/want-to-be/thegreatwhitehunter.jpg

[Hi Ball]

I wear Cargo Pants, lots of pockets.......NOT SHORTS!!! I also wear a Safari type shirt in either long or short sleve shirt depending on the temp. I wear good brand name (take 2 pair) boots also, not tennis shoes or "new balance or Nike's". The soles on my boots are soft and do not make noise on gravel or rocks, lots of support in a 10 inch high boot.

I wear a dark green broad brim safari hat, not a light color. My shirts will be medium green or dark green, pants will be green or dark brown in color. I do not wear camo anything ok. Some countries will not allow camo period. I also wear a pair of good polaroid glasses to cut down the glare or the sun etc. I always have a poncho in the truck, just in case the sky breaks loose with the rain drops. I carry good pocket knife and my bowie as well.

[Indy]

Cabela's cargo shorts (dark green, fairly short), Cabela's short sleeve safari shirts (dark green or brown), no under shirt, 7" boots with light socks, dark baseball cap or ventilated broad brimmed hat, and Cabela's safari jacket (usually left in car). That's when it's about 80 or 90 degrees.

In RSA when it was colder, I wore Cabela's dark green cargo pants, Cabela's long sleeved safari shirts, a non-ventilated hat, and a dark green undershirt.

I wear a belt holster holding 10 rounds of ammo. Four in the rifle. An extra box in the car. I also wear a small camera case. 8 x 42 binoculars. No pocket knife.

[Indy]

And I always wear gaitors when wearing shorts.

[Hi Ball]

INDY..............I go Commando on the underwear LOL

[Bill Gunn]

L o l

way tmi

l o l

There's an imagined vision that it will take all day to erase..... :bike:

[postoak]

Hey, thanks! Somehow I had missed these replies. It gives me something to start with. Hi Ball what kind of boots have soft soles? All the ones I see for sell have Vibram type soles. Do you mean those pseudo-boots they call hiking boots today which aren't much more than high rise sneakers with a leather outer?

[Indy]

Hey, thanks! Somehow I had missed these replies. It gives me something to start with. Hi Ball what kind of boots have soft soles? All the ones I see for sell have Vibram type soles. Do you mean those pseudo-boots they call hiking boots today which aren't much more than high rise sneakers with a leather outer?

I think the "pseudo-boots they call hiking boots" are just fine. After all, that's what you will be doing: Hiking.

You see a lot of photos of PHs wearing very low tennis shoes with no socks. I would not go that far.

A lot of people think that everythjing in Africa must be taken to extremes. They need a .375 to shoot an Impala but hunting elk with a 30-06 is OK. They think African game is "tougher" than American game. Not so. Boots are the same. Wear whatever is comfortable on a 5-mile hike. If rocks and hills are around, it should come over the ankles.

[DUGABOY1]

When you hunt in Africa?

Do you go all great white hunter, or go the opposite direction and just wear jeans and a T-shirt -- or somewhere in between?



I generally wear the same cloths I wear most days in spring and summer here in Texas. I wear cabela’s Serengeti safari shirts with long sleeves. Sometimes shorts, but most times wranglers for pants.

The sleeves on the shirt can be rolled up, but when riding back to camp at night it gets damn cold, and they can be rolled down as well. Everyone thinks it is hot in Africa all the time. I like to hunt in the last week of July, or the first half of August and the nights, early mornings, and evenings are cold and a good down filled jacket is something you will love on that long trip too and from camp.
Shoes are personal things, and there is nothing wrong with the New Balance hikers, and the low gaiters are a must even with long pants. I modified a pair of the gaiters so there is a pad in the front to use as a kneepad when you have to crawl commando style to get in shooting range. Hats are just in the way IMO, and get knocked off by everything you pass. A good baseball type cap works fine.

You want to keep the colors in earth tones to olive, or brown! Avoid all bright colors and white are out. Camo clothing is illegal in many countries, and is not needed anyway. There aren’t any turkeys, or Canadian geese in Africa. Movement wind, and metallic noises are what spooks game in Africa, and in most places worth hunting in North America.

Three sets of hunting cloths are all you will need, because you will have daily laundry. If you have anything that takes batteries, take twice as many as you think you will need. If you need eyeglasses take two pair, and some clip on shades for each of them. Sunscreen, and any medicine you need, and aspirin will come in handy as well. Plan on leaving all the sunscreen, and batteries in camp when you leave, those things are hard to come by in the bush, and your PH will use them.

…………………………….Mac
If I die today, I’ve had a life well spent, for I’ve been to see the elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa

[postoak]

Thanks, Ray Atkinson, who set up my trip, gave me a list a mile long of things I should bring. I'll take some of his advice and some I wont. I'll be in KZN in May (2011). Will it be cold then at sunrise and sunset?

[DUGABOY1]

Thanks, Ray Atkinson, who set up my trip, gave me a list a mile long of things I should bring. I'll take some of his advice and some I wont. I'll be in KZN in May (2011). Will it be cold then at sunrise and sunset?

Absolutely it will be COLD in the mornings, and evenings, and colder at night! I use a sleeping bag stuff bag and pack it with a good wind proof jacket, and long pants for the ride too and from the hunting area, and leave it in the Bakki so it is available. The ride in the open hunting car with no wind screen is an experience you will not soon forget, if you don't have some warm gear along, I assure you!

.................................................. .........Mac
If I die today, I will have a life well lived for I have been to see the elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa

[LMJ1975]

Hi All,

Kwa Zulu Natal ( KZN) is one of south Africa's most temperate provinces with great geographical diversity. The foothills of the Drakensburg in the Sou' South Western edge of the province can be extemely chilly in the Fall, whilst the North Eastern part of province falls almost in the sub tropical region, and lots of South Africans visit the beaches there to get away from the cold in Fall.

A jacket is always a great idea for the evenings, good boots a must. In my limited experience, no animal that I have shot has ever commented on my outfit. The PH's and trackers are a different kettle of fish altogether though. I rarely travel through border posts to go hunting, but have never had a problem with camo in South Africa. It is freely for sale in the country and seems to be quite in fashion at the moment, Jeep, Guess camo etc. in all the Malls.

Moral of the story is, buying a new wardrobe for the trip would be overkill, except if your wardrobe consists exclusively of 3 piece suits. My wife prefers jeans and jacket in the middle of winter, I use long cargo pants with legs that unzip during the heat of the day ( incidentally Jeep ) A jacket for the trip back to camp, removable gaiters when in the grass with pants legs removed. Courtney hunting boots and a baseball cap, preferably muted colour.

If you are hunting in the north east, sunscreen and mosquito repellent, in the southwest near the drakensberg mosquito's isn't a problem in May.
Regards and good hunting