So, baby boomer travelers, what clothes do you bring on a safari? That was the question I asked last fall before our November trip to Lion Sands and Madikwe Hills in South Africa. Alan and I are lucky to have a travel agent, Ngaire Keene, who spelled it all out for us. Explicit instructions, down to how many shirts and pants to bring for a six-day safari, were included in our travel documents, plus tips for packing light since luggage size was limited on the small charter flights to the camps.
Of course the smart way to travel is to plan ahead, know what fits best and order from the catalogs. But I’m too busy traveling and writing to be that organized. By the time I thought about packing for our safari, it was too late to order by mail so I had to shop the stores hoping to find summer-type safari clothes when retail stores in Arizona had already switched to winter apparel.
I found everything Alan needed at Sportsman’s Warehouse. Two light-weight, long-sleeved shirts that could be rolled up, with 30+ sun protection built into the material. One was the house brand and the other from ExOfficio
My luck wasn’t as good. While I found one ExOfficio
I completed my packing with two short-sleeved t-shirts by Chico’s and a zip-up sweatshirt with hood. Alan brought old t-shirts and didn’t worry about a sweatshirt, after all, we were there in late spring for the southern hemisphere. We both included one extra outfit to change into for dinner. Tennis shoes were our only shoes.
Were we prepared? Yes. Although it rained, our light-weight clothes dried quickly plus we used rain gear provided by the safari lodges. What will we be doing differently for our next safari? We’ll bring one more pair of pants. Although both camps provided laundry service, changing camps meant we lost a laundry day. We were ready for clean clothes after wearing the same pants and shirt in the hot weather for three safari sessions.
And what about cooler weather safaris? My baby boomer travel friends advise bringing lots of layers plus earmuffs and gloves.
Have you been on safari? What did you pack? Post a comment to tell me. OK, I admit it, I’m a bit of a princess when it comes to travel. I’ll read your advice to clean up my act!
Disclosure: The Amazon links to safari clothes listed in this post are for your convenience. However My Itchy Travel Feet does receive a small percentage for purchases made at Amazon.com.
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Donna,
Love the photos and the what to wear topic. I went on Safari in Kenya a few summers ago–their winter. The safari was actually an extended part of the trip. Had a wonderful time. Stayed in an upscale camp, bought and remodeled by Fairnont. The people were great.
You know what I didn’t bring that I wish I had? My big camera. I didn’t want to lug that thing around and thought I’d make do with the easy-to-pack digital camera. Wrong! If you go on safari, pack the good stuff, the high powered lens, zoom and wide angle, and whatever filters you think might be fun to play around with. I got great shots, but I could have had amazing close-ups. Plus, I only took one memory card! What was I thinking?! I thought 300 shots would have been enough. No! I missed a lot of shots, even after deleting the bad ones to make more room. Wasn’t enough.
Guess that means I’ll have to go back.
Jackie
After reading this, I realize my husband and I need to go on a safari. Soon. Love the practical info, which I intend to save.
Hi Donna,
Here’s a tip for plus-size safari goers. You can get some of the appropriate gear at Junonia.com. I like their stretch microfiber convertible pants (zip off part of the legs and you’ve got shorts). I also bought a terrific rain jacket/windbreaker at Cabelas.com. It fit great and was attractive too. (I used it when we went to Alaska too.) And, I agree, you can’t go wrong with a Tilley hat!
Since a lot of “traditional” clothes aren’t available in my size, I focused on buying the right colors in appropriate fabrics (lightweight, heavyweight, water repellent, etc.). For anyone who’s pleasantly plump, don’t worry about getting a safari shirt just because it’s marketed as a “safari shirt.” Get comfortable clothes in the right colors. (For what it’s worth, I did buy a traditional safari shirt but found it uncomfortable to roll up the sleeves. Instead, I used it as a lightweight jacket on cool mornings/evenings.)
We also treated some of our clothes with an insect repellent wash that we bought from our travel doctor (but I’ve also seen it at Ramsey Outdoor here in New Jersey).
As for my husband, he likes the Marmot brand for safari clothes and Cabela’s men’s safari shirts with an LL Bean t-shirt underneath.
We want to get back to South Africa again soon!
Andrea
Speaking of color…oh, I wish I were brave enough to send you the photo a friend took of me–in my rain proof hat with the orange band, my bright orange safar shirt (have to match!), my khaki slacks (rolled up, I think), and my boots. What a sight! I was voted “most matching” safari girl. I looked like a fool!
Acted like one, too, with my Masai Mara red checked blanket around my shoulders and wildebeast hair flyswatter in my hand. Oh, but who cares! It was fun; the bush people were fun; and we just had a grand old time with our driver who wasn’t afraid to ride right into the lion’s den in our open topped vehicle.
I still got great photos. You really couldn’t help it. I love my shots of the zebra butts. Those perfect lines.
Thanks for the memories, Donna. Travel will do that to you.
Jackie
Great piece – I would also recommend a read of other things to take with you on Safari too – http://safariguideafrica.com/safari-holiday-essentials.php – but when it comes to fashion make sure you have the long sleeve shirts, and I have actually seen people bring and use Ductape to tape the bottom of their trousers to the socks/shoes so the mosquitoes don’t get in there for dinner.
I would recommend that some form of fleece jacket or wind breaker be included with gloves and ear warmers included. I found that on the early morning drives if one was in the back of the Rover up high the wind could make it colder. After couple of hours they could be removed but made it more comfortable at 6am. Was also true as the sun went down in the late afternoon and early evening.
Jackie, you are so right about taking a good camera. A zoom is a must for close-up shots of the animals. Alan took his professional grade Cannon with a zoom. I used a Panasonic Lumix (an advanced digital point and shoot with an 18x zoom on it). We were advised not to take tripods and managed well without them. We took thousands of photos (still going through them) so it’s good that we brought several high capacity cards. I brought my laptop. Downloaded photos each night via a card reader. Alan brought a mini drive for storing photos.
Yes, you’ll just have to go on safari again. I know we will.
Andrea, great tips on dressing for comfort. Personally, I liked rolling up the sleeves but then I keep my sleeves pushed up all the time, don’t like a cuff hanging around my wrist. I should say more about the “right” colors. Safari goers are encouraged to wear neutral colors like beige, olive green, black or brown so as not to distract the animals.
Andrea, we’re addicted and will be going back as soon as the budget allows.
Ruth, you’ve got to go. Nothing in all my travel experiences compares to a safari.
Thanks for more recommendations at your site. Good info. We were lucky, no mosquitos during our visit although our safari lodges supplied insect repellant, sunscreen and rain gear.
Hey, Ralph. Good to see you here. Thanks for commenting. You’re right about keeping ears and hands warm on safari drives. We were there closer to summer and found we didn’t need that our ears and hands didn’t get cold, even in the early morning or after the sun went down. But I brought them just in case.
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