Insider Tips on What To Bring

A couple bottles of "Who Beat The Snot Out Of Johnny", a change of loin cloths, some comfy boots, foot joy golf socks and a head full of dirty, immoral and impure thoughts!

What kind of boots can be recommended for Namibia in June? Gloves? I realize Namibia has both dry and wet areas.

I use to wear Russel PH's - They are great. I now wear Courtney - They are slightly greater. I use short leather gaiters with everything. Be wary of any of the track or training style, "hiking" boots currently so popular. The man-made material of many will not stop a Namibian grass seed. Having them penetrate boots or socks is no fun.

A lot of people like to wear a light leather, unlined shooting glove in the bush. I don't, but it is a personal taste thing. I have a friend who is into the fingerless form. I wear gloves if it is cold or if I'm bird hunting or shooting clays with one of my doubles (to protect from barrel heat). Otherwise, I find them a nuisance.

In June, unless hunting the Caprivi for dangerous game, you will not get wet feet in Namibia.

Thanks for all the great input. Always good to get a refresher on things to bring along.

Not really hunting related, but...

A bottle of your favorite top shelf scotch (or other adult beverage). Camps usually don't have top shelf in stock and it's always nice to celebrate after a successful hunt.

Quiet footwear. I wore KEEN brand hiking boots, which were great for support, but have hard soles that were very noisy. I could see my PH cringe more than once because of my clod-hopping behind him. Something with a soft rubber, pliable sole of some kind. Go easy on the clothes you pack for hunting, they will launder them daily for you.

perttime said:

What kind of boots can be recommended for Namibia in June? Gloves? I realize Namibia has both dry and wet areas.

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Courteney is a winner for sure. To many hunters bring hardcore tracking or hiking boots that are heavy and noisy.

In essence, you want a shoe or boot that is quite, remains comfortable for days, and doesn’t allow in stick grass or sand.

Therack said:

Prescription antibiotics, just in case you fall ill out in the bush.

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We also had prescription antibiotics (which we didn't use and left behind for our PH...don't tell my Dr ...poor guy probably thought I left him half a pharmacy since I gave him all the OTC meds I had too ), as well as prescription anti-diarrheal because who wants to have the "trots" on a 16 hour flight, or while trying to hunt, and of course prescription anti-anxiety for sleeping, which failed me, but worked like a charm for my husband.

The LAST thing I wanted to do was fly around the world then feel like hammered dog sh*t, and not have a great trip.

It is always nice to lighten your load on the trip home by donating any of those meds to your PH or outfitter.

I left all of my anti-diarrhea meds along with wound ointment, and whatever else I had on hand that I pretty much just purchased for the hunts. I did however keep some Pepto-Bismol tablets for the trip home as a just in case type of thing.

I would recommend drink packets for 16 oz water bottles crystal lite, Gatorade its your choice. The sugar and electrolytes are a real boost on the trail.

I wear Russel PH's . I prefer them over Courtney boots because I have very wide feet (EEE) and I had them measure my feet and make them specially for me - this is their standard operating procedure - and I always wear gaiters, I prefer them in canvas, with either shorts or trousers.

I do not wear gloves to hunt or to shoot. Trigger feel is important to me, but I do have fleece gloves (and beanie hat) for early AM and late PM.

+1 on fleece, this is what I wear to HUNT. I still like a down vest (noise and all) on top of the fleece in the TRUCK early morning (white frost common in Stormberg mountains of Eastern Cape in July/August).

Could go on and on but there are numerous threads already about what should be:
1) on your hunting belt (mine carries 10 rounds, Puma 4" knife, Sony RX100 camera, Mini Maglite, Swiss Champ multi tool)
2) in your truck bag (mine carries warm stuff, water, lunch bag, sun screen, spare hat, spare socks, Gore Tex rain jacket - again: winter in Eastern Cape mountains, etc. etc.)
3) in your daypack if you choose to have one. I do not have a backpack per se - e.g. 10 gallons volume - in Africa, but I find the 2 gallons super-mini packs very convenient "possible bags" (headlamp, spare batteries, lip balm, para-cord, IFAK with tweezers, water flask, etc.)...

I will pitch again the fist-sized IFAK (individual first aid kit). You never need it, until you NEED it... But we all have our own little quirks...

+1 on Cipro... IF indeed your doctor is OK to blind prescribe...

Individual packets of gatorade. They have saved several from electrolyte imbalance. Next time, I am bringing a down jacket. The daytime temps may be in the 90's, but it gets super cold after the sun drops. A fanny pack for a bottle of water, chapstick, and the iphone. The rest of my day gear will go into a hunting bag, and not a pack. Last time, everything I needed was always in the bottom ... Next year I will be hunting while wearing a ball cap with a fairly tight fit and weave that should catch fewer thorns. It was designed for turkey hunting and is camo with no logo.

Thanks,

Jeff

Red Leg said:

I use to wear Russel PH's - They are great. I now wear Courtney - They are slightly greater. I use short leather gaiters with everything. Be wary of any of the track or training style, "hiking" boots currently so popular. The man-made material of many will not stop a Namibian grass seed. Having them penetrate boots or socks is no fun.

A lot of people like to wear a light leather, unlined shooting glove in the bush. I don't, but it is a personal taste thing. I have a friend who is into the fingerless form. I wear gloves if it is cold or if I'm bird hunting or shooting clays with one of my doubles (to protect from barrel heat). Otherwise, I find them a nuisance.

In June, unless hunting the Caprivi for dangerous game, you will not get wet feet in Namibia.

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The Courtney Selous is a great boot. I've hunted with a pair all season, and often feel like I'm wearing a rugged moccasin. I like to hunt with gloves, and have basically always worn some fingerless wool gloves, or a cheap pair of leather gloves from the hardware store that I have wet and dried many times so that the leather shrinks. I recently bought a pair of Geier kangaroo leather gloves. The leather is incredibly thin and tough. You can feel the trigger through the leather, and the dexterity is incredible. The price is a bit nuts for gloves, but worth it.

++200 on the meds
I just brushed my teeth with water from a sink Ph warned me to not use but after 30hrs no sleep I was not thinking straight new it instantly and prayed to not be sick, but no, was soon quite sick. and that little mistake I paid for dearly and cost me one day of hunting on my first trip but had meds or I fear would have been more than 1 day.
So caveat ever since then I will not drink any water not from a bottle I don't open, no ice in my drinks, etc. haven't been sick since. And if you think it might be sketchy and get you ill dont touch it just politely say no
Also good quality polarized sun glasses go without saying.
+10 on a bottle of your favorite top shelf booze

On the water thing, listen to your outfitter or PH. Ours told us that his water system was fine for showers, washing, and brushing our teeth but he also told us not to drink it. He also provided a pitcher of water each day in our rooms for drinking. They also provided bottled water while we were out and about along with soda's and the SA equivalency of Gator Ade.

Blonde...Brunette????

Heck, both!
And throw in the Red Head for good measure!

Lawyers, guns and money
As to blonde or brunette, take both. Cheers

Blondes, brunettes, redheads????? Are you guys fkn crazy???? I'm going to hunt four legged animals. Unless they are good hunters, leave those two legged ones at home!!

One thing I haven't seen anybody mention is cough drops, I would stick a few in my pocket every day and use them as/if needed, I think the trackers appreciated them too. My regular physician is a hunter so he fixed me up with Cipro and Doxycycline plus Malarone. I took a sock hat and a pair of thin leather gloves for the cool morning rides.

Red Leg said:

Absolutely the wisest suggestion in this list. I never ever travel abroad (and have been mucking around some of the best and worst corners of the world for more than forty-years) without a broad-spectrum gorillacillin of some type (Cipro is great if you can talk your doctor into it). A handy antibiotic has saved several expeditions.
I'm a minimalist, so I don't get into camel backs and exotic day backs and the like. I carry a few band aids, but don't carry the whole med-kit thing. I used to carry a big Nikon SLR, but it always stayed in the truck. I have an I-phone and high quality pocket SLR that handle photography beautifully. I never touch the inside of a barrel once I have fired a verification shot till I get home. So my cleaning kit is an oily rag. When I hit the track, the little I take is all either in a pocket or on my belt.

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If you live near a big teaching hospital, they may have a travel medicine clinic. If so, make an appointment well in advance of your trip. They put me up to date on my immunizations, prescribed anti-malaria medication, recommended re-hydration products, and gave me erythromycin for "traveler's diarrhea." They also recommended pepto-bismal tablets morning and night to ward off the worst of the worst. That was their best advice because I did not need the antibiotics. BUT, they stayed in my kit and three months later they were priceless. I was fishing in a remote area in Mexico, and a senior companion got hit with the worst intestinal bug I have ever seen. I think had I not had the pills and gatorade he would have ended up being evacuated out. Or worse, which is why I insisted he use both. Worked like a charm.

Thanks,

Jeff