Question on laundry service

[MerlinMc]

Quick question regarding daily laundry service: My favorite hunting shirts are merino wool t shirts (Kuiu plus other brands). They need to be gently washed in cold water and simply hung dry (no dryer, no iron). Will this be a problem as part of the daily laundry service provided by most outfitters? Thanks in advance for answers and advice.

 

[billc]

Just let them know how you want them washed. If you dont want them done daily you can skip that part and do as you want them done.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Cold water wash and hang to dry seems to be pretty standard.

 

[Scott Slough]

Ask your outfitter/PH ... he is the only person who will know how they do laundry at that operation. It doesn't really matter how it was or will be done at all of the other places in Southern Africa/

Oh ... and welcome to AH!

 

[sheephunterab]

If you have something you are truly concerned about being laundered properly, I'd leave it at home. Special instructions to camp staff don't always work out as planned. They have a routine and stick to that routine for the most part.

 

[rookhawk]

If you're in the bush, they WILL iron those shirts. Ironing isn't to make you look pretty before you go out and get filthy again. Ironing is to kill insect larvae on your clothes before it hatches and burrows into you.

I'll let the Africans on this forum give you the listing of species of insects that will screw you up in country. All I know is that they wanted a 140 degree hot metal iron to scald my clothes daily for this purpose.

I know this is one of them that will screw you up really bad if you don't iron your clothes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordylobia_anthropophaga

Public health and prevention strategies[edit]
The fly commonly infects humans by laying its eggs on wet clothes, left out to dry.[10] The eggs hatch in one to three days and the larvae (which can survive without a host for up to 15 days) then burrow into the skin when the clothes are worn.[1] A prevention method is to iron all clothes, including underwear, which kills the eggs/larvae.[11][12]

As they say Sir, your $80 wool T-shirts from Kuiu and First lite are creating "first world problems" for you. Let them be ruined as God intended and iron them, OR look fabulous and go blind from myiasis. Up to you.

 

[spike.t]

your clothes will need to be ironed if you are going where there are or might be putsi flies

and hi welcome aboard

 

[rookhawk]

Read more about the souvenirs you can bring back on your clothing here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myiasis

Quick additional suggestion for you. I found that pure cotton clothing was ideal for Africa because of these sorts of heavy laundry issues. There is a reason that people buy vintage used Willis & Geiger safari jackets and shirts on ebay for their Africa trips. The bush poplin fabric (the really good stuff) hasn't been made in years and is worth a fortune because it was the best.

For lower cost alternatives for your trip check out T.A.G. Safaris. Pretty decent natural fiber clothing for cheap money that will give you the comfort you're seeking.

It's really hard to find all-natural cotton fibers in clothing that resists thorns and resists the harsh laundry service you'll get in-country. Papa Hemingway and Robert Ruark were on to something in their choices for clothing in country.

Oh, and where are my manners? Welcome to the forum and glad you asked a GREAT question.

 

[CAustin]

Quick question regarding daily laundry service: My favorite hunting shirts are merino wool t shirts (Kuiu plus other brands). They need to be gently washed in cold water and simply hung dry (no dryer, no iron). Will this be a problem as part of the daily laundry service provided by most outfitters? Thanks in advance for answers and advice.

As mentioned above leave them at home!

 

[CAustin]

By the way welcome to AH sir.

 

[cpr0312]

Welcome aboard, looks like some good answers to your question!

 

[Hank2211]

Quick question regarding daily laundry service: My favorite hunting shirts are merino wool t shirts (Kuiu plus other brands). They need to be gently washed in cold water and simply hung dry (no dryer, no iron). Will this be a problem as part of the daily laundry service provided by most outfitters? Thanks in advance for answers and advice.

I wear a lot of Kuiu stuff, including the merino wool shirts and undershirts. They have the same washing instructions as your shirts. I have never done anything special with them - just put them in the laundry with everything else and they always coming back looking as good as new.

At home, they also go in the wash, and go through the usual warm water wash. Never had a problem.

 

[jeff]

I had one T shirt ruined because of ironing, it had some kind of picture and logo that wouldn't stand the heat. Also had a shirt and socks come up missing and later found they had been sent to PH's room with his laundry. For most SA and Namibian hunts you just don't need the high tech clothing that you might need in the rockies or Canada and Alaska.

 

[sheephunterab]

In nearly every camp we've ever been in we've had to do the laundry exchange with the other hunters in camp every evening. Not sure I really want to know what the other hunters wear for skivvies but it can be comical. The lesson here is choose your underwear carefully for your trip to Africa as it will likely end up in another tent or chalet at the end of the day. We've had some good laughs about it.

 

[JimP]

. Also had a shirt and socks come up missing and later found they had been sent to PH's room with his laundry. .

Every sock that to took over has my initials on them from the laundry service.

For the OP I would just stick to cotton T shirts and leave the good stuff at home.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

Just skip the laundry on your wool clothing. Wool doesn't pick up or absorb dirt the way cotton does. I only wash my wool stuff occasionally.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Just skip the laundry on your wool clothing. Wool doesn't pick up or absorb dirt the way cotton does. I only wash my wool stuff occasionally.

and makes good use of the wind while hunting.

 

[JimP]

Just skip the laundry on your wool clothing. Wool doesn't pick up or absorb dirt the way cotton does. I only wash my wool stuff occasionally.

With the possibility of the creepy crawlies that can embed themselves into wool clothing, I don't think so.

 

[BWH]

They can prob handle.... If not, just do your delicate stuff yourself in bath/shower. I really like the Kuiu gear... And Sitka....took mine. Just so damn $$$ & sensitive.

 

[sheephunterab]

Just another thought on taking high-tech clothing to Africa, is the fact that thorns can be hell on them. I typically end up with a pretty good rip in a shirt or shorts on every trip. I would think that merino wool would act like the loop side of Velcro with the thorns!