What To Take In The Field

As others have said, make sure water is brought along if you are taking a walk. You never know when a situation might develop where chase has to be given and how long that will last. Usually it won't be required but it was for me more than once on my first safari. Also if you have a dog you want to make sure it can stay hydrated in case their services are needed.
 
I would never connect through any place in the middle east

Because of lack of knowledge? I travelled a couple of times between Switzerland and South Africa, always on Emirates via Dubai, this year again. Nothing is easier. Handed in the rifle at Cape Town resp. Zurich, that’s all. The people at Emirates are extremely friendly and helpful.
 
Communication: radio or phone, Swiss officer knife, medical plaster for worn feet, matches, water. A scarf or shawl. Cash, paper / napkins, twine. Medicine for you.
 
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I would always have the following with me on my person at all times , when l used to be a professional shikaree in the 1960s :
* My 12 calibre double barreled side by side Belgian shot gun
* Cartridge belt containing 35 cartridges :
20 Eley Gas Tight ( hand loaded) spherical ball cartridges , 10 Eley Alphamax no.6 cartridges ( for jungle fowl for the pot ) , 5 Eley Alphamax triple A cartridges ( for cranes or geese for the pot )
* Sheffield carbon steel clasp knife
( Very easy to sharpen on common India river rocks and the edge can be sharpened so fine that you can even use it as a razor in a pinch )
* Compass
* Camera and film
* Binoculars
* Professional shikaree's license
* Zippo lighter
* Back pack containing
- Vial of potash and sterile razor blade for snake bites ( massive problem in India)
- Ethanol bottle
- Gauze
- First Aid kit
- Flask of boiled water
- Bar of soap
- Salt
- 2 cell torch light
- a ball of twine
- Sewing kit
- Fishing hooks and line
- tinned food ( usually a tin of corned beef and another tin of biscuits )
- Insect repellent spray
- Tissue box

My servant would typically carry :
* A hatchet to chop wood
* A ram dao ( it is a large locally made heavy knife made from the spring steel of vehicular leaf springs )
* Rope
* A spare set of clothes for me ( typically a Brook's Brothers cotton oxford button down collar long sleeve shirt , light weight flannel dress trousers and a pair of silk braces )
 
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I would always have the following with me on my person at all times , when l used to be a professional shikaree in the 1960s :
* My 12 calibre double barreled side by side Belgian shot gun
* Cartridge belt containing 35 cartridges :
20 Eley Gas Tight ( hand loaded) spherical ball cartridges , 10 Eley Alphamax no.6 cartridges ( for jungle fowl for the pot ) , 5 Eley Alphamax triple A cartridges ( for cranes or geese for the pot )
* Sheffield carbon steel clasp knife
( Very easy to sharpen on common India river rocks and the edge can be sharpened so fine that you can even use it as a razor in a pinch )
* Compass
* Camera and film
* Binoculars
* Professional shikaree's license
* Zippo lighter
* Back pack containing
- Vial of potash and sterile razor blade for snake bites ( massive problem in India)
- Ethanol bottle
- Gauze
- First Aid kit
- Flask of boiled water
- Bar of soap
- Salt
- 2 cell torch light
- a ball of twine
- Sewing kit
- Fishing hooks and line
- tinned food ( usually a tin of corned beef and another tin of biscuits )
- Insect repellent spray
- Tissue box

My servant would typically carry :
* A hatchet to chop wood
* A ram dao ( it is a large locally made heavy knife made from the spring steel of vehicular leaf springs )
* Rope
* A spare set of clothes for me ( typically a Brook's Brothers cotton oxford button down collar long sleeve shirt , light weight flannel dress trousers and a pair of silk braces )

Similar list all over the world.
 
I leave a pack on the vehicle with a few odds and ends in it, toilet paper, rain/warm jacket, snack, suncream, insect repellent, decent torch and spare batteries, sat phone, first aid kit with basic meds, extra ammo. My Big camera and lenses also stay on the truck in their protective case. On me I carry, rifle, very compact binos, then on belt I have spare ammo, knife, leatherman, wind check, and a pouch with small torch and lighter. Its quite a bit to keep on you but I consider them all a necessity. I put the belt on only when getting off the vehicle so it isn't on me all day and while sitting on the car. I also carry my iPhone in a pocket for photos. Myself and PH got lost in Zim in some very thick Jesse bush and I happened to have a GPS with me that was tracking our route, when it was time to turn around I tested him and he guessed the complete wrong direction to get back to the car. We had a good laugh and were both happy I had it. saved a much longer walk back. In future, if I feel the walk is getting long I will use my garmin watch to start tracking our route, its one less thing to carry. And finding the car from that point will be easier than from where you turned around. A tracker will usually carry a pack with water and toilet paper and I give him an extra box of ammo as well just in case.
 
One thing I would suggest, instead of toilet paper, take a pack of biodegradable, flushable toilet wipes. NOT wet wipes.
They are much easier to carry, can even go in a pocket if needs be, are much nicer to use, you can get more wipes per wipe than with a wad of toilet paper and can be used to wash hands and face with as well.
They save an awful lot of dry, sore sensitive areas if you are caught with the frequent need to go.
Trust me, I know.
 
Fo
Here's a question for all the veteran hunters - What should I bring with me during the day while hunting.

Apart from the obvious, gun, ammo, a good knife, camera, bino's, change of socks/shirt, rain gear, what else should I have that the PH won't provide? What about rangefinder, sticks, repellent, first aid stuff, water, snacks, a full flask? I've never been on a guided hunt, but I'm assuming I won't need a pack that's full to the brim.

On my person when hunting:

I consider a knife a necessity, therefore I am always carrying a pocket knife. In Africa carrying an appropriate (5-6 inch blade) hunting knife may not be a necessity, but can come in handy, thus I carry one on my belt along with my pocket knife.

Extra ammo varies by what and where hunting, and firearm(s). I like to generally have 10 rounds total of ammo on hand.

Compact binoculars, 8-12x to help locate your animal before going to your scope.

Lens wipes for cleaning scope, binos, sun/shooting/eye glasses.

Bandana/hankerchief

Toilet paper and wet wipes are dependent on how far or how long from the vehicle otherwise left with the vehicle.

A full water bottle is also handy in the pants/shorts cargo pocket and dependent on distance and time away from vehicle.

A hat is a necessity.

Depending on weather: a light or mid weight, wind and rain resistant jacket, extra pair of socks, gloves or pocket chemical hand warmers.

Other items: (generally left in the vehicle)
a length of cordage (paracord), a multi tool (leatherman), appropriate items/ tools/ allen wrenches/ small screw driver to remove or adjust scope, [multi piece cleaning rod with jag (to remove dirt/debris that might get lodged in the barrel)(ask your PH maybe he will bring this along)]

Snacks and such:
PH usually has sufficient water and various (non alcoholic) drinks in a cooler in the vehicle.
When not going back to the lodge or camp for lunch, the PH usually packs a lunch.

Rather than packing toiletries with me, I pick up toiletry items upon arrival. This saves luggage/packing weight and space.

I also bring with me a paper notebook, a couple of pens and pencils to write in, as a journal of my trip, along with a DLSR camera with extra batteries, cards, lens and accessories to take better (especially distance) photos and videos vs just using my phone camera.

Light footwear for around the lodge or camp gives you and your feet relief after the days hunt(s).

If you are not planning on before or after the hunt activities/traveling, then hunting clothing other than camouflage should be fine around the lodge or in case you need or want to shop or walk around the local town/village.

Long underwear, is personal choice. In 2017 my first trip to hunt the East Cape, I was glad I packed 2 sets of long underwear. I needed them for 3 of the 9 days in June.

In my check baggage is a bore snake and gun cleaning items: patches, solvent/oil, bore swabs, Q tips, small sewing kit, small simple first aid kit, small flashlight, headlamp, extra copies of SAPS, CBP4457, photocopy of passport, yellow shot card, birth certificate, itinerary, airline ticket, letter(s) of Invitation, etc.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND: Carrying Extra Cash: $40.00USD and R60 in two separate easily accessible button shirt and/or front pants pockets, with additional cash tucked safely into an inside jacket or vest pocket that I'm wearing. Passport carried in an exterior jacket or vest pocket.

As others suggested:
If your only going to be hunting then 1 set of hunting clothes in your carry on and 1 set in your check baggage and travel/just in case hunting clothing worn.

Just another idea on what items to carry on your person afield, in the vehicle, into lodge/camp.
 
One thing I would suggest, instead of toilet paper, take a pack of biodegradable, flushable toilet wipes. NOT wet wipes.
They are much easier to carry, can even go in a pocket if needs be, are much nicer to use, you can get more wipes per wipe than with a wad of toilet paper and can be used to wash hands and face with as well.
They save an awful lot of dry, sore sensitive areas if you are caught with the frequent need to go.
Trust me, I know.

I carry a small ziplock of wysiwipes for this exact reason. A few drops of water and they expand out into a rather large, quite durable cloth for hands, face, nethers.
 
Pith helmet
 
I think most are over thinking the subject..To start with it depends on a cornucopia of options...Weather, time of year, location, terrain, species hunted, guided or not? and a host of others..Most hunters in my opine pack way too much stuff. On an African Safari I pack a gun, ammo and my binocs, that's about it...I hunt horseback a lot as Ive usually had a ranch, I know where the water is so I used to take a chew, that's about it gathering cattle or hunting the Mule deer and coues deer we had..Use common since, take what you really need, leave in camp what you might need..but Ive lived most of my life outdoors, if your job is in town, and you dont' have that experience, just ask your guide and take his advise, he probably has every thing you need to start with...Some of the advise would require an extra pack horse..
 
To hunt in the jungle, I carry:
-Knife
-Small first aid kit
-Rope
-Bottle with water
-Amunition with 6 cartridges
-GPS
-Small flashlight
-Toilet paper
-3 cigars
-Binoculars
-Matches
 
Really depends on circumstances and location. Solo backpack hunt in wilderness is far different from full entourage on typical Africa “safari”. :)
 
Great information from all of you for someone who hasn’t hunted in Africa yet. I hunt elk with a 25-30lb backpack and ALWAYS have it with me. But, most of it is cold weather gear and food in the event I have to spend the night in the woods. A lot of the photos I’ve seen of African hunting looks like southeast Colorado where I hunt Pronghorn in September/October. Warmer during the day, cooler at night. For Africa, I’m thinking bottled water and more bottled water, small knife, trail mix, tp, compass, bandaids, etc. Maybe I can get the back down to 10-15lbs? Ha! Ha!
 
El día de la caza ... sin contar el rifle y los cartuchos, traigo agua, papel higiénico y binoculares, y un buen cuchillo.

Google Translate:
On the day of the hunt ... not counting the rifle and cartridges, I bring water, toilet paper and binoculars, and a good knife.
 
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Great information from all of you for someone who hasn’t hunted in Africa yet. I hunt elk with a 25-30lb backpack and ALWAYS have it with me. But, most of it is cold weather gear and food in the event I have to spend the night in the woods. A lot of the photos I’ve seen of African hunting looks like southeast Colorado where I hunt Pronghorn in September/October. Warmer during the day, cooler at night. For Africa, I’m thinking bottled water and more bottled water, small knife, trail mix, tp, compass, bandaids, etc. Maybe I can get the back down to 10-15lbs? Ha! Ha!

Hello CoElkHunter,

Your comparison of S /E Colorado pronghorn hunting to some of Southern Africa’s hunting conditions is accurate, especially springbok hunting.
That said, conditions can vary greatly in Africa, as it is a huge place, with wide biodiversity.

No matter what, your Tracker almost always will carry a small day pack, with bottled water and a few other small but sometimes welcome items.
The Hunter / Client doesn’t need to carry much at all.
You will need only to carry your rifle and spare cartridges (and I like also binoculars) but nothing more.

If you want to carry more, such as a string and oiled patch to pull through your rifle bore after a shot is fired, maybe a bandana to wipe your sweaty face with, that is no problem but they are not really necessary.
Many clients carry a small knife to cut an apple or biltong during lunch, perhaps some waterless hand wash and bandaids, for thorn wounds or foot blisters, and the list goes on.
However all that is up to each individual’s decision and I repeat, all you will really NEED is the rifle and a few spare cartridges.

Hunting in Africa can be a lot of walking and so potentially a lot of work, a lot of very fun work.
But, due to your PH and Tracker wanting to ensure your comfort, it does not require that we as Clients carry as much “kit & caboodle” as is often required here at home, during our solo hunts in N. America.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.
 
I have varying loadouts for hunting depending on where.

However, I have a question for the Africa loadout…camelback for water? Anyone ever use one or is it another unnecessary extra? I drink water by the gallon, and I think pestering a tracker or PH for water is ridiculous (you would think after living in the desert for 15yrs I would be more drought tolerant). If I am on a ranch in RSA, more than likely no need, but what about hunting in Zim or CAR?
 
I have varying loadouts for hunting depending on where.

However, I have a question for the Africa loadout…camelback for water? Anyone ever use one or is it another unnecessary extra? I drink water by the gallon, and I think pestering a tracker or PH for water is ridiculous (you would think after living in the desert for 15yrs I would be more drought tolerant). If I am on a ranch in RSA, more than likely no need, but what about hunting in Zim or CAR?
I have never bothered with one. I can't imagine needing one in the typical South African scenario. Even on a long stalk, just stick a bottle in your pocket if you don't want to take one from the guy with the pack.

If you are susceptible to heat exhaustion, then something like a camel back would make sense on a buffalo or elephant hunt (or LDE) in a wilderness area. Again, I never needed one in Mozambique or the Caprivi, but I can understand it. I would just hate wearing a pack of any kind in any African setting in which I have hunted. Your PH won't be encumbered with one either.
 

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