What to Wear in the Bush

What to Wear in the Bush!!

Ok so I thought that I should give a few tips on what to wear in Africa after telling you all “What not to wear in the Bush”. So if you were thinking about making a trip out to the African bush here are a few pointers I’ve got for you. Sorry boys you can adapt this as you like or take a tip from David, which is pretty much take two pair of shorts, a couple of pairs of t-shirts, a pair of flip flops and a pair of boots and you’re set. Us girls need a bit more careful planning.

Footwear!!

A decent pair of footwear is essential. A worn in pair but as you saw what happened to my trainers in Mozambique not too worn in. Leather boots are preferable for comfort as they mold to your feet. They also look much cooler as you don’t look like a Snowdonian hiker, which fabric boots tend to make you look like. The Courteney Boot is the most popular boot for Zimbabwean hunters and guides, who tend to live in them, which shows how sturdy they are. If you don’t want to go and splash out on a pair of new boots though trainers are a good alternative.

As well as a pair of boots you need a pair of flip flops. The flip flops I have are a navy, foam pair from Abercrombie & Fitch and they are the comfiest things ever. I bought them in London a couple of years ago when the shoes I’d decided to wear that day were giving me unbearable blisters and I had to find a quick replacement and they have lasted me so well. They still look brand new and I have practically lived in them. The only drawback to them is the colour. Although I love navy and they do go with pretty much everything, they don’t go with black. I had an awful occasion in Mozambique when I had to wear my zebra print dress with them. I was lucky I was only with David as he didn’t notice.  Whereas if my Mother had been there she would have been mortified. So when I was in Dubai I did pick up a pair of dull gold Havaianas so the occasion won’t have to arise again. So I would advise if you can only fit in one pair of flip flops like I could in Mozambique I’d choose a neutral coloured pair; but most importantly stick to ones with a sponge sole as not only are they comfy they are easy to clean and waterproof for if you end up being somewhere through the rainy season and might find yourself stuck in the mud.

Bottoms!!

I pretty much lived in 2 pairs of shorts for 5 weeks. One with an elastic waist band, mid thigh length and green (got to blend in) and the other pair were brown and drawstring. Both were light weight, had big pockets (which are desirable as you’ll find that your Mulberry just doesn't quite right in the bush so you need somewhere to put your lipbalm, tissues etc) and were colours, which not only co ordinate with the scenery but were great for getting dirty in. I had another useful pair of shorts with me which were just above knee length, tailored but also light weight, which were great for times when I had an occasion to be slightly smarter or for travelling in. No I lie I had another smart pair, which were khaki but tighter and very cool. I didn’t wear them as much as the others because I can’t bare wearing tight clothes in the heat but I just love them so I had to take them. They’re from Kingsley Heath, a new South African label stocked in Stutterfords, an equivalent to A&F but with an African twist. A pair of longs (trousers) is essential for those nights you spend outside as the mosquitoes are so bad that not even the mouti (Zim word for medicine). For these occasions I had a pair of green cargo pants (trousers) but I also took a pair of beige tracksuit bottoms with me, perfect for those times you want to be cosy when it rains.

Tops!!

I took quite a few tops with me. They were mainly vest tops with shelf bras in them, which are ideal for when it’s too hot to wear a bra. They were all very neutral colours (can you see a theme here, I was almost completely camouflaged). I had a couple of short sleeved t-shirts and a couple of long sleeved t-shirts plus two bush shirts. Stay away from the colour blue as it attracts all the flies and mosquitoes for some reason they love that colour. The bush shirts doubled up as good for flying in as it’s always really chilly on the flight and vital for fishing because I would have been burnt to a crisp without one of those shirts to cover me up but at the same time I didn’t get too hot in them. I also took a fleece that I didn’t take up to Lugenda with me because it was just too hot there but I wore quite a bit in the evenings in Zim for although it was reaching 35˚C during the day, winter was on its way and it could get quite chilly at night. David advised me not to take a waterproof saying that if it rained I’d just stay inside. It was a good job I knew better than him and went against his advise on this occasion otherwise I would have spent a vast amount of my time in Lugenda either being stuck in the tent or the lodge. Luckily for me I’d slipped a last minute poncho in before we left so I could move freely about camp without getting wet. Plus it was perfectly sized so didn’t take up any extra space in my suitcase.

Headgear!!

A hat is very important. I took two hats with me. One was a wide brimmed straw hat that had a wire around the rim so could be folded up into my suitcase and then molded back into shape again. I also had a green cap with me, which had I been brave enough to walk round the bush would have been ideal for that. It was also great for fishing as I didn’t have to worry about it flying off as we were speeding down the Zambezi.

Extras!!

David insisted on me packing some clothing which wasn’t khaki, green or brown. Although these colours were the most practical it’s always good to add some bright colour in there just to lift your spirits a bit. I took an orange halter neck which co ordinate beautifully with my brown or green shorts but also made me look less like jungle girl all the time. I also took a couple of light weight sun dresses for running round Pemba in.

Ideally bush clothing needs to be practical and comfortable so you can enjoy your surroundings without getting too hot or itchy. Having a set of clothes which you can mix and match with reduces the amount of clothes you have to take but try not to go too frumpy.