Now you have decided on where you are hunting and with which outfitter, it is now time to prepare for the trip itself. With such an investment in time and money on your part, it makes sense to ensure you arrive at your destination ready to make the most of it.
Below we cover the main areas that I identified as important prior to my first trip in the hope that they prove as useful to you as they did for me.
Clothing
This is an area where nearly everyone gets it wrong! With a few exceptions, you do not need to take a lot of clothing with you on safari. Your camp will often have a daily laundry service, so 3 changes of hunting clothes is the most that you will need.
Even if you are expecting warm weather during the day, be aware that the temperature drops very quickly when the sun goes down, so for dawn and dusk it is recommended to take an extra layer, for example a wind-stopper fleece or a down jacket to keep you warm.
If you are taking shorts, then you should also take a pair of short gaiters with you to stop all the seeds and thorns from finding their way into your boots and socks, not ideal when you are trying to creep quietly through the bush!
It is also a good idea to take some smart casual clothes for changing into for dinner. Whilst some may be outside on the BBQ (or braai) others may be more formal sit-down affairs and it is good manners to change your clothes in respect to your hosts, especially if you are staying with the family of your outfitter.
Lastly, make sure you take two pairs of boots, both of which should be well worn in, this is not the time for new, untested boots! It is a good idea to have a backup in case one pair gets wet or if you damage a pair as kit is not easy to come by once you are there.
On that note, at the end of your safari, if you feel able to, any kit you are able to leave for your trackers is massively appreciated, especially boots. Good quality hunting kit is often beyond the reach of your tracking team (both due to cost and lack of supply) and they rely on donated kit from hunters for this. Even if your kit has the odd hole or is a little worn, they will often repair it so definitely don’t throw things away!
Rifle & Ammo
This is an often asked question for the first timer to Africa, “do I take my own rifle and if so, do I need to buy one specially”. With regards to the first question, that depends, some countries are easier to import guns into than others. In both South Africa and Namibia it is simple to arrange this with a little pre-planning and a little extra time built into your flight preparations to allow for the formalities at the airport. Other countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, are nigh on impossible to take your own rifle to.
All of that said, many outfitters have very good quality rifles, in suitable calibres, that are available to borrow or rent for your hunting trip, thus making the journey there easier and allowing you to relax.
We would recommend discussing this in advance with your outfitter, find out what they have available and decide from there. Some people prefer to have the gun they know and are confident with, especially if longer shots may be needed, whereas others are happier borrowing others and are used to this.
If you are going to take your own gun, make sure it is one that you know and have practised with. Don’t do what some hunters do which is buy a gun especially for the trip, never get to know it or zero it and then expect to do that when they arrive. You are on safari to hunt, not to set up a rifle from scratch!
Finally, when it comes to ammunition choice, use a premium manufacturer, this is not the time to be cheap. African animals are often tougher than our home species and are more likely to run when wounded. You owe it to the animal and yourself to ensure this doesn’t happen by using the most suitable combination of gun and ammo. If in any doubt, ask your outfitter what they recommended.
Optics
Optics are a matter of personal preference for most hunters, however when deciding on what to take, try to think about what the landscape you are hunting in will demand from your shooting. Are you likely to be taking longer shots in the mountains or across the plains or will you be in the more dense vegetation where closer, snap shots are more likely? If the former, a high magnification, possibly with a ballistic turret would be the practical choice, however, for the latter, a lower magnification with a wider field of view would be best.
As with your bullet choice, and in general this also holds true, go for the best optics you can afford. During my earlier career in the gun trade, we always suggested that clients should spend twice what they spent on their rifle on their scope. Most rifles nowadays will outperform the shooter, however the top scopes can buy you an extra ten minutes of shooting light at either end of the day. As every hunter knows, this is the magic time when the animals are most likely to be active!
When it comes to binoculars, again, take the best you can afford. I personally feel 10x magnification are best, especially for picking animals out of a group, but it does depend on the distances you will be glassing at. It is also worth taking a rangefinder with you, whether built in to your binoculars or separate. It is likely your P.H. will have one and tell you this information before you line up your shot but it can be useful to be able to check distances as you go in case a snap opportunity occurs.
I decided to not take my own rifle with me to Namibia, mostly due to strikes by the customs staff in the UK at the time which would have made the process very complicated and long and also due to my outfitter having top quality guns and optics available to me, in calibres I was used to shooting. It made my life much easier in retrospect, as I had some delays with my flights, which made the connections very tight and I would not have had chance to get through the connecting security in Ethiopia if I had taken my own. Something to keep in mind when booking your flights!
Shooting
If you are taking your own rifle to Africa, it goes without saying that you should practise with this, ensuring both your familiarity with it, the safety mechanism and points of impact at various distances before you go.
Even if you are not, it is imperative that you familiarise yourself with shooting from sticks. What sticks you practise with should be representative of what you will use on your hunting trip. I have a set of travelling quad sticks which break down into 3 sections to allow me to travel with these easily. Most outfitters tend to own either dual-sticks or tri-sticks, which whilst they provide a stable rest, are not as stable as the quad versions. The only negative with the quad-sticks is that they can take slightly longer to set up and not provide as much room for manoeuvre. I am happy with this trade off as through practise I am now happy to shoot out to 400m accurately off them which gives me a lot of flexibility depending on the situation.
Whatever you pick, practise setting up your sticks quickly, getting your rifle in position smoothly and firing from a variety of heights until it becomes second nature. In an ideal world, take these sticks with you so you are working with the same tools you are used to.
It goes without saying that if you are going to shoot a calibre that is larger than you are used to, make sure you are familiar with it before you arrive, don’t turn up with a new .375 and then develop a flinch and fear of shooting it because it recoils more than your .243 at home and you weren’t ready for it!
The other element of shooting that is vastly important to familiarise yourself with before you leave is the biology and target zones of the animals you are hunting. Whilst many African animals have a similar target zone to our European deer, several have surprisingly different zones to aim for. Your best bet in this regard is to purchase a copy of “The Perfect Shot” by Kevin Robertson. This is the de facto textbook on how to successfully and humanely shoot an African animal. No responsible hunter should be without it before they leave, as you owe it to both yourself, your team and the animal to take it cleanly and quickly.
The above advice is not exhaustive and your outfitter will provide you with a packing list and also be on hand in advance of your trip to provide specific advice as to their operation and what to expect. It is hoped however that you now know the basics on how to prepare for your own first safari and have seen a little of how I prepared for my mine.
Next time, I will tell you all about my trip to Namibia earlier this year, why I chose where I did, why I chose the outfitter I did and what I did and learnt whilst I was out there…
Coming soon in Part 3!
