Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Ignorant African PH Question

When you see a lawn crew of mostly Mexican guys in southern Florida in the summer when the temps are around a 100, they are ALL wearing long sleeved shirts, mostly in white. I guess most also wear shorts, but some wear pants. I've always fished in long sleeves and quite often in nylon pants, if I know I'll be out all day....gloves too. For me its a combination of sun protection and I also feel that shirts that have vents are cooler than anything else I've tried.

My father also does it for sun protection as he has had a few cases of skin cancer. I think about that more each day myself. You don't contract this when the symptoms show up, this is something that starts when you're young. I doubt that the trackers are thinking about skin cancer, but I would think that the PH's are concerned about it, especially considering how many days they spend outside.

I have spent years running through the brush in S. Texas. That stuff is every bit as bad as Africa and my standard wear in the 115 F summers is 1 size large cotton ripstop BDUs held up with suspenders and open weave Khaki shirts long or short sleeves, most recently from Long Grass Outfitters. Boots depend on terrain but many times they are 17" tall top pull ons inside the BDU's because of the rattle snakes. The BDU's, in olive or sand, are loose and move air/don't cling and after a few washings very quite. Cheap to replace also.

If Africa ever comes up on my radar that rig or in poly/cotton mix for cooler temps. will be what I wear with appropriate footwear.

I can move around much easier in shorts. It's what I wear in the summer in Louisiana including when I am walking on my property and frankly the thorns, heat, and humidity are much worse here than in Africa.

I've lived and worked and hunted in Africa for many years and anyone who wears shorts is a moron or more concerned with fashion than his own safety. If shorts were so good- then why aren't all the military in them wars all over the world wearing shorts? There is sun burn issue, leeches, ticks, cuts than yes can get infected that will end you up in one of them hospitals over there which will probably finish you off.

Agree 100%, chiken legs and all. Tried wearing long pants and just like JPK say, the weight of the wet long trousers along with the clinging and binding was a pain in the ass. jorge

Guess it depends what you're used to. I lived in the South most of my life and shorts were everyday wear. So in Africa wearing shorts seemed the way to go and I felt comfortable hunting that way as did the PHs I hunted with. Easily removed wind pants and coat for early morning and late evening when it's cold worked out well.

I agree that shorts are the way to go for comfort and the thorns and stickers are not a problem. One issue (depending on where you are hunting) is that shorts expose more skin to those pesky (but wonderful) Tse Tse flies. It can certainly get annoying, regardless of what kind of repellent you use. Other than that, getting dirty and scratched is just a part of African hunting seems to me.

Was going to comment on what the trackers wear..... thats been covered but watched a few minutes the otehr day... was thinking to myself, I"d NEVER wear shorts at home, why would i want to in Africa.... it ain't cool here... I wear long sleeve shirts and long blue jeans at home all the time in summer.

As to noise in the brush, I could see that, but there is a lot more of your body that is covered that will make noise too with the wrong clothes.... I have not seen a PH in a loincloth yet...

Well that's a relief!

You couldn't wear shorts here on my mule deer ranch......you'd have meat hanging, and it wouldn't be venison.

I dunno.... judging by the hunts reports and photo's I've seen over the years, John Sharp seems to come uncomfortably close to being "Tarzan"!

How's this:

LOL, exactly!

Jorge, did you ever get the opportunity to schedule your leopard hunt with Sharpy? I initially signed up for a leopard hunt (2012), but after much back and forth with John, I ended up switching it to Lioness. The man is gung ho! Adamant that we'll do everything we can NOT to shoot one over bait.

African PHs grow up wearing shorts and going bare footed, so they can move easily through the bush and thorns it seems..You will also notice they do not wear socks, as the grass seeds will get in the socks then work into your skin and cause terrible festering sores on your ankles..You also have the Mopani fly and perhaps seed ticks to deal with.Most Americans would be well advised to wear long pants, light long sleeve shirts and high topped hunting boots with gaitors or taped closed around the boots, and most do, depending on where your hunting of course..Mostly,I prefer blue jeans and I notice todays PHs are wearing them more than the old PHs of yesterday did.

It also depends on where in Africa you are hunting, The above would apply to Zimbabwe and since much of So. Africa is rocky mt. terrain I don't believe that does speak well for shorts IMO.

Tanzania's Selous for instance is infested with tetsi flies, and I sure wouldn't consider shorts there, but some PHs do wear shorts and deck shoes there and seem to be immune to bites. Americans get devoured as a rule even with long pants and high top boots..I might add that olive is not a good color for Tanzania as Tetsi's like dark colors so I wear Khaki shirts and and you can wear short gaitors or even duct tape the bottom of your pants.

But the option is yours and some Americans wear shorts and seem to get by with them, and perhaps they are hunting in a more short friendly location, so its a personal decision but I would be prepared to the extent that I would have the option.

African PHs grow up wearing shorts and going bare footed, so they can move easily through the bush and thorns it seems..You will also notice they do not wear socks, as the grass seeds will get in the socks then work into your skin and cause terrible festering sores on your ankles..You also have the Mopani fly and perhaps seed ticks to deal with.Most Americans would be well advised to wear long pants, light long sleeve shirts and high topped hunting boots with gaitors or taped closed around the boots, and most do, depending on where your hunting of course..Mostly,I prefer blue jeans and I notice todays PHs are wearing them more than the old PHs of yesterday did.

It also depends on where in Africa you are hunting, The above would apply to Zimbabwe and since much of So. Africa is rocky mt. terrain I don't believe that does speak well for shorts IMO.

Tanzania's Selous for instance is infested with tetsi flies, and I sure wouldn't consider shorts there, but some PHs do wear shorts and deck shoes there and seem to be immune to bites. Americans get devoured as a rule even with long pants and high top boots..I might add that olive is not a good color for Tanzania as Tetsi's like dark colors so I wear Khaki shirts and and you can wear short gaitors or even duct tape the bottom of your pants.

But the option is yours and some Americans wear shorts and seem to get by with them, and perhaps they are hunting in a more short friendly location, so its a personal decision but I would be prepared to the extent that I would have the option.

90-120 degrees, and you are physically active in such extreme heat.
my hat off for you.

Spring time weather to us Texans.

As I was a red head before going grey........shorts are not an option for me........I get sunburnt even in an African winter!

A good point was made by one poster as to the fact that the military wear longs for good reason.

And I remember a hunt in May, where the PH and I were seeing a snake a day; that the PH switched from shorts to longs on day two!!!

working with him now. Just got an email from him, he had a tough time but they finally killed a 180lb tom with a 17 1/2" skull.

That's a hell of cat! Almost as big as the one back in '06. It appears West Nicholson and Bubye areas consistently produce some tremendous "toad" leopards.