Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Pants for trekking

What kind of pants will stand up and be quiet ? In June we're going to Namibia camping. While we're there, I would like to do some trekking after black rhino in Damaland. As I can't afford hunting, this will be as close to hunting on foot as I ever get.

Levi's have worked for me.

I used Cabela's cargo pants. Shorts are best but use gaiters.

Any kind of pants you would wear on an afternoon hike in the park at home is fine.

In June in Namibia you will be freezing cold from about 6 pm till about 8 am. Hard to think it but with several layers of clothing you will still feel the freeze.

Comfortable walking shoes and if you decide to go with shorts gaiters are an essential part of the wardrobe. If anyone in your group desides to wear running shoes with long pants it is adviseable for that person to use gaiters also. If your field guide is wearing running shoes when going after black rhino demand someone else

Thanks for the replies.

Gaiters, what type? Pieter, would I be able to pick them up at Sportsman's Warehouse in Windhoek? or should I try Cabelas in the States? We'll be shopping there for some camping equipment not supplied with the truck.

The trek will be through Grootberg Lodge.

I'm from Canada, your freezing cold is bit different from ours.

511 tactical pants have served me well in Africa. Take a look at the 511 website. They sell well made gear such as police BDU's at reasonable prices. Comfortable, lots of pockets.

Was just over to RSA this past summer. picked up a couple of pair of pants at Walmart, which worked fine. I'd opt for somewhat loose fit, if going to be doing a lot of walking, which of course what Trekking supposed to be about. "jeans" and such can be snug enough you'll get chaffed, etc., and not be comfortable. If you like them, get khaki work pants, as they are usually made fuller in the legs, and well constructed, and can be had for about $20 a pair. No need to sink a lot of money in something for a walking trip.

I only use Rogue gaiters made locally and that's for 2 reasons:
1. it has velcro at the back which allows you to remove the gaiter without having to remove your shoes, and
2. it has a clip in the front you hook onto the shoe lace which prevents the gaiter from turning sideways when walking.

Only thing is you have to wear it and wash it a few times before it becomes soft. Before that they are rather noisy when you walk. Rogue gaiters

Get a hat with lots of holes on the sides as this will help keep your head cool.

I believe your cold is much more than ours. Our insulation is much worse than yours and you will feel the cold but let us know how it was when you get back!

I'm taking these pants for a May hunt in the Eastern Cape. I've tried a pair for the last few months and I think they will work for me.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Legendary-7-Pocket-Hiker-Pants/1323177.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3D7%2Bpocket%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=7+pocket&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

I like soft pants for Africa. The pants made by TAG are pretty awesome. In addition, a light to mid weight pant with zip off legs is hard to beat. Have fun!

Downwind:

Any cotton or cotton blend pants. As Peiter said - June in Damaraland is cool - you might even have frost early in the mornings and you might be riding in the open in the back of a bakkie for an hour at 45mph at less than 45F going out in the morning and coming back in the evening

Hell save yourself some money and just go to your local thrift store/Goodwill and buy used Dickie brand or Dockers for $5 a pair. Pick up a couple of long sleeve cotton/cotton blend shirts for $5 each. Why spend $50 or more each for something that is only doing one or two trips and very likely to get torn up in the thorn bushes. For the same $50 you'd spend for one pair of brand new brand name stuff you can outfit yourself with 5 shirts and 5 pants from a second hand shop.

Get the pants a little longer than you normally wear. Tuck them down inside your boots (blouse them) and a set of gaiters over the top. The extra length will help them stay down inside your boots while climbing/crawling around. This will help keep the seeds and ticks out of your lower half.

Long sleeves only. Long sleeves can be rolled up but short sleeves can't be rolled down. By noon or so the temps are very nice and you'll need the long sleeves for the sun protection. The sun is very strong because the rays bounce off all the sand/granite almost like it does off of water. The long sleeves will also help protect your arms from the thorn bushes.

Since you have several months, you might even find big name (Columbia/Wrangler/Cabelas/511's etc) for the same $5/pr.

Several brands of gaiters available - Boyt, Rogue etc. Personally, I've been using CZ military surp side buckle-ups for several years. Just make sure they are canvas and not nylon. Nylon will sound like a cricket when walking or brushing against the brush/bushes.

When your done with your excursion just leave the clothes behind and save the room in your suitcase for souvenirs.

M3taco has a lot of good advice. being "more expensive", isn;t going to make them better. Some fantastic buys at the thrift stores. Saw some cordaroy slacks I'm going back and buy as good quality and $6 or so each. I also lucked out last summer and got some brand new, Faded Glory slacks for ? don't recall, but know it was less than $20 a pair, and maybe 1/2 that. Had the legs shortened to fit ME, and have some really great pants. A canvas material with the cargo pockets, etc..

Have a good trip.. was in Namibia in 2009, and enjoyed it.

Forgot to mention about Namibia. It it technically not permissible to wear camo clothing in public. In Namibia camo clothing is reserved for their military and police. You can wear it while hunting in the bush but not in public or just tourist/traveling around.

For colors - browns, dark browns, khakis, dark grays, OD greens, dark greens.

Dress in layers - The temps will take pretty wide swings throughout the day.

No nylon coats/jackets, the thorn bushes will shred them. Just use tight weave cottons. We use old mil surp OD green M-65 field jackets. Don't use the nylon liner. We use the mil surp zip up sleeping shirts.

We always wear cotton hunting vests for travel and hunting. Lots of pockets for necessities and the game pouch in the backs can hold several .5 liter bottles of water. Great for travel as everything you can stuff in them doesn't go against your carry-on weight limits and make going through the security checks a snap.

I always get a good chuckle watching the African hunting shows. The PH's and trackers dressed in solid dark colors and the clients dressed in brand new high end, latest and greatest marketing campaign camo stuff. The trackers usually wearing OD green or even sky blue one-piece coveralls.

Had a client show up one time with the latest 3D camo clothes that look like leaves. He might have been "invisible" to the animals but he was "irresistible" to the bushes. The second day he borrowed a spare OD green M-65 field jacket I had and ditched his leaf suit.

Bottom line is - don't fall for the marketing hype. Save the money to put towards an extra trophy fee or extra day of hunting.

Downwind:

I know your topic/question was only about "pants", but here is a free tip most people who go don't ever think about.

A wide brimmed hat and a MOSQUITO HEAD NET. Not for the mosquitos but for the Mopane Bees. They do not sting. During the warmest part of the day they will buzz around your head and near your eyes trying to get at the moisture/salt and drive you out of your mind. They don't land or bite so none of the typical bug repellents have ANY effect.

The wide brimmed hat helps shade your head/ears etc from the sun and help support the bug net away from your face, ears and mouth and nose. Nets are a couple of bucks a piece at Wally World and triple their weight in gold in the bush.

Are the bees present in the Eastern Cape in May?

AB:

Don't know about the Eastern Cape. I spend 6-8 weeks every year in Namibia. I did spend 8 weeks of Sept and Oct in KZN province in RSA doing a PH cert course and then some hunting.

No mopane bees there at that time but don't have first hand experience during the May time frame in the Eastern Cape.

The thing is, they cost a couple of bucks at Wally World and take up less room and weight than just one sock - not a pair, just one. Why not take one just to make sure.

If nothing else, if you are sitting in a blind, the slight green shading of it could help take some of the "shine" off of your face.

I take a 6-8 extra with us every year to replace the ones we give to clients that they seam to forget to return. On the ones I keep for us, I take a little black spray paint and give them a few random "camo" streaks for the reason I gave above. The headnet's normal shading and spray paint streaks are subtle, but do reduce the "shine" off your face and glasses.

Rip stop OD BDU pants for thorn country. German Moleskin BDU's if it is cool weather. I gave up on shorts after I crawled on hands and knees in the burnt off grass stubble and rocks in Zambia on time. My knees and shins were punctured all over.

Avoid Tag pants. My buddy took them to Africa this past year and by the end of the first week three pairs were in tatters. They looked great to start, but if you are in the bush around thorns, etc., they are a very bad idea.

THX,That's a great idea about head nets.

I'm a great believer in hats. When young, I hiked up a mountain, on the way up it had one talis slope, on the way down I hiked through three. It was a rare hot sunny day. Since then, I've always worn a hat. I'm a Canuck, a Tilley is going to Africa.

Most of my hunting clothes are thrift store finds.

I won't be hunting black rhino, I'm about $349,998 short , just tracking.

In Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique there will be no Mopane bees in May, June and July. Your guide will not have any head gear other than a good hat and several layers of clothing. These layers of cloting will become less as the day progresses and more as night approaches.

You may want to think of an odorless sun screen as the sun does reflect from the sand and can cause sun burn even in southern hemisphere winter conditions.

The mosquito netting is a fantastic idea during September - March when these little bees are a major hassle. They are more like flies about 1/8 of an inch long causing irritation about 7 miles long. Any exposed skin is open to them sitting on you, in your nostrils, at the eyes and even in your ears. They have no sting they just irritate the living daylights out of you.

Horse flies occur mainly during end September and whole of October until the first rain arrives.

Other than that you will not experience any bugs in Namibia during May / June.