Safari Clothes? Lots o' pockets?

[WAngell]

<p>Kind of standard tour I think - crater + Serengeti.</p>

<p>Looking for clothing recommendations. Brands to choose and avoid would be greatly appreciated if you've found things that work or don't. Vest or lots 'o pockets pants or shirts? Have you typically been able to work pretty well out of your bag or do you find a vest or lots of pants pockets necessary?</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

[Roger G]

<p>The good thing about lots of pockets is, well, lots of pockets. And it's the bad thing too - which pocket holds that spare battery? You have to be well-organized and place things in the same pocket each time. But I have found pockets extremely convenient, much better than hunting around in a bag. I use "cargo" pants and a jacket, mostly.<br>

As for brands, you might consider something that does not shout "photographer" especially if you plan to wear them in a city or other place you might be subject to attempts at theft. In the US, Cabelas is one brand I've used a lot. But the camo jacket I mostly use cost me $5 at Goodwill. Make sure the pockets are big enough, and have reliable closures. Zips, velcro, or ideally both? I have sewn steel loops inside my pockets so I can attach cords, especially for GPS and compass, but that could work for photo stuff too. Hope that helps and gets a discussion started.</p>

[Jochen_S]

<p>Limited experience here. - 1st of all: what kind of gear are you planning to sink in your vest / carry? - For me and my rather compact primes vests targeting fly fishers & similar work fine. Imagining 2 big Nikons, 70-200 & even bigger + a D750 with wide zoom as a 3rd, you might need a different rig, if the vest isn't limited to holding filters cards, batteries & smokes.<br>

Have you made up your mind upon shorts & sandals vs. full combat suit? </p>

[JosvanEekelen]

<p>Dunno about stores in other countries but over here in the Netherlands army surplus stores (Dumpshop) sell items that may be very practical on safari or when trekking. Mostly at attractive prices, a lot cheaper than outdoor sports stores. It never hurts to look around. </p>

[Hector Javkin]

<p>For a time I tried to carry bodies and lenses in a Domke photographer's jacket (no longer available new) with huge pockets, a hood hidden in the collar, and sleeves that zip off to make it a vest in hot weather. I found it uncomfortable when loaded with anything but the lightest gear. Every item swung independently as I moved. I found it much more comfortable to use a shoulder bag for a moderate amount of equipment, or a big Lowepro backpack for a ridiculous amount.</p>

<p>I do use a featherweight travel vest (from Magellan's) for my keys, wallet, etc., plus extra batteries and memory cards, instead of stuffing my pants pockets. It can also carry a point-and-shoot or a tiny mirror-less camera like a Panasonic GM5 with a small lens.</p>

<p> </p>

[kerry_grim]

L.L. Bean Traveler Vest:

 

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63716?feat=vest-SR0&page=l-l-bean-traveler-vest

 

I searched for months and months for a decent vest and found little but cheaply made Chinese vests.

Some looked designed well but poorly made, did not hold up well. Cabela's has many, I live near their

store and they have crap. Custom made vests are overly expensive and (at least for my purposes)

unnecessary.

 

So I found this vest at $100 at Beans and exactly what I was looking for. More expensive than China manufactured

vests. it is made in Vietnam but extremely well. I have used it almost daily for a year and it has held up

perfectly. A few zippered pockets and others with buttons. It looks like it has gone up $19 since last year,

but I would buy another in a heartbeat.

[WAngell]

<p>Thanks all. One thing we were warned about is absolutely no camo allowed. Solid khaki or light olive strongly recommended and ideally light fast drying tech fabric.</p>

<p>I'm a strong believer in KISS though might be difficult to believe when looking in my bags. I'll likely carry two bodies one with 70-200 and another with either 200-400 or 80-400 (or 300/f2.8). My son similar. Any other lenses will likely be swapped out of the bag so pockets will be for lens caps, filters, TC, air, </p>

<p>I have one of the Domke vests and similar experience. Here I'd think it also hot and sweaty as well. The fewer pockets I can get away with the better and I generally prefer them in my pants except for maybe a breast pocket for a lens cap. I'm guessing that 90% of the time or more we'd be in the jeep or right beside it but not sure so hoping to gain from others experience. My son use to be a great assistant but then he became a better photog than me.</p>

[Gup]

<p>Tilley Endurables are a Canadian institution. The legend began with their hats and has expanded to include all kinds of travel apparel for men or women. I've seen it being worn the world over. All designed with travel in mind. The hats even have an insurance policy against loss. Hidden pockets, fast drying fabrics, underwear and durability.<br>

http://www.tilley.com/canada_en/men/jackets-vests</p>

[bob_flood1]

<p>Another source for a quality vest is Orvis, a longstanding company that specializes in flyfishing gear. One warning about fishing vests - most are made for a person wading into the water, and the vests are rather short to keep them out of the water. Most fall short of the waistline.</p>

<p>If a short vest is OK with you, Orvis has mesh types that won't be too hot and that are reasonably priced for the quality. They also make a waist length vest for a bit more that I expect will be good high quality, but it looks to be warmer than a mesh type.</p>

<p>The vests use zippers rather than Velcro closures, and I greatly prefer that - ripping open a Velcro pocket can make enough noise to spook animals and spoil a shooting opportunity.</p>

[Mary Doo]

<p>The lenses you use at Serengeti are generally too big to place into the vest pockets. Basically I used my vest to store batteries, cards, and microfiber cloths + TC's if they are not already on the lenses, plus money (I carried $1 bills for tipping) and IDs at the top zipped pockets. The vest seemed optional, but good to have as an additional layer.</p>

[kerry_grim]

Here is another vest, targeted toward bird watching, but lots of pockets.

 

http://www.bigpockets.com/catalog/big-pockets-equatorial-vest

 

When searching last year for a vest, I had noticed the number of vests on the B&H website decreased

substantially.

[Jochen_S]

<p>I have no experience with the weather there. - before I'd spend fortunes on vests I'd get either something like<br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.de/gp/switch-language/product/B005MM2DK6/ref=cs_switchlang?ie=UTF8&language=en_GB">http://www.amazon.de/gp/switch-language/product/B005MM2DK6/ref=cs_switchlang?ie=UTF8&language=en_GB </a><br>

30% cotton by an established German workwear brand whose products really satisfied me so far. The pricepoint of 30Euro is a bit less convenient, but should still allow buying two, to occasionally look like a human being besides khaki's tendency to attract coffee spills and ketchup stains by super natural means. <br>

Or I'd go for the cheapest I could find in local clothes shops selling out Chinese stuff. - My regular work clothes are 15 Euro or less per piece.</p>

[joseph_smith3]

<p>I have been to the Serengeti and to Botswana. Regarding shirts, i recommend long sleeve over short sleeve to protect you from sun and insects. I prefer all cotton or a cotton blend. I like shirts sold by LL Bean and Duluth Trading, especially their freedom of movement offerings and their lightweight all cotton shirts. All have good sized pockets and are roomy. <br>

I think a vest will be too hot unless you know the weather will be cool when you are there. <br>

For the Serengeti, the only thing I would have in my pocket would be a spare battery, memory cards and a neutral density or a polarizer filter. The rest of your gear goes in your bag which should be kept zippered to protect things from falling out and getting lost. The bag is usually on the seat next to you if you are on a photo safari with one row per photographer in the vehicle. If you are with more people, then you may need another plan. <br>

I use a Black Rapid shoulder strap to hold my second camera and lens combo, usually a camera and a 70-200mm. The strap keeps it from bouncing onto the floor. My 500mm on my other camera is in my lap. I carry dry bags or covers to keep dust off of them. <br>

Pants should be roomy and comfortable with long legs so you can tuck them into your socks to keep bugs from crawling up your legs if needed. I like models from LL Bean and REI. <br>

Joe </p>

[nick_baker]

<p>I have found these pants excellent for tropical wear. Very lightweight, comfortable, dry out in no time. They have a few pockets. http://www.prana.com/stretch-zion-convertible.html?color=darkkhaki</p>

[iambaxter]

<p>If you want high quality that will last then you are going to pay for it. If you are looking for something that only has to last for one trip then you could get away with lower priced and lower quality products. If you are looking for great quality that will last the rest of your life and comes with a guarantee then you will have to pay the higher price. About the best quality product with a guarantee you can get is "Tilley" I have yet to find anything that beat the quality and the only product with a guarantee. Yes the stuff is pricey but you are getting top quality and a great guarantee.<br>

http://www.tilley.com/us_en/tilley-guarantee<br>

The prices on their web site are in Canadian dollars so if you are ordering from the states the price in US dollars will be lower.</p>