Tips For Women On An African Safari Hunting Adventure

There are a couple of things to remember as a woman to make your African safari hunting trip truly memorable and pleasant. Your whole African hunting adventure can get very unpleasant very quickly if you haven’t packed or prepared for the unknown. 

So, as a woman with a fair amount of hunting safaris under my belt, here are some of my guidelines and suggestions to help prepare you for “the great unknown” when hunting in Africa.

These guidelines include arbitrary conveniences. Still, these conveniences will not be quickly available when you’re in the middle of the bush and reasonably far from civilization on your African hunt.

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African Safari Hunting Adventure Tips: Hair & Body Care

• The first thing to remember is that hunting lodges in Africa have electricity, but more often than not, it is provided by generators or solar power.
• So, your African outfitter will not generally provide hairdryers, and they will not have any other heat-type hairstyling equipment that requires electricity. This usually discourages you from using these appliances as it drains the solar or the batteries.
• While it could be a consideration to pack your own hairdryer, it is vital to bear in mind that in most cases, the power supply is reliant on solar power, so you may not get the opportunity to use them, so it’s at your discretion then. Secondly, when it comes to hair care, all lodges will supply liquid soap, and they might even provide bottles labeled as shampoo.
• However, it is not necessarily of the highest quality, so it is preferable to bring your own shampoo. Conditioner will definitely not be supplied, and you must get your own conditioner.
• Sticking on the topic of hair, unless you want to tie your hair up with cable ties (of which there will be an abundant supply), you will want to make sure you pack in hair elastics.
• All African outfitters, as I said, will supply liquid soap. However, you never want to be caught without ordinary soap, so it’s another good item to include. I’ve only had one trip in the many hunts I’ve been on, in many different countries where there was no soap supplied. It threw a spanner in the works; however, I just used the shampoo I had packed in. However, it’s always good to pack in a bar of soap (especially if you have an expensive shampoo that you would preferably not have to use as a body wash).

African Safari Hunting Adventure Tips: Protect Your Skin On Your African Hunt

• Moisturizer and sunblock are vital! If you combine a moisturizer that includes an SPF of above 30, that would be acceptable. However, I prefer a moisturizer with an SPF and apply sunblock afterward.
• The African sun is a different beast, and you will only realize that when you experience it during your Africa safari hunting trip – hopefully not by being burnt to a crisp, though!
• The African sun is harsh and is different from elsewhere in the world. As women, we want to protect our skin and prevent blistering, so we need a moisturizer with SPF and sunblock. If you plan to wear make-up, that is also fine with your sunblock.
• One important tip when applying sunblock is not to use it on your forehead. What is the reason? When you sweat (and you will sweat!), it will run down and most likely end up in your eyes. It stings like nothing you’ve ever experienced, and you struggle to get it out of your eyes. They will burn for a long time, and your eyes will go all red and puffy.
• Hunting in Africa has its challenges, and a noteworthy one is the sun. Apart from the moisturizer and sunblock, it would help if you had a wide-brimmed hat packed in. A cap will do a half job and will not protect your ears or neck. Besides, wide-brimmed hats have a certain “Out of Africa” feel that is quite stylish!
• Sunstroke is a genuine concern when you are out in the bush on your game hunting safari, so along with the above, you will want to carry water with you. Your hunting lodges in Africa generally have ample bottled water, and it is best to stick with this for drinking. Depending on where your camp is situated, the water from the taps might come out of a reservoir or the local river, which would not be suitable for drinking.

African Safari Hunting Adventure Tips: Bouncing Body Bits

Pack those sports bras! All jokes aside, the roads are often rocky and extremely bumpy. If you are out on a vehicle glassing for the game, you will need proper support; you don’t want to be uncomfortable with the girls bouncing around like footballs during your hunting trip!

African Safari Hunting Adventure Tips: Critters!

There are quite a few critters that you may encounter while hunting in Africa. Some are scary, some are annoying, and some are just plain ugly, but they all need a plan to deal with them.

Annoying Creatures On Your Game Hunting Safari: Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes can make your game hunting trip quite unbearable because there is nothing worse than being itchy all the time. I strongly recommend packing in a good mosquito and bug repellent, as well as antihistamines (and possibly even an EpiPen if you have a known severe allergic reaction or there is the possibility that you will have a severe allergic reaction).

Mosquitoes can transmit yellow fever, west Nile virus, and malaria, so you need to check with your healthcare provider to ensure that you have the necessary vaccinations before you travel. Your doctor should also prescribe malaria tablets if you are going to the malaria area.

It is best to check with your African outfitter if you will be in a malaria-prone area before traveling. You will need to check for flu-like symptoms once you leave; symptoms generally present themselves 7-10 days after you’ve been bitten, so look out for flu-like symptoms. But it is best to avoid them altogether, so cover yourself by liberally applying a mosquito repellent (spray or cream). In the worst-case scenario, if you forget to pack, a “Peaceful Sleep” product works effectively and will be available at a local store as you leave the airport.

Hunting in Africa: Snakes, spiders, and ticks, oh my!

• Concerning critters, check your toilet (bowl, under the seat, and if you can, behind the cistern) before you plop yourself down. The water in the toilet will (and does) attract some interesting and primarily nasty critters like snakes, scorpions, spiders, lizards, and other bugs, which are quite normal to see while hunting in Africa.
• While not all bugs are harmful, being bitten or stung by something on your nether regions would bring your hunting adventure to a near-grinding halt or end it altogether.
• Ticks are the next critter on the list. While ticks are around all year, they are less prevalent in the hunting season (usually winter); however, they will still be out and about, and it’s best to be prepared for them.
• While there are many lotions and potions that you can spray and apply to dissuade them from attaching themselves to you, I have found in my years of game hunting adventures that the best possible way of avoiding ticks is to smother yourself with body butter (preferably the one from “The Body Shop” specifically for dry skin and non-scented) as it leaves a slight (but not excessive!) oily residue on your skin and the ticks seem to struggle to attach to your skin through this residue.
• Alternatively, a type of tissue oil that would also leave an oily residue makes it less likely for ticks to attach themselves to you.

African Safari Hunting Adventure Tips: Those Boots Were Made For Walking, But Check Them First…

Note To Self: Don’t leave home without your hunting boots…but more importantly, knock out your boots in the morning before putting them on.

You never can tell what might have crawled into them during the night. I have heard stories (around the campfire at night) of hunters putting shoes on in the morning without shaking them out, only to be bitten on the big toe, usually by a spider or stung by a scorpion.

This brings me to another point: this is an optional item, but it can seriously add value to your hunting trip. A “black light “or ultraviolet torch because scorpions glow under ultraviolet light!

Some spiders also glow under black light. Depending on which region you are hunting in, it may be worthwhile to take a night drive with your torch to see how many you can see.

African Safari Hunting Adventure Tips: Nails

If you have false or acrylic nails, removing them or ensuring they are nice and short is best. You will not find any nail technicians when you are out in the bush. Some hunting lodges in Africa have beauty salons, beauticians, and nail technicians who can fix nails if you break them, but it will be the exception and not the rule. It is best to rely on something other than this; having shorter nails would be better. Being out in the bush, they will likely get dirty anyway!

African Safari Hunting Adventure Tips: Razors & Feminine Hygiene

Razors are a must! Make sure you pack them; there’s nothing worse than hairy legs when you’re wearing shorts! But on a serious note, razors are not supplied, so you would need to pack them.

I speak from personal experience that always take them no matter where you are in your cycle or where you will be in your cycle when you plan to travel. I had one high adrenaline dangerous game hunt and out of nowhere I needed my products. And this sometimes happens with extreme excitement. It can influence your cycle, so feminine hygiene products are a must.

In the bush, you will not have access to them again, mainly because it is a male-dominated or prevalent market, and they don’t cater to it. Your hunting lodge in Africa will not be near any local shops, so it’s essential to pack sufficient tampons and pads because it’ll be a mission to try and get them if you don’t have them.

African Safari Hunting Adventure Tips: Medication & Antibiotics

• When you are out on a game hunting safari, you will need to become accustomed to stopping now and again in the bush to make a bathroom stop; ironically, there aren’t any bathrooms, so you will have to go behind a tree.
• It is vital to remember that unless you are a botanist (and therefore know for sure which leaves can be used), take some “white gold” (toilet paper) with you when you go out on a game hunting safari. You don’t want to get back to your tracker, PH, or the vehicle after making a non-bathroom stop, missing a sock or a shirt sleeve; trust me on this; I know from personal experience!!!
• Now, many of us ladies tend to hold on until the absolute last minute to avoid having to “go” behind a tree and hope we can use the bathroom back at the lodge instead. However, going behind a tree is usually inevitable!
• This “holding on to the last minute” sometimes has unintended consequences and can contribute to developing a bladder infection. I recommend you chat with your doctor before traveling and include antibiotics for a urinary tract infection. It can be most unpleasant if you are stuck in the bush without quick access to any medication to help with this problem. Murphey’s law also works like that: if you pack the antibiotics, you won’t need them. However, if you don’t pack them in, you will definitely need them!
• Arrange the antibiotics and have them with you. If needed, you can sort it out and be good as new in a minimal amount of time.

Speaking of medications, and again bearing your mind where you will be and what you will have access to (or more specifically, what you will not have quick access to), it would be prudent to get antibiotics for a thrush or yeast infection, too. Again, this can turn your dream African hunt into a nightmare, so it’s best to be prepared for all eventualities.

African Safari Hunting Adventure Tips: Pack Your Bathing Suit

And then last but not least, pack your bathing suit, it might be unnecessary as not all places have swimming pools or swimming facilities. If you are hippo hunting or hunting crocodiles, you can’t dip in the rivers!! But it is always hot during the day, even in winter, and a swim might be nice if there is an opportunity.

Tried & Tested Tips when Packing For An African Hunting Safari

So, the above are general guidelines; they are things that we won’t or don’t necessarily think of packing and preparing for.

These are based on my experiences and are targeted specifically at us ladies going into deep, dark Africa for an African hunting adventure. These guidelines will make your trip pleasant and avoid unnecessary embarrassment or irritation. 

Author: T. van Wyk