For better or worse, I'm going bongo hunting in 6 days.

For those that have done it, what are the must haves for the rainforest.

I already have my two pairs of Chuck Taylors, Shockey-style gaiters, rip stop clothing, ball powder, and double the ordinary supply of socks and drawers, but what are the other things I'll need to be "comfortable" when wet and hot for two weeks.

Thanks,

Best of luck Will!

Best of luck

Wish I had bongo experience to make a recommendation. LDE and Bongo are bucket list for me. Can't wait to read your report. Best of luck Will!

Have fun!

Extra mosquito net
Deet
Antibiotic crème
Antibiotics - Prescription

Who are you hunting with Will? Make a list of what you did take and what you should have, Jines and I follow you next April and can learn from your experiences...

Have a great safari!

wow, Bongo, good luck, I know you have been a lot of safari's but this will be a big one

Cant wait for the report!!

this is the only thing I could think of that might help living in a sauna for two weeks

http://www.antimonkeybutt.com/

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
For better or worse, I'm going bongo hunting in 6 days.

For those that have done it, what are the must haves for the rainforest.

I already have my two pairs of Chuck Taylors, Shockey-style gaiters, rip stop clothing, ball powder, and double the ordinary supply of socks and drawers, but what are the other things I'll need to be "comfortable" when wet and hot for two weeks.

Thanks,

Hi Will,

So excited for you! When I was with Mike Fell in CAR, we would walk through that stuff and I would get all tangled up in those damn vines. Made me feel like a complete newbie. I would have loved to have a small set of dikes. very small. If my rifle wasn't getting tangled, my hat was getting jerked off my head. If it wasn't my hat, my shoes were stuck.

All the while the trackers moved smoothly and silently like a well greased snake.

Your hunt is different than mine (I think) but I froze my ass off sitting n a machan

Good luck and your success will be on my mind.

Steve

'Shouldn't be anything a 'Bama boy can't handle. Good hunting.

Will, send a note to or call John Barth (Adventure Unlimited; john@ausafari.com) and ask him to share his Cameroon rainforest list with you. He has not given it to Russell and I yet but he mentioned it to us at DSC. Apparently, it includes some items that would not normally occur to me, like a small pair of garden snips. Good luck.

A good pair of pruning shears. That will help u alot. Keep your sleeves rolled down. The vicoro will get you. Its the thorny vines the Bongos like to bed down in.....

I've been told "hand clippers" are advantageous! Interesting tool to carry, but makes sense!

A dream hunt!!!

Best regards, D. Nelson

Beau and I are booked with Faro Lobeke in late June 2017 for Bongo and Forest Elephant, etc. Following is gear we expect to take:

Garden shears with holster
LS shirts (5) OD
Long pants (5) OD
Socks (5)
Underwear (5)
Boonie hats (3)
Insect repellent
Jungle boots (2)
Clear lens safety glasses
High Gaiters (2) Non-gortex
Leather gloves (2)
Personal medical kit w/prescriptions and anti-malarial meds
Headnet
Headlamp and flashlight w/spare batteries
Ziplock bags
Shorts & T-shirts for camp
Sandals or shoes for camp

Add or subtract as you see fit.

If hunting the rainforest you won't be out in the sun, but you will be wet everyday - hopefully. It's been 50 years since I was in tropical rainforest, but one doesn't forget the experience.

Best of luck and a report will be appreciated.

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
For better or worse, I'm going bongo hunting in 6 days.

For those that have done it, what are the must haves for the rainforest.

I already have my two pairs of Chuck Taylors, Shockey-style gaiters, rip stop clothing, ball powder, and double the ordinary supply of socks and drawers, but what are the other things I'll need to be "comfortable" when wet and hot for two weeks.

Thanks,

Get a prescription for Oxistat. It's a cream that is fantastic for crotch rot.

Take a set of pruning shears - the hand held type. You will need these in the hike in the vines. My wife and I both used them continuously.

Have fun. Bongo hunting is a rush.....

quote:

Originally posted by D. Nelson:
I've been told "hand clippers" are advantageous! Interesting tool to carry, but makes sense!

A dream hunt!!!

Best regards, D. Nelson

What D said!!! they are a must....

I also used duct tape around my pants legs at the top of my sneakers to keep the ants out. It looked funny but worked.

.
Have hunted forest albeit not rain forest. I found a hat to be a pain in the rear as it kept getting swept off my head or snagged and dragged in the forest. I left it in the tent on day 2 ....

.

Haven't been into the forests (yet) but my grandfather did some surveys on dwarf crocodiles there and also investigated a disease outbreak in bongo in the early '90s.

What sticks in my mind from his tales are the bees. They are apparently attracted to blood from scratches, sweat, and any time a carcass is opened. So be prepared to get stuck by Africa's feared 'killer bees'! Antihistamines highly recommended!

quote:

Originally posted by Charlie64:

Have hunted forest albeit not rain forest. I found a hat to be a pain in the rear as it kept getting swept off my head or snagged and dragged in the forest. I left it in the tent on day 2 ....

Russell and I are planning to wear berets.

Good luck Will... what an adventure!

Good hunting, Will!

Hope to see what you have to say when you get back as I am doing this next June as well.

Thanks all.

Most of these things - snips, tape, clear or low tint glasses, etc - were already on my list.

What I keep hearing is cover as much skin as you can (even in camp), don't wear a hat that will be continually knocked off, and bring nothing made from leather as it just rots.

Whatever I encounter, it will be vastly different that what I experienced in Lord Derby country two months ago.

me as extra luggage.

Can't comment on what to bring, but look forward to pictures when you return. Bongo is on my top 5 list - very envious. Good luck my friend!

Forget about bees, mosquits and focus on ants! Ducktape. Put your socks over your trousersand ducktape them. Your shirt and buttonsduct tape. And it is a must leather gloves. Boots that dry quickly. AND what tenis players wear on their wrists for sweat. Dont know the name in englih. If you wear glasses do yake something to avoid them fogging! Clippers fir vines. Salt tablets or gatorade tablets to avoid dehydratation.
Good luck and one of my favorite in the world

Not a jungle expert at all. But you mentioned covering as much skin as possible. I do quite a bit of mountaineering, and I swear by my Buff.

https://www.rei.com/product/73...h-uv-protection-buff

Contrary to perception, it can be very very hot on glaciers. The buff is thin and can be configured so that it totally covers ears, nose, chin, etc. After getting a sunburn on Mount Shasta on the roof of my mouth due to reflecting UV rays, I never hit the glacier without it. It is form fitting enough that it may help with bugs. not sure if they could bite through it or not.

Sounds like a fantastic hunt, looking forward to the report

Lionhunter; care to share what brand jungle boots you hunt in?

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
Thanks all.

Most of these things - snips, tape, clear or low tint glasses, etc - were already on my list.

What I keep hearing is cover as much skin as you can (even in camp), don't wear a hat that will be continually knocked off, and bring nothing made from leather as it just rots.

Whatever I encounter, it will be vastly different that what I experienced in Lord Derby country two months ago.

HI Will

Looking forward to seeing you there in a few days.
All things mentioned are are good.
One thing that I cant remember if it was on our list we sent you is a head net. Have heard that there has not been a lot of rain again this year so far. LAst year was the same and the Mopane Flies where more annoying then usual. they not bad while we are walking around in the forest but once the bongo is down and we skinning it they can get annoying. so would be good to keep one in your pocket for after the pictures.

Anyway have a safe flight and see you in Douala.

Regards

Jacques Meyer

Bring a bong
That'll make you forget all the problems with Bongo hunting :-)

quote:

Originally posted by GBE:
Sounds like a fantastic hunt, looking forward to the report

Lionhunter; care to share what brand jungle boots you hunt in?

Just back from Mexico. Hot and humid.

There are a number of tactical desert/jungle boots now available by many makers that are extremely lightweight and approved by the U.S. military. I am currently trying the Nike jungle boots with the vents like the old Vietnam Jungle boots but much lighter weight. The vents allow hot air to pump out of the boots, keeping the foot cooler, although water may enter if wading streams. Carry a second pair of dry socks in a zip-lock bag. I cannot wear the Converse basketball canvas shoes as they simply do not provide enough support. No Gortex!

Hope this helps.

Binoculars for Bongo.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
Binoculars for Bongo.

especially for all those hours spent glassing across the big open plains....

And the higher power binos the better!

Having now completed the hunt, these are the must haves (IMHO):

RIPSTOP LONG pants x4
RIPSTOP LONG SLEEVE shirts x4
Moisture wicking undershirt x6
Moisture wicking underwear x6
SMARTWOOL socks x6
Chuck Taylors x2 pairs Light, dries fast, not heavy when wet.
A head cover that is not a hat
Wristbands and Headband
Foot and ball powder
Bandanas x4 (perfect head cover)
HEADNET x2
Above the calf gaiters (like Shockey wears everywhere) - GAMECHANGER
Gloves - I used two pair of Gorilla Grip that were a fitted synthetic glove with rubberized palms. Light, cool and $5 per pair at your local hardware store.
Battery powered fan
Chilly pads
Waterproof case or dry bag for sensitive electronics
Duct tape (optional, but it's a nice, extra bit of security against something going up your pants leg)
CAMELBAK. This is a MUST, MUST, MUST HAVE. Not one with lots of pockets and straps that hang on everything. A minimalist pack like the Sabre.
Lots of G2, Propel or similar drink mix for rehydration.
Flashlight
Camp clothes, flip flops.

What you don't need:
Personal set of garden shears (by the time you stop and cut something, the pygmys are gone . . . let them cut)
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Typical African gun belt.
Knife.
Binos.
A big scope . . . 1.5 x is plenty of magnification
Lots of bullets . . . I shot the rifle x3 and the shotgun x3
Clear glasses (they just fog up)

Finally, it's a personal preference, but I carry two cameras. While there is not much game to see in the forest, there are lots of unique things that you've never seen before and will never see again. Lots of pictures are in order. I carry two cameras. A big one that rides by me in the car and is carried by a tracker when in the forest and a small one that I keep on my person in a waterproof case. Having two quality cameras along and one always within reach allowed me to capture a great deal of my experience on "film".

And, with regard to fitness, etc. The forest is hot and wet and one should expect lots of ducking under, stepping over, and crawling over and under various obstacles. An hour in the forest is probably two hours in typical African bush. While bongo are often found and bayed within an hour of the roads where there tracks are located, buffalo can and do cover great distances. If you plan to hunt buffalo, you better be ready and fit as 6 to 10 hours in the jungle is exhausting. Bongo and duikers, on the other hand, require some level of fitness, but not nearly as much.

Ok, so where's the report and pics?

I'm five safaris behind on reports, but here's a pic:

What hunt did you like more Bongo or LDE Perfect shape on the horns of that bongo and love the ivory tips!! Congrats

Will that is just an outstanding bongo! Congrats.

That is beautiful! Congratulations and looking forward to the report(s).