I ran across this topic on another forum and thought I'd post it here to see what you all thought. You are giving advice to a first time African hunter. From rifle brand, action type, caliber, bullets, scopes, rangefinders, binoculars, boots, gun cases, knives, carry on bags, digital cameras or any other equipment that you feel is proven rock solid over the years.

Great question.

Spat's. If you go with short pants or sometimes with long pants the seeds that get in your socks can immobilize you quickly.

Scopes,
high end - Schmidt & Bender
Value - Leupold

Cartridges,
general plains game - 30-06
all rounder, including dg - 375H&H

Bullets, Ammo
Federal Trophy bonded, 180gr for 30-06, 300gr for 375H&H
Woodleigh 300gr solid for 375H&H

Range finder,
I really like a small Nikon, can't recall the model #, but small, light and easy to use (but I don't use one in the African hunting I have done, in the bushveld, where range isn't much of an issue, might in wide open spaces like some of Namibia, etc)

Binos,
Leica

JPK

AR Board!
If someone asked my advice (probably not the best thing to do because of my limited experience).

I would recommend AR Board here and the search function. Then post questions to fill in specific on questions.

The wide range of experience of this knowledge base and the willingness of people to share
is incredible.
Everything from the history of various Guns,Game, Cartridges, Past (famous) Hunters, Countries history to current conditions, where to find items& equipmenet to Craftsmen (Smiths), PHs and Outfitters and more.

I really do feel that AR Board is a unique resource. There are others but I think this one is unique.

Allen

You can't go wrong with

.375 H&Hs
9,3x74Rs
.338 Win Mags
Nosler Partitions
TBBCs
Seroquel to sleep on the plane
Carhartt
Kershaw knives
Wilderness tactical belts
A copy of TSA regs and Delta/United/SAA flight schedules
Leatherman
Nikon
Uncle Mike's ammo holders (the drop-down, velcro ones)
Leupold
$ 100 bills
Percocet
Duct tape
Traveler's checks
Absolut
Neosporin
#4 Buckshot
Garmin GPS
Jack Daniel's #7
One good credit card
$ 1 bills
Extra 4457s
Color copies of your passport
and a good redhead

Money,the more the better. It can take care of all the rest.

LRH270:
Request best source for last item on your list.

quote:

Originally posted by LRH270:
You can't go wrong with

.375 H&Hs
9,3x74Rs
.338 Win Mags
Nosler Partitions
TBBCs
Seroquel to sleep on the plane
Carhartt
Kershaw knives
Wilderness tactical belts
A copy of TSA regs and Delta/United/SAA flight schedules
Leatherman
Nikon
Uncle Mike's ammo holders (the drop-down, velcro ones)
Leupold
$ 100 bills
Percocet
Duct tape
Traveler's checks
Absolut
Neosporin
#4 Buckshot
Garmin GPS
Jack Daniel's #7
One good credit card
$ 1 bills
Extra 4457s
Color copies of your passport
and a good redhead

To quote Slim Pickens . . . "Shoot, a feller could have a purty good weekend in Vegas with alla that stuff."

Rifle Brand/Action Type: Anything built off a Mauser based action – that would be CRF with a claw extractor. Not that other action types aren't perfectly fine, but the Mauser system has been there and done that over and over and over and continues to prove its validity in the hunting world.

Caliber: 458, 375, 9.3x62, 30-06.

Bullets: Woodleigh, Nosler, Barnes, pick one and go.

Scopes: For value, nothing beats a Leupold. That just is. Are there better scopes? Yes. Is there true need for anything better? Probably not. But if you just have to part with the extra cash, drop some money on anything in the Swarovski line-up.

Rangefinders: Leica. Hands down the best deal/quality going.

Binoculars: Swarovski. If you can’t see it with a set of Swaro’s – you probably don’t need to be shooting at it.

Boots: Anything that is comfortable that FITS your foot that you can walk in all day without developing blisters. You can buy the custom made Russell Boots if you wish and they may be great, they may be shit. It is a roll of the dice, just as buying a $60.00 pair of off the rack whatever’s is. Personally, I like Courteney’s. They just work for me. I wear them almost everyday, hunting or not.

Gun cases: Red Ox, Cabela’s or Boyt (same difference), Filson, Murry (for leather).

Knives: Bob Dozier, because you get what you pay for when it comes to quality knives. His aren’t pretty, but they get the job done. And a Wenger multitool with pliers and such.

Carry on bags: I hate to say it, but Red Ox is damned hard to beat. Filson is also near indestructible.

Digital cameras: Sony.

Any other equipment: GPS, Garmin Etrex will do it. Ambian for sleeping on the plane. Texas Hunt Co PH Utility Belt and Ammo Holders, a Camelback (the smallest one you can find). Duct Tape. Tag Safari clothing. Etc, etc, etc.

Sleeping Indian bomber style wool hat http://www.woolcamo.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=h-30

quote:

To quote Slim Pickens . . . "Shoot, a feller could have a purty good weekend in Vegas with alla that stuff."

And we often do

quote:

Scopes,
high end - Schmidt & Bender
Value - Leupold

Wow. Anybody who considers Leupold to be a "value" line of scopes has more money that I ever will.

Helimot Leathers, Metzler Tires, Sidi Vertabrates, 35w HID's...

Oh wait, wrong forum!

CamelBak hydration.
Leatherman.
3.5" S30V Buck Vanguard.
Diamond Sharpening Stone.
6-9 slot Stock-mount elastic shell holder.
Leupold VXIII 2.5-8x
NorthFace, Marmot, M-Hardware 2-3 layer GoreTex Windbreaker.
SPOT PLB.
A GOOD Belt.

Leupold has never let me down. Leica binos and spotter. Canon photo equipment. Dr.C

LRH270, this is the actual Major T.J. Kong Survival Kit contents check from the film Dr. Strangelove. Slim Pickens, playing the major, read this to his crew while running low on fuel in his B52 on a nuclear bombing run over the northern Soviet Union:

"In them you will find:

1. One .45 caliber automatic.
2. Two boxes of ammunition.
3. Four days concentrated emergency rations.
4. One drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills.
5. One miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible.
6. One hundred dollars in cash.
7. One hundred dollars in rubles.
8. Nine packs of chewing gum.
9. One issue of prophylactics.
10. Three lipsticks.
11. Three pairs of nylon stockings.

Shoot, a feller could have a purty good weekend in Vegas with alla that stuff . . . ."

Substitute Swahili for Russian, and TZ shillings for rubles, and you'd be in purty good shape on safari in Tanzania too.

Gaiters for your boots.

Leica Geovid binos/Leica compacts.

Surefire flashlights.

BladeTech folders.

Red Oxx bags.

US dollars.......or Euros.

Not experienced enough to recommend rifles or ammo, but hard traveled for field work and would add to the list:

Three inch, three blade Buck stockman knife. The same one has been in my pocket for thirty-two years in three continents to go with the Leatherman. You can repair almost anything from trucks to helicopters with them and electical tape and a couple pieces of wire.

Smartwool socks to go between your feet and those well broken in shoes, and moleskin for the day after you didn't wear them.

Ciprol antibiotic for those things that didn't ail you when you were at home.

And another vote for Ambian, the cure for the uncommonly small, hard, torturous airliner recliner.

Another old traveling companion, Kahles 10x40's heavy, but clear and you can see in the dark.

Finally, a mini first aid kit that is the size and shape of your wallet, so it fits and stays in you hip pocket with aspirin(4 tablets), 4 anitacid tablets(rollaids or tums), antidiarhea meds(4 tablets), bandaids(2 medium 2 large), tape wrapped around the box, moleskin (6 square inches), antiseptic(very small tube), gauze(two three by three pads), and a one day supply of each medicine you take daily because you will forget to take it.

Bfly

Good torch... Mag Lite or Led Lensor and Petzl head lamp.

as long as i have my 375 im fine the rest i can organize or go without

Mr. Lexma --

I know the movie well...."When this is all over, you're gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company."

Prof 242:

Something like

As long as she doesn't mind the hippos grumbling all night.

That and, (seriously), the ubiquitous Swiss Army knife...

Lest the inexperienced think that the equipment recommendations above are the equivalent to "these never fail" I have to add a caveat: they tend to be the most reliable.

Everything and anything can fail to function at some point. If the rifle doesn't feed correctly with the chosen ammo, then it won't matter what make or model it is. So my recommendation is: 1) pick a caliber you know you can handle (from 300 winmag to .375 H&H ought to serve most of your needs), pick a factory ammo with a good bullet in it (Nosler Partitions, Barnes, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw), buy a rifle with a Mauser type claw extractor (like a Winchester Model 70 Classic or CZ 550) and take the rifle and the ammo to a good smith and have him verify that it feeds FLAWLESSLY and have him mount the scope of your choice, low power scopes are better in my opinion. Take some good comfortable boots.

Most of the other things are are nice to have but since I've been on several hunts with none of them they aren't really essential in the African context.

I came back to edit my post. If you bring the item suggested by LRH270 you will have a great plan B in the event that something goes wrong with the rest of your gear.

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:
Lest the inexperienced think that the equipment recommendations above are the equivalent to "these never fail" I have to add a caveat: they tend to be the most reliable.

Everything and anything can fail to function at some point. If the rifle doesn't feed correctly with the chosen ammo, then it won't matter what make or model it is. So my recommendation is: 1) pick a caliber you know you can handle (from 300 winmag to .375 H&H ought to serve most of your needs), pick a factory ammo with a good bullet in it (Nosler Partitions, Barnes, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw), buy a rifle with a Mauser type claw extractor (like a Winchester Model 70 Classic or CZ 550) and take the rifle and the ammo to a good smith and have him verify that it feeds FLAWLESSLY and have him mount the scope of your choice, low power scopes are better in my opinion. Take some good comfortable boots.

Most of the other things are are nice to have but since I've been on several hunts with none of them they aren't really essential in the African context.

Sensible advice. I add : remove any oil from the gun by pouring into it ether, otherwise dust and sand might have your rifle jam. If You hunt close to Victoria falls or equatorial forest, keep daily your rifle oiled and cleaned.
Your rifle mount should be flawless : my preference the strong and foolproof EAW pivot mount.

Always take a pair of Gaitors least your ankles will be a pair of infested sores...unless you don't wear socks like many Africans do, but in Tanzania the Tetsi fly will eat your feet off if you don't wear socks and gaitors...

don't wear the shirts that have mesh in the back and in the armpits, the Tetsi love those and will make a bite design on your back and armpits...I don't know who designs these Safari clothes but should I ever run across I shall maim him for life!

I think I will go with LRH270. I had one of those red heads for several years long ago and it sure was fun but expensive. Got me into lots of trouble before all was said and done. It would be a safari to never be forgotten even at my age!
Good equipment is good equipment.

Harry --

Sounds like my experience exactly!

LHR270, I wondered who would be the first to post it.

Sprig

Things not mentioned:

Wax cotton hunting coat; good for those cold morns anywhere and six inches of snow in the Winterberg.

Large brimmed hat (wool for cold weather hunting and cotton boonie sytle for warm weather)

Army surplus wool and cotton sweater, light weight and vents well.

Woolrich wool hunting shirt worn has shirt jacket and layered when really cold.

US Army wool mittens and soft wool scarf.

Cabela hunting pants (double seat) about three inches longer than you need so they hang down to your shoes when your leg is bent seated to keep the flys out. Dark brown or green.

Silk long johns when it is really cold.

Wool hunting pants when it is really cold.

Gaiters-good for burrs and flys. You can't mention this item enough. REI makes a great pair-short length nylon.

Cotton bandanas-at least four.

Only mentioned once above but needs another plug-Camelbak canteen/pack. A necessity for a hard day running after elephant or buffalo.

Small pouch (I use the US Army mag pouch) with a leatherman, led flashlight, gas cigarette lighter, first aid items including mole skin, sudafed, lomotil, tylenol, bactoban, bandaids, twizzers, toilette paper, camo/bug netting head cover, two or three extra rounds, and eyeglass repair kit.

Hand cleanser-small bottle in pocket and larger in pouch.

Deer skin work/garden gloves.

Avon skin so soft bug juice w/ sun block.

Fuji 5200 cameras and sony hi-8 video cameras.

Swiss Army knife with cork screw.

Cabela's two gun, roller gun case.

Samsonite large roller duffel.

Weaver 2.5 and 4 power scopes on hard kicking rifles. Even had a 1-3V that was good. (I've never had one go south on me.)

Universal battery charger than lets you use camp power or cigarette lighter in truck to recharge AA and AAA batteries. (Try and standardize all you gear to AA to simplify issues.) Carry at least 12 rechargeable AA's (my camera takes four) and my flash light two.

Surefire flash light (in addition to the led).

Kudude

Thanks for the replies everyone! I love this question and I love the answers even more. Great advice from everyone!
Take care and good hunting!

jfm

One rifle

One Big Assed Cartridge Belt filled with ammo of a suitable calibre

One credit card

quote:

Originally posted by prof242:
LRH270:
Request best source for last item on your list.

Request Why was this the LAST ITEM on the LIST?

A few things I like: LL Bean adventure duffels, smartwool socks, Costa Del Mar sunglasses, leica binos, new balance tennis shoes, pre-64 Winchesters

And a couple of those wet-wipes that typically the airlines normally hand out. They are ideal for wiping off hands after getting bloodied, or a dusty neck and face. And a couple fit in your pocket with no problem.
Ray, when you find that shirt designer I want second round.