Now that Saeed’s latest adventure is done, I’ve been re-looking at the great photos and I’ve noticed a lot of pics with the hunters wearing shorts. I tried wearing shorts on one hunt in Chete and after two days tracking Buffalo my legs looked like a wildcat had worked them over, I don’t do that anymore. How many prefer shorts over long pants and is there a certain reason other than possibly being a bit lighter and cooler?

Zip off pants solve the dilemma. I start off with the legs on when it’s chilly, remove them at lunch break. If the thorns are really thick, I leave the legs on all day. I’m generally willing to trade some leg scratches for cooler pants- up to a point. Also, I can carry 2 pair of pants without carrying 2 long pair of pants and 2 pairs of shorts.A carryon is all I take for a hunt.

I wear pants… I just don’t like my legs getting torn up…
Only reason for shorts is heat…I did go to lighter fabrics that are durable like Kuiu

Pants. No question.

Shorts are for brainless African professional hooligans!

Trousers for those with a bit matter between their ears!

Even trousers cannot protect those who lack this!

I tripped coming back to camp first night, carrying my rifle and ammo and camera bag.

They had a 3 step sort of concrete veranda in front of our main tent.

One of the steps is topped by a log.

I missed the log, and proceeded head first onto the concrete, landing on my right knee and trying to avoid my rifle and the 20 foot drop into the river bank.

Generously lined with thorn trees.

Had big gashes in my right knee which made me hobble along for 3 days!

I think if I was wearing shorts the damage might have been much worse!

I am sorry I was not able to answer any questions while there as time was a bit short trying to do things which are wanted.

Sadly, even my good friend Tony, who I have known for a good many years, refused to walk with me down the river!

I asked him to join me on a bare foot photo safari.

His answer was a very short NO!

Karl
It's full length pants all day every day on a hunt!
If you spend time walking and stalking the African vegetation will remind you who is boss! Besides that, grass seeds and ticks will have less chance to burrow into your socks.
Reminds me of a Namibian hunt I went on. The grass seeds there were a special kind of cruel. They went into your socks, penetrated the skin and broke off some sort of barb in one's flesh. I had oozing sores for a few weeks after that. So no more shorts!

JCHB

Referring to Zim I usually pack both trousers and shorts. I might last up to a couple of days in trousers before changing to shorts which become the daily wear for the remainder of the hunt.
Yep, legs end up getting scratched to hell and covered in grime every day but I guess it's too hard to change old Kiwi habits. Actually I become uncomfortable in trousers in the hottest part of the day and shorts just solve all the issues.

Long, after all I’m a white hunter so burning is not an option

Wearing shorts seems like a tradition / cultural thing among the PHs.

I wear light cotton pants, and I’ve never been too hot. Zero chance I would wear shorts hunting deer or hogs on my farm, so not sure why I would ever choose to wear shorts in Africa.

I've only hunted Africa twice, but I hunt the desert of NM a lot and I always/only wear pants. Way too many things want to bite, stab, scratch or otherwise perforate me to wear shorts.

Timely question as I got back from a safari in the Moyowosi a couple of weeks ago. It was hot, buggy and I insisted on shorts which I usually always wear. Long story short, plenty of cuts and abrasions plus a spider bite on my legs tracking buff in the floodplains and burnt over cover looking for dugga boys. After 34 safaris it seems to have finally caught up with me. I came home and developed an infection in one of the cuts that got me sent to wound care at the local hospital. Not pleasant. Have had a culture done and two different types of strep living there. Antibiotics plus iodine gel to cover the wound daily.

I used to think I was bullet proof but at 66, maybe a couple of pairs of longs aren't such a bad thing. A word to the wise...

Most PHs seem to cope without too much trouble and seldom do they get ants in their pants as well.

I quit wearing shorts when I got old enough to have a vote in the matter!

It is clearly time to post this again, in an effort to prevent anyone from baring their legs in the bush - despite all reason, logic and bloody, fevered experience militating to the contrary.

IMHO, Stewart Edward White had it pretty much just right on this subject (this from "The Land of Footprints," ca. over 100 years ago):

"In passing I would call your attention to "shorts." Shorts are loose, bobbed off khaki breeches, like knee drawers. With them are worn puttees or leather leggings, and low boots. The knees are bare. They are much affected by young Englishmen.

I observed them carefully at every opportunity, and my private opinion is that man has rarely managed to invent as idiotically unfitted a contraption for the purpose in hand. In a country teeming with poisonous insects, ticks, fever-bearing mosquitoes; in a country where vegetation is unusually well armed with thorns, spines and hooks, mostly poisonous; in a country where, oftener than in any other a man is called upon to get down on his hands and knees and crawl a few assorted abrading miles, it would seem an obvious necessity to protect one's bare skin as much as possible.

The only reason given for these astonishing garments is that they are cooler and freer to walk in. That I can believe.

But they allow ticks and other insects to crawl up, mosquitoes to bite, thorns to tear, and assorted troubles to enter. And I can vouch by experience that ordinary breeches are not uncomfortably hot or tight. Indeed, one does not get especially hot in the legs anyway. I noticed that none of the old-time hunters like Cuninghame or Judd wore shorts.

The real reason [that Englishmen affect the wearing of shorts] is not that they are cool, but that they are picturesque. Common belief to the contrary, your average practical, matter-of-fact Englishman loves to dress up . . . . I am not criticising the spirit in them; but merely trying to keep mistaken shorts off you."

I’ve only been on (13) African safaris, but I have always worn long pants for the reasons already mentioned. No regrets.

I hunt in Longs. End of story. BUT, I often take the trophy pics (like standing with tusks), with my old, shorter Cabelas dark brown or dark olive green shorts. Even though my age is mid 70’s, I like pics with muscular legs and a good tan. Forgive my vanity! It’s what I remember from the good old days.

I usually take both.

camp is usually in shorts.

hunting is usually in long black jeans.

Shirts are some long and short sleeve shirts.

I guess it would determine on what you are hunting and how you are hunting.

sitting in a blind shorts would work out walking about long pants are the rule for the day.

Not sure it would be Africa without my legs being on fire at the campfire every evening with an Irish. A cheap bottle of alcohol to keep everything clean and the burn “fresh” to remind you where you are….

quote:

I usually take both.camp is usually in shorts.

Good point, I wear shorts in camp too.