You may be wondering on the best outfit for your African photography safari especially if this is your first visit. Besides how best your clothing befits your photography needs you must put to consideration the weather and environment in Africa.  In this post we are going to share the best outfits for safari.

General clothing

Africa wilderness may be quite dusty and hot. Carry 2 pairs of casual light-long trousers, a pair of dull short sleeved shirts. The nights in Africa might be very cold and you should carry at least two warm winter sweaters, a pair of light gloves and a headscarf if you are going for the night game drives. If you are considering to travel in the months of April and May carry with yourself a rain jacket especially when you are on hikes and nature trails. Also carry a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses if you are travelling in the dry season.

For more efficient photography especially when you are in a walking safari go for patterned-camouflage wears. This will help you interact with wildlife and capture the photos without causing any distress that might make animals flee or stir them from their natural state. Importantly, some creatures especially birds have very good eyesight.

Photography wears

·         Photography vest

You will need a photography vest to carry some of your kits with ease. Notably, you will need to carry along at least two lenses for both short and long focal lengths. Africa bushes are also remotely located and you will have to carry spare charged battery in case the one your are having get dies off. When choosing a safari photography vest we recommend that:

1. You pick a camouflage. Forest green vests are the best as they easily blend with a typical African wilderness. The camouflage colour will help you get close shot of birds or wildlife without disturbing them from their natural habitat.
2. Must be lightweight. You will be having long day drives and trekking safaris that may go for upo to 6 hrs continuously. Having a heavy photography jacket or vest can be exhausting.
3. Must have atleast one moderately sized pocket that can fit a DSLR lens. This will save you the need of having to always carry along a sling bag when you are on a walking safari.
4. Must have nylon-lined water-proof pockets. This protect your accessories from rain drops in case of a downpour.

Some of the vest recommendations.

1. Humvee cotton safari vest. This is the best option for the hot mara wilderness.  The outfit has a vest that admits air to the body.
2. Rothco uncle milty travel vest. This is the best option for cold mornings and evenings.
3. M & M travel photography vest.  This is the best we recommend. The vest has a very durable hardware built in military grade quality.

·        Sling camera bag

This is where you keep the camera when not in use. For wildlife photographers a sling bag is better than a backpacker considering that you can nestle it in your back like a backpacker and you are able to easily slide it to the front when reaching out for your camera. Some of the features we are recommending for your bag include:

1. Capacity. Your camera must have enough space to put your camera but also your accessories. The bag should as well be of a size that can fit into your luggage. Importantly, if you will be using local flights you are restricted to a luggage bearing not more than 15 kg.
2. Weatherproof. The bags offer a waterproof cover which will help protect your accessories from getting into contact with water in case of a downpour.
3. Pockets. Ensure your bag have enough space to put different accessories.

Some of our bag recommendations include:

Moment 6L rugged camera sling

This is one lightweight option for walking safaris. the bag is waterproof and can fit the large DSLR camera and a few lenses, batteries, backup memory etc. The padding is thinner than other options given in this guide. This bag has a unique polyester that protect your equipment from raindrops.   The bag is also quite stylish.

Neewar sling backpack

The bag has enough storage to fit the large camera with spacious compartments for a DSLR camera body, 2-3 extra lenses, batteries, water bottle and other accessories. Tripod or monopod head can be as well get firmly held on the buckle straps. Bag is small and light to easily move around with while on a walking safari. The polyester cover protect your accessories from rain drops in case of a downpour.

Manfrotto Pro Light Fasttrack

This bag has three zippered pockets with the bottom pocket designed to hold a DSLR camera with its lenses attached and the top pocket for a small laptop or tablet. The bag has two straps one set on the camera which makes it easy to remove the camera from the bag in case you are caught in an unexpected photo scenes. There are also three small mesh pockets one on the exterior for storing  spare batteries and SSD cards.

MindShift Gear PhotoCross 13

This is the best option if you are carrying slightly heavy camera and lenses. The bag has a thick nylon fabric coating that gives your camera the maximum protection from rain drops. The bag features a storage space for a large DSLR camera, telephoto lens and a sleeve that can fight a small laptop or tablet. Mindshift also have other small mesh compartments for the small items. The bag has a stability strap with widened shoulders designed to make it easier to walk with a heavy camera.