First and foremost you better be able to shoot. Nothing is more embarrassing than screwing this up. Your PH may be polite about it but you and I both know poor marksmanship is a Cardinal sin here. You owe it to everyone around you and most of all the animal you're after to put it down humanely.
Absolutely no alcohol after 10 pm. I don't care what anyone in camp might say lol
Socks. Get the absolute best socks and hiking boots/shoes you can afford. I like Darn Tough wool socks and for boots I prefer Lowa and Keen. Take a walk in both and choose whichever you prefer
Shorts are going to be much lighter and take up less room in your luggage than full length pants. Also pants are noisier but they do protect against the cactus better than shorts obviously. For the sake of mobility I recommend Duluth Trading Company firehose flex shorts in whatever length you want. I go shorter just because you can run easier and nobody cares what you look like anyway. If you prefer quick dry athletic shorts of some kind even better.
Binocs are extremely important as well as any optics you're using. If you're taking your own I like Leupold but if you can afford Swaros or similar by all means go for it. I also recommend you don't wear a binocular bra with your glass situated on your chest. That rifle gets snagged on it every time. Keep them on a sling near the hip on your non-shooting side
Don't wear camo. Not a rule just isn't necessary. Go with earth tones of green and brown. In fact 99% of the hillsides there are some kind of brown or rocky tan. Absolutely no bright khaki or jungle Jim-looking attire. You'll look like a white beacon against the green/brown background.
Wide brim hats are a matter of preference. If you're running through brush they're the worst. They get caught on everything. Baseball caps are way more manageable and convenient they just don't look as "cool" in pics. Personally I'd take smart over cool any day over there.
Take some kind of good whiskey or bourbon with you as a friendly gesture to share with your new buddies. They'll appreciate it even if they never stop talking about how light it is lol I took a bottle of Whistle Pig 25 year old rye with me and everyone enjoyed it. Honestly though any kind of Jameson, Woodford, Walker, etc would do just fine. A few extra gifts for the trackers, skinners, and other staff is always a great idea.
TIP WELL, BE HUMBLE, AND SHOW GRATITUDE TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN CAMP. These people are working their butts off to provide for their families and they are very proud to be doing so. They will go the extra 10 miles for you if you treat them right
Leave the Rambo knife at home. You won't use it
Keep your human scent under control. It gets windy out there so take a good scentless soap geared towards hunters just for that extra layer of concealment
Other than that it's just the usual. Comfortable subdued clothing, shades, scentless sunblock, nothing flashy like rings, necklaces, etc. TAKE A TON OF PICTURES AND VIDEO
Most importantly have fun and LEARN ALL YOU CAN and get to know the people over there. Come back having grown in some way and tell us all about it
