Perfect Safari or Tropical Hunting Shirt

[Borderer]

@Dewald - Both great shirts with a caveat. The Jonsson shirts are not available in the US and the Stevenson Hamilton ripstop has been discontinued.

All it really means is that we need to leave some space in our luggage and hit the store when we arrive in town for safari.

Jonnson might be available in the USA. They ship to the UK, but you have to email your order and it takes several months. My wife loves them, they are the only shirt she has found that fits her well. Azulwear have a great selection of bush shirts and will ship out of South Africa. I have a friend who spends a lot of time in Kenya, obviously not hunting. He swears by Teesav shirts and wears them at home. He has one that has been worn a couple of times a week on his farm and is 40 years old. I ordered a couple, but they never arrived. My friend gets someone in South Africa to post them to him.

I really like the Ruggedwear Shirts, they are really tough and surprisingly cool, given the weight, but the heavyweight ones are only available in light colours, so you have to dye them. I am not keen on the epaulettes either, I can't see the point of them.

This is my favourite though:

It is made by Barron. I bought it in South Africa and is cheap, cool, comfortable and tough. Sensible colours as well. I have no idea if Barron export their shirts or do a long sleeved version.

 

[1911Fan]

I found a use for epaulettes after visiting a local zoo (only way to see African game here in NC!) with a pair of binoculars. Putting the binocular strap through the epaulettes takes the pressure off your neck and makes them much more comfortable to carry.

 

[Safari Dave]

That and rifle slings are what they are there for.

 

[BeeMaa]

Epaulettes are for use on military shirts and jackets where they are meant to support a shoulder piece or rank insignia. As far as their use on a safari shirt, I see it as purely coincidental that they serve any real purpose.

Call it a hold over from a time when English, French, Dutch...etc soldiers would wear what they had into the field for hunting.

 

[Safari Dave]

Epaulettes are for use on military shirts and jackets where they are meant to support a shoulder piece or rank insignia. As far as their use on a safari shirt, I see it as purely coincidental that they serve any real purpose.

Call it a hold over from a time when English, French, Dutch...etc soldiers would wear what they had into the field for hunting.

I wanted to argue with you, but I couldn't find anything on-line that would back me up.

Dang!
Dang!
Dang!

So, 5 gold stars it is...

I last put olive sleeves on mine when I was a Scoutmaster!

(They are still kind of handy for not letting straps slip off your shoulder.)

 

[channelkat]

Thanks for this thread! Great to hear all the ideas and insight. I have been searching myself for my perfect warm weather shirt and been disappointed by what I can currently get my hands on. I used to be active on the snipershide and remember taking part in a couple custom group buys made to hide member specs. Maybe we need to do a custom run of AH shirts!

 

[The Engineer]

I second the all-cotton Cabel's Serengeti shirts. They were 100% heavy cotton and well made. Unfortunately, this shirt is no longer available. They have two features that I believe should be on the list.

1. 4 cartridge loops (Sleeve like pockets.) inside the left pocket which is relatively high on the chest. The loops are too deep for cartridges like the 375 H&H to be easily removed but were perfect for something like the 450NE or 470NE. For the double rifle two "backup" cartridges can be put in the loops which leaves the other two loops for the rounds removed from the double rifle when you get back into the vehicle. I found I could reload the double rifle more quickly reaching for two rounds that you can see easily by glancing down, grasping both of them between the thumb and pointing finger, and inserting them into the rifle that is just a little below eye level. This was all in the peripheral vision area so you did not need to look down and lose awareness of what the game was doing. You still need a cartridge belt in case you need more than 4 rounds or need to switch from softs to solids.

2. Zippered inside pockets behind the outside the button down pockets. The zippers were on the outside with the pocket on the inside. In foreign countries I do not get separated from my passport. The zippered pockets were perfect size to carry a passport in a zip lock baggy.. I also carried a small digital camera in the other zippered pocket.

 

[SaintPanzer]

Epaulettes are for use on military shirts and jackets where they are meant to support a shoulder piece or rank insignia. As far as their use on a safari shirt, I see it as purely coincidental that they serve any real purpose.

Call it a hold over from a time when English, French, Dutch...etc soldiers would wear what they had into the field for hunting.

Actually...

They are a convenient place for wearing rank insignia, but having used them for that purpose, I can tell you that's not what they are for.

Their purpose is to hold the strap of your Sam Brown belt in place, so it doesn't slide off your shoulder. The purpose of that strap, of course, is to offset the weight of your sword.

Works a treat for binos, too...

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Actually...

They are a convenient place for wearing rank insignia, but having used them for that purpose, I can tell you that's not what they are for.

Their purpose is to hold the strap of your Sam Brown belt in place, so it doesn't slide off your shoulder. The purpose of that strap, of course, is to offset the weight of your sword.

Works a treat for binos, too...

And to hold your trousers up!

 

[SaintPanzer]

And to hold your trousers up!

No, that's a different belt entirely...

 

[channelkat]

Such a fine uniform. Pity mine no longer fits...

 

[Troubleshooter]

Another vote for the aertex.

 

[Ridge Runner]

First off I am very rough on clothing. Military uniforms during my years of service under normal daily wear, and hunting here in the Eastern USA, would last several years.

With a few exceptions I only dress for the day ie If I'm going hunting I'm in hunting apparel, I won't be changing clothes to eat in a descent restaurant on my way home, vice versa I may be dressed for running around town and not change clothes, maybe my pants, to go hunting the last 3 or 4 hours of the day on my way home. So for me clothing has to be:

Extremely Durable or relatively cheap
Comfortable
Wash and wear preferably wrinkle free out of the dryer
Minimal shrinkage
Non binding around the arms, chest, and waist
Cool light weight breathable for summer or warm mid to moderate weight for spring, fall, winter,
Air dries quickly,
Long sleeve for spring, fall, and winter with loose fitting button cuffs,
Short sleeve for summer,
Has preferably 2 button down flap beast pockets large enough for cell phone/ small pocket notebook/ passport/ etc.
Can easily be worn as casual wear and for hunting

The niceties would be:

hidden zipper pockets behind the breast pockets. to conceal passport and extra cash; for use traveling abroad.
At least 1 loop hole to quickly and conveniently hang eyeglasses in.
Epelips with buttons are a nice touch for dressing up the casual shirt and for conveniently placing my flop/boony/ jungle hat or Ranger/patrol cap through when the headgear is temporarily not needed, ie in a store or restaurant, having lunch in the field, etc.
Not necessarily meant for a tuck-in, but a four pocket hunting shirt, ie military shirt, is great for short hunts to carry snacks, and a couple of bottles of water, etc in.

Levi, Strauss, & Co. used to use a great material for their clothing. Maybe you could get a sample of that early material for your proposed shirt, or test current military rip stop material used in making military uniforms.

Levi's shirts and jeans of 40 years ago were my preference, since then their quality has gone to the crapper and they have excessively overpriced the poor quality.

Just my opinion to answer your question.

 

[channelkat]

I am seeing 3 different shirts materializing from everyone's ideas. That and general agreement that the quality available today is not what it used to be...

I also wondered about roverandbrew's original assumption that most tuck in their shirt. I am not sure my perfect shirt would be tucked. I was thinking more of a light weight ripstop material, probably worn similar to military BDU's.

 

[flying sailor]

You are right! Most clothing is not meant to last today. The "outdoor" clothing seems to be made with dilletantes in mind. I like to spend my money on gear that lasts! A crazy trend is buying jeans that someone attacked with an angle grinder, and paying a stupid price for them. Heck, I have some that a grinder snagged, maybe I should retire and just sell my old beat up work jeans, with the natural worn look!

 

[TSIBINDI]

...A plethora of good hints here. Through the years, and more than six hundred days roaming around in the African bush I wore shirts by many different makers. Most were adequate. Some better than others. (Best: Lazy Sam/Salty) I settled on a simple solution to the African hunting "Shirt." OD t-shirts with a VietNam USMC utility jacket. Removed the right breast pocket, (No snag when mounting rifle) long sleeves in the AM chill, and roll the sleeves in the PM heat. Worked for me.

 

[jpr9954]

I second the all-cotton Cabel's Serengeti shirts. They were 100% heavy cotton and well made. Unfortunately, this shirt is no longer available. They have two features that I believe should be on the list.

1. 4 cartridge loops (Sleeve like pockets.) inside the left pocket which is relatively high on the chest. The loops are too deep for cartridges like the 375 H&H to be easily removed but were perfect for something like the 450NE or 470NE. For the double rifle two "backup" cartridges can be put in the loops which leaves the other two loops for the rounds removed from the double rifle when you get back into the vehicle. I found I could reload the double rifle more quickly reaching for two rounds that you can see easily by glancing down, grasping both of them between the thumb and pointing finger, and inserting them into the rifle that is just a little below eye level. This was all in the peripheral vision area so you did not need to look down and lose awareness of what the game was doing. You still need a cartridge belt in case you need more than 4 rounds or need to switch from softs to solids.

2. Zippered inside pockets behind the outside the button down pockets. The zippers were on the outside with the pocket on the inside. In foreign countries I do not get separated from my passport. The zippered pockets were perfect size to carry a passport in a zip lock baggy.. I also carried a small digital camera in the other zippered pocket.

I have an earlier version of that Cabela’s shirt. It is labeled “Outfitters Series”. It is 100% heavy cotton with 2 flapped pocket that close with a snap. It has a zippered pocket behind the left pocket and a velcroed one on the right. The shirt closes with snaps like a western shirt.

What makes this shirt really great is the double sleeve gussets to allow free movement.

This shirt in a lighter fabric would be fantasic.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I have an earlier version of that Cabela’s shirt. It is labeled “Outfitters Series”. It is 100% heavy cotton with 2 flapped pocket that close with a snap. It has a zippered pocket behind the left pocket and a velcroed one on the right. The shirt closes with snaps like a western shirt.

What makes this shirt really great is the double sleeve gussets to allow free movement.

This shirt in a lighter fabric would be fantasic.

Have you got a picture jpr?

 

[jpr9954]

Have you got a picture jpr?

Here are quick pictures of the front and back of the shirt. On the front, you can see the pocket details and how the gusset goes into the armpit. On the picture of the back of the shirt, you can see the double gussets plus the reinforcement at the back of the neck.

I have another of these shirts in a dark rust color that I'd donate to the cause if someone needed a sample with which to make a lightweight version of it. As it is, the fabric weight of this shirt would be the equivalent of the old olive drab GI uniforms.

 

[Captain Munro]

Back when Cabelas actually had good stuff.