What camo pattern

[btheis13]

Traveling Limpopo the last week of May. What camouflage patterns would be acceptable or should I stick with solid green/khaki? The camo I currently own is pictured with letters and numbers.
TIA

 

[Red Leg]

Unless you are bow hunting by actually stalking game, it doesn't matter in the least. Wind and movement matter and of the two, wind is the most important. I have never worn camo in Africa and am fairly certain that I never will. Your trackers will likely be in solid color jump suits and your PH in a dark green.

In fairness, unless I am in a duck blind or goose layout or after a specific animal like a turkey or capercaillie, I never use camo in North America, Europe, or South America either.

 

[WAB]

I don’t wear camo in Africa and I have stalked in very tight on elephant and buffalo many times. Don’t go with the Hollywood light khaki, go with a medium to dark green.

 

[Scott CWO]

And please don’t wear camo on the plane or in the airport! Always cracks me up when I see that, even in the USA. I do wear camo at times in the USA when guiding/hunting.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

The pattern of the camo isn't as important as using the shadows.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

As WAB and Red Leg said... practically, it doesn't matter at all. Not one bit.

That said, living in AK - and out of personal preference - I wear camo when hunting. Some don't; I do. I used to think it mattered. Now? Probably not so much. Available cover, keeping the wind in your favor, and careful movement are all much more important.

However, because I am a camo fan... of the choices you provided, King's Desert is my overall favorite - it's what I use here a lot in Alaska. On my trip to Africa last year I went just a bit retro with the Cabela's Seclusion. No reason other than it appealed to me. I doubt I cracked a hundred dollars total on eBay putting together what I took.

Anything you have pictured will be fine. And you really don't even need any of those. My two cents? Choose what makes you happy and go enjoy your hunt.

 

[mdwest]

+1 to the above comments...

I dont typically wear camo at all in Africa other than I have a couple of light jackets I take with me for warmth (not for their camouflage capability)...

For me its typically an earth tone "camp" type shirt (Ive got several columbia, magellan, habit, north face, etc type ventilated shirts that are rescinded to exclusively being hunting clothes now)... and a set of earth tone cargo pants or cargo shorts depending on the weather..

I typically wear a floppy brimmed hat of some sort after the mid morning to keep the sun off my balding head and out of my eyes thats also some sort of earth toned color..

to be truthful, I rarely wear camo in the US as well... If Im going somewhere particularly wet or cold most of my hunting rain gear and cold weather gear is sitka optifade pattern.. but for typical days in the deer blind or hog hunting, etc.. I pretty much dress the same as I do in Africa... brown/green/tan colored shirt and pants and a decent set of boots and Im ready to go...

birds are a bit different.. I definitely break out the camo for turkey, ducks, etc.. (although dont bother with it for dove, quail, pheasant, etc..etc..

 

[Hunt anything]

Normally I don’t were camo in Africa but I do take one camo shirt that is light weight and is my 3rd shirt in case laundry doesn’t get done one day.
I do we’re a dark khaki or OD green on the plane to make sure I have at least one outfit I can hunt in on the chance my checked baggage is misplaced.

 

[JimP]

You will also find that your PH and tracker who will be at your side won't be wearing any camo.

I just wore a light flannel woodland camo shirt, and military green 6 pocket pants. My PH had a green shirt and my tracker was decked out in a dark green.

 

[One Day...]

Most military studies admit that camo is mostly/only worn for soldiers' moral.

I continue to use in the hunting fields what I learned in the military ones: FOMBEC

• Forme (form) - break down conspicuous shapes, do not stand in the open or on a ridge
• Ombre (shadows) - stay in the shade / shadows
• Mouvement (movement) - avoid rapid movements
• Bruit (noise) - avoid unnatural noises (engine, doors slamming, human voice)
• Eclat (flash) - insure your equipment / sweaty face does not reflect light
• Couleur - match the local natural predominant color

To which, indeed, as pointed out by Red Leg, when hunting I add one critical component:

• Odeur (smell) - stay downwind, avoid scented soap, deodorant if planning to get real close

If you will be hunting the Kalahari desert, faded brown is best. Anywhere else in the bush, faded dark green (OD) is much better. Avoid the fashionable Stewart Granger light beige khaki that looks almost white in full sunlight and is conspicuous at great distance.

I would rather hunt with someone wearing a pink overall but following the above, than be with a camo-clad nimrod, down to socks, underwear, facemask and gloves, who moves back & forth briskly upwind in the sun in the open, talks loud, moves his arms like windmills to point things, flashes a stainless barrel, glasses facing the sun, etc. Oh yes, it happens

I typically wear 1 green (OD) pant + 1 brown shirt or 1 brown pant + 1 green (OD) shirt, and I travel in a dark beige pant + medium green shirt that can be used for hunting if needed. The cold layer is typically OD green fleece.

I like, and wear, short sleeves and shorts, but unless you are very tanned (not my case!), white arms and legs are more visible... Just need to move extra slow from shade to shade...

The big no-no in Africa is to wear military camo. Not so long ago it was even illegal to do so in some countries, and to this day it will set you apart in any crowd, not to mention an airport.

 

[Tango]

You have a great excuse to buy yourself some new solids for the upcoming hunt.

 

[bakerb]

I prefer solids from Kuiu. Brown. And brown shirts from Icebreaker Merino Wool. I wear this stuff at home while bowhunting, turkey hunting, etc. I have camo, but I try to buy everything in brown so I can wear it day to day as well.

Wrangler makes some good lightweight brown shorts too. Walmart has them for like $30 a pair and they're pretty comfortable and light.

I flew Atlanta to Jo'Burg in early April last year. Several obvious hunters on the plane, including me. I was wearing Kuiu brown pants and my hunting shoes, and carrying a brown pack from Mystery Ranch. One guy though. . . . he was head to toe camo while sitting in the airport. Camo backpack next to him, that didn't look completely full. But here's the real kicker--he was wearing his bino harness with binos in it. IN THE AIRPORT in Atlanta!!!

I understand wearing your hunting clothes or having one change of hunting clothes in your carryon, because I've lost luggage before and wore the same outfit for 17 days. . . . .BUT YOUR BINO HARNESS?!?!

Weird

My binos were in my carry-on. He looked like he had plenty of room. He just wanted EVERYONE to know he was hunting.

Friend of mind saw the same exact thing in Hermosillo at the airport. . . in the departure area AFTER a coues deer hunt. The guy was flying home and still wearing camo and bino harness

 

[Flewis]

Muddy Girl for me, great in the fall also.

 

[Hunt anything]

@bakerb, come on you don’t take your binos on the plane to look for UFOs on the long flight across the Atlantic? There should be a thread of the stupid stuff we see at airports!

 

[Seavas]

I prefer plaid.
If you want to wear camo, take the darker patterns. Also, it's not as big of a deal in RSA, but I wouldn't take military camo patterns to Africa.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

@bakerb, come on you don’t take your binos on the plane to look for UFOs on the long flight across the Atlantic? There should be a thread of the stupid stuff we see at airports!

That Qatar flight I took, they could have come in handy to see what was going on at the front of the plane.

 

[BeeMaa]

I don't wear camo for hunting with the exception of turkey and waterfowl.

Dark earth tones work best for nearly any situation.

 

[Challer]

Came just isn't needed for most hunting. I don't own any but the wife's shopping bag is camo. It doesn't work for that either

 

[Hunt anything]

I don't wear camo for hunting with the exception of turkey and waterfowl.

Dark earth tones work best for nearly any situation.

Same here except I don’t know why I wear it waterfowling because I usually pile up so much crap around me I could be wearing blaze orange and nothing could see me.

 

[Justbryan]

I don't take camo because it requires more clothes. Skip the camo and pack light.

You want your clothes, boots, & hats to serve dual purposes, travel & hunting. I carry on all I will need for the week. So, I wear one set of clothes and carry one two others. Muted color cotton clothes in gray, green, tan, brown, etc.

My tracker wore a bright blue jump suit with an orange hat.