While photographing our 2026 safari collection in Tanzania with professional hunter Harpreet Brar of Rungwa Game Safaris, we were reminded how much a successful safari depends upon preparation. Over the years, Harpreet has hosted clients with every level of experience, from seasoned hunters to first-time guests to Africa, and his observations on how people prepare were instructive.
Writing the (significant) cheque to book a lengthy safari is a challenge to most people but to those with the finances, it may be the easiest part of the process. You cannot buy time and that includes preparation time – physical and mental: Time required to read about the country and the quarry, time to research the history of the place you are visiting and appreciate it, time to prepare physically so that your daily exertions do not spoil or hinder your chosen activities and time to choose the right kit to take with you.
Many safaris today reflect the old hunting licence system in Tanzania, with seven, ten or twenty-one days typically selected as trip duration. Whether experienced, a newcomer, a hunter or a photographer, the knowledge Westley Richards has accrued over two centuries of equipping sportsmen and women for their adventures provides today’s time-poor traveller with a short-cut to effective decision making. Though we have built our reputation and business as hunting outfitters, our dedication to that sector of the market makes us ideally placed to help modern hunters (be they equipped with cameras or rifles) live their best life in Africa, for however long they may be there.
Preparation enhances appreciation. Indeed, it is also part of the pleasure of experiencing a country. The places we head for on safari are often storied and have the lives of our predecessors recorded in photographs, memoirs and diaries, films and novels. Reading, watching or looking at these legacies of our forebears will help prepare in our minds what may be to come and to imagine, as we walk in their footsteps, how our place in history might be measured.
For those new to African field sports, White Hunters by Brian Herne remains an excellent history of the golden age of safari, from around 1900 to 1970. For a grounding in the legends of the era and their exploits, it is difficult to improve upon. Understanding that legacy lends greater depth to any time spent walking the same country.
Further reading might include Hemingway’s Green Hills of Africa and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber. For a broader understanding of Africa’s post-colonial history, Martin Meredith’s The State of Africa is both fascinating and sobering.
Mental preparation should be matched by physical preparation. On safari, one is likely to walk long distances in considerable heat, often over uneven ground. In the months before departure, regular fast walks, hill work and longer hikes over rough terrain will pay real dividends. It is also wise to do this in the boots and socks intended for the trip, so that both are well proven by the time of departure.
If you are not shooting, a stick is a useful accessory, providing balance when unsteady, a wading measure in uncertain waters, a means of pushing vegetation aside and a rudimentary defence tool, as well as being a hiking aid.
The typical bush country likely to be encountered may require ducking under brush or climbing over obstacles, up small hills or through dry river-beds. Prepare with some simple Yoga or cross training which involves getting down and up, twisting in different directions and loosening your range of comfortable movement and developing core stability. The fitter and more flexible you are, the more you will enjoy your adventure.
If hunting, prepare by shouldering your rifles often. Practice at the range shooting free-hand, off sticks, leaning against a tree and even kneeling. Do all this until you are confident in your ability to concentrate on the target, knowing that muscle-memory will take you through your routine, even in extremis. Even if expecting to take standing shots, practice on moving targets; like running boar or charging buffalo, if you can. A stricken animal may need such a second shot immediately following the first.
For the photographer, preparation in a similar vein is useful to make sure you are ready and able to get that elusive shot when it presents itself, not messing around with equipment with which you are not fully familiar.
All-Weather Stanley Cargo Jacket
Clothing needs to help, rather than hinder, the kind of activity a safari demands. Ease of movement, ventilation, protection, utility and comfort are best achieved by layering. The light sweater you wear travelling back to camp at dusk would be an encumbrance at midday, but the jacket you don as a top layer is ideal on both occasions, firstly for its sun-block, insect-proof and thorn-barrier qualities and later for its warmth.
We have constructed, below, a simple kit list of essentials for sport or travel, around which your safari wardrobe may be built; Just a few, well-chosen staples that will ensure your days in the bush are supported by your attire. Being Westley Richards, it is all, of course, sartorial and imbued with two centuries of hunting know-how.
Feet: Series 1 Boot
Legs: Safari Trousers, Shorts
Hands: Perforated Leather Gloves
Head: Safari Hat, Ball Cap
Neck: Black Rhino Scarf
Eyes: Persol Sunglasses
Base layer: S/S Frontier Solid T-Shirt, Sporting T-Shirt
Mid layer: Lightweight Expedition Shirt, Huntsman Overshirt
Top layer (midday): Kruger Vest, Hunting Vest
Top layer (morning and afternoon): Selous Jacket, Kruger Jacket
Top layer (overnight): Deerskin Selous, Hide Jacket
Accessory: Bournbrook 48hr Bag, Open Ammunition Wallet, Hip Flask
Special thanks to Harpreet and his exceptional team at Rungwa Game Safaris for partnering with Westley Richards to showcase our latest safari collection. Founded by Harpreet in 1999, Rungwa Game Safaris is built on a deep respect for wildlife, wilderness and conservation, with an approach rooted in ethical practice and carefully managed safari operations that help preserve the integrity of the remarkable areas in which they work.
To discover more about Rungwa, head to: www.rungwasafaris.com
Alongside its custom rifles, luxury travel bags and high quality country clothing, the modern Westley Richards continues a 200-year tradition of outfitting hunters and adventurers for the rigours of outdoor life. With an unrivalled heritage of safari wear, the company produces a range of luxury safari clothes for the ultimate safari packing list. Inspired by former clients Ernest Hemingway and Stewart Granger each safari jacket, hunting shirt and cargo trouser reflects Westley Richards ethos of timeless style and exceptional quality. Pair a rugged safari shirt and safari shorts with some world famous Courteney boots and a classic safari hat.
Your cart is currently empty.
Start Shopping
