Mara&Meru™ Safari Clothing With Warmth For Men'
Africa gets cold, of that there is no doubt. Early starts, open Land Rovers, milder winter sun, cool breezes all contribute you catching a chill on safari. These items will keep you warm and cosy!
- You absolutely do need a men's safari jacket or men's safari fleece on any safari - whether you opt for a long-sleeved safari fleece or jacket or a safari fleece vest - as it does get cold on safari.
- The reasons for the cold include: African winters, wind chill on safaris in open 4x4s (dipping into valleys and drainage lines also adds an extra bite of cold), early morning starts and late evening finishes for safari activities, land-locked countries, and many safari areas being high above sea level. The Maasai Mara & Serengeti (and most of East Africa) are the height of some ski resorts at 1,400 meters above sea level. Botswana, parts of Zambia, and Namibia are also more or less 1,000 meters above sea level.
- Think of the safari experience as a desert trip where it starts off cold in the mornings and becomes cold again in the evenings, but heating up by midday to warm or hot. Keep in mind that the hotter the temperatures are at midday, the earlier you will go on safari, which means the cooler it will be. Again, you should definitely pack a men's safari fleece or men's safari jacket for your safari. We have given this advice to clients who have ignored it and returned from an October safari in Botswana to tell us that, yes, they did indeed get cold despite the midday heat.
- For the African winter, opt for a long-sleeved safari jacket or safari fleece and, for the summer, either a safari vest jacket or fleece, but then wear a long-sleeved safari shirt underneath so that the sleeves help to keep you warm.
- Colour is still key when choosing the correct safari fleece or safari jacket. Opt for neutral shades such as khaki, green, or brown.
- For safari travel over the rainy season, pack a high quality, waterproof safari jacket which is proven to actually work. For East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda), the rains generally occur in two parts: the longer monsoon in April and May and then the shorter rains around November. Higher safari areas such as the Ngorongoro Crater catch the wind from the sea and it may rain at any time of the year. Southern Tanzania differs from this and is similar to the rainy season in Zambia, Botswana, and northern Mozambique - and falls between late November and late March, often extending into April. As a general rule, if one had to ask "when is Africa always dry?" - the answer would be May to October, with regional rains still possible in some parts. Please also note that the South African rainy season is split down the middle of the country, with the east receiving rain through summer and the west a winter rainfall area. That winter rainfall can push through in cold fronts to the east of the country too.
- Having lived in Africa through the rains we are also able to advise that the daytime temperature goes from very hot before the rains start, to much cooler once the rains have settled in. The difference may be as much as 10 to 15 degrees celsius below the average temperatures and so again we advise that a fleece or jacket is packed to keep you warm.
Number of men's safari jackets or safari fleeces to pack for your safari:
1 x safari fleece or jacket; 1 x waterproof safari jacket should you be travelling over the rainy season.
- Pack a multi-functional Head&Neck scarf for just about all outdoor adventures, including safari. Head&Neck Scarves keep your neck and head out of the sun when it is hot, and provide an element of warmth too when it starts to get cold. They offer maximum versatility.
- Following on from our advice for safari fleeces and safari jackets, you need to pack garments and accessories for your safari which keep you warm. Therefore, woollen men's safari scarves, safari beanies, and safari gloves should be considered a packing essential over the African winter - and for some mornings through summer in Africa too. For more details on when and why Africa gets cold, please view the men's safari jacket and fleeces page.
- At the very least we recommend packing a safari beanie on any safari as they are so small and light to carry in your luggage, yet have a big effect on how warm you are should you get cold. Keep your safari beanie in the bag you take on game drives - you may well get some envious stares from others who have not had the foresight to pack a safari beanie.
- Further to the point above, for the African summer pack a men's safari beanie just in case. For the most part your men's wide-brimmed safari hat should keep you warm enough, but why take the risk? Please do take note too of the altitude of the area in which you are going on safari. The Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, as an example, is over 2000 metres above sea level and most camps are on the rim of the crater and so may have cold temperatures (morning and evenings in particular) and precipitation throughout the year and we would recommend taking warmer safari accessories just in case.
- Pack safari scarves, safari beanies, and safari gloves in safari colours.
Number of men's safari scarves, safari beanies, and safari gloves to pack for your safari:
1 x men's safari scarf; 1 x men's safari beanie; 1 x men's safari gloves - although you should be fine tucking your hands into your men's safari jacket or fleece to keep them warm.
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