Another question about clothes and shoes for Safari
 

We will be in south Africa and Botswana (4 days only in Botswana) the first two weeks of June. I am expecting cold weather in the early mornings and nights and plan on taking a winter coat, thermal underwear, and boots and/or trail type shoes. Does anyone know if it will be easy to buy a sweatshirt, like a souvenir sweatshirt, at one of the camps (our first camp will be Londolozi) rather than taking one with me from home. Also, will the days be warm enough for sandals and shorts, any use in packing sandals and tee shirts, or will a sweater be necessary even during the day?
I'm having a little trouble packing enough clothes to be prepared for any weather and keeping within the weight limits.
Thanks for any input.

Hi Brandywine...
We are going to Botswana in May and will experience similar weather, maybe a tad warmer.
Being a seasoned skier I am thinking layers as I pack. Consider getting a fleece pull over as the "newer" fleece is much thinner but quite warm. It will be a much lighter and warmer than a sweatshirt. Also make sure your coat is a windproof variety as than will ensure you'll stay warmer on the early am game drives.
There are several brands of pants that have zip off legs..making them multi purpose.
Remember, layers of light clothes will keep you warmer and can be shed easily as temps climb during the day.
The key is getting the right clothes that are meant to keep you warm in colder climates.
If you live in the states check out
Sierratradingpost.com
great bargins on all sorts of outdoor wear.
Hope that helps..
Brenda

Brandywine I can bet that londolozi will have a great selection of fleeces, sweatshirts and heavy jackets available at that time of year. the selection is likely to be better there than in botswana, where camps are much more remote. I recently purchased a thick lined jacket at Mala Mala for my July trip to SA and Botswana. When in SA in june 2002 it was pretty cold first thing and when the sun went down. There is an excellent thread on this board by someone who has a whole list of things to take on winter safari to Botswana. I have the zip off trousers which are great normally, but they are quite thin and I dont think they'll cut it, if its very cold. Also check whether your camps have blankets on the vehicles, that makes a huge difference.

All the camps we visited in 2004 (didn't visit Londolozi) had fleeces on sale, some with the camp/ company logo and other more generic offerings.

Main advice from me would be to bring clothes that allow you to layer as although nights, early mornings and evenings can be cold, mid mornings and afternoons are comfortable and midday can be quite warm, even in winter.

Message: Check out www.tilley.com. You will find everything you need for your safari. Great prices, all wash and wear overnight! you can stuff it all in a carry on. You cannot beat their stuff for a safari! Even if you don't buy they have great ideas! Enjoy your trip!i

Thanks to all replies. I'm definitely taking a winter coat,the type with a shell and zip in fleece (down can also be zipped in) but thought it might be nice to get a light fleece or sweatshirt while there. Since our first stop is Londolozi after CPT, that would seem possible. According to the charts, it looks like South Africa will be nice during the day, maybe high 60's, but not really warm (I'm in Atlanta). Botswana may be warmer during the day so may be warm enough for shorts and sandals, so zip-off pants could be useful there. I think that I would definitely need thermal "long-johns" under zip-off pants in the early morning.
I can't wait till we leave!

brandywine, check out my post in the Botswana forum entitled "My tips for Okavango trips" -where I listed the things I SHOULD have packed! Have fun.

Hi Again,
You may want to consider a pair of silk long underwear. They are lightweight, very comfortable and make a great underlayer or bed clothes.
The great thing is you literally hop out of bed for your morning game drive and pull your layers on over them.
We chartered a boat in SE Alaska & I took a pair with me to sleep (my top is a turtle neck).
I prefer to sleep in my birthday suit but these are so light weight that I was very comfortable. Also, they wash out easily and hang dry quick!
Brenda

Long silk underwear is a must for Botswana that time of year. We wore ours every night and on the morning drive.
Many of the camps we went to did not have fleece or sweatshirts for sale. Many of the camps were closing out their stores. All depends on each camp.

We were in Botswana the last 2 weeks of May. Did not have any need for shorts. We had zip off pants, but never used them. Not hot enough to risk a mosq bite.

I recommend bring hand warmers (small packets that give off heat) for the early morning game drives. You can buy them at a camping/outdoor store. Just having that little bit of warmth really makes a difference.