Safari Clothing With Keep Cool For Women's

When the mercury rises, and the hot winds blow, these clothes & accessories will keep you cool.

Women's Safari Shirts Read our Women's Safari Shirts Advice Guide

The advice below is a summary. If you are looking for more information & expert advice then please click here for our full safari shirt advice guide.

  • Pack women's safari shirts which are not only safari-suitable, but which are also safari-styled and allow you to stay comfortable while looking and feeling feminine. As we usually say: stay in a tent on safari; don't wear a tent-shaped shirt. Women's safari shirts can and should be stylish.
  • Women's safari shirts should be khaki or shades of brown and green to blend in best with the environment while on safari.
  • Women's safari shirts which are long-sleeved allow you to roll your sleeves up and down when you need to stay cool, keep warm, or to avoid sunburn on your arms. Therefore, we recommend that you pack more long-sleeved than short-sleeved safari shirts in your safari packing mix.
  • Collared women's safari shirts give you added protection from sunburn.
  • Important features for women's safari shirts include: ability to wick moisture to keep you cool, high level of sun protection (SPF50+ is best), and an anti-insect fabric finish to reduce your chances of being bitten by most flying and biting insects.
  • Pack more women's safari shirts made from man-made fibres (polyamide) than natural fibres (such as cotton). Man-made fibres are better at wicking moisture from the skin - and it is this movement of moisture which keeps you cool.

    Number of women's safari shirts to pack for your safari:
    Up to 4-day safari: x 2; Up to 8-day safari: x 4; Up to 12-day safari: x 6

Women's Safari Hats Read our Women's Safari Hats Advice Guide

The advice below is a summary. If you are looking for more information & expert advice then please click here for our full safari hat advice guide.

  • For the best protection from the strength of the midday sun in Africa - for your neck and face - pack a wide-brimmed women's safari hat.
  • With mean high temperatures reaching mid-20 to mid-30 degrees Celsius on most safaris and with safari areas in Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, and Zambia high above sea level, the effects of the sun will be pronounced and the risk of being burnt by the sun will be high. A wide-brimmed women's safari hat is literally your first line of defence against sunburn.
  • Wide-brimmed women's safari hats also provide shelter when it rains. We find that a wide-brimmed safari hat definitely makes it more comfortable when you are caught out on a walk or game drive by a sudden thunderstorm or tropical shower, as at least your face remains dry and fewer drops go into your eyes.
  • Colour is key when choosing a women's safari hat - with neutral shades such as khaki, green, or brown the best. Your safari hat will often be the most conspicuous part of you while viewing wildlife on a walking safari.
  • Pack a women's safari hat which suits your safari style. Fortunately, there are more styles available for women today which range from leather hats to classically-styled indie and panama-shaped hats.
  • Modern wide-brimmed women's safari hats are also conveniently packable and are easy manipulate back into shape. A note though: not all hats are packable and should be carried with your carry-on luggage - and, even when a hat is packable, never crush your safari hat under a hard object - such as shoes or binoculars - when packing.

    Number of wide-brimmed women's safari hats to pack for your safari:
    1 x wide-brimmed safari hat per person.
    *Pack a warm and cosy safari beanie for cold mornings and the African winter too.

Women's Safari Trousers & Shorts Read our Women's Safari Trousers & Shorts Advice Guide

  • Pack comfortable, lightweight women's safari trousers which are made in safari-suitable colours such as shades of khaki, brown, and green. Trousers made from anti-insect fabric will give you extra defence from most biting insects too.
  • Women's safari zip-off/convertible trousers are often the safari trousers of choice for women simply due to their versatility - no matter how hot or cold it is on safari. Use them as trousers when cool, shorts when hot - and they save on valuable packing space by being two garments in one. The legs on women's safari convertible pants also give added protection from the sun and defence from most biting insects - especially when treated with built-in SPF and anti-insect finish. For walking safaris, having separate waterproof leg sections which provide insect defence work well given the morning dew on early morning walks - ensuring your legs stay drier and reducing bites (although you should always apply insect repellent for ticks and other insects).
  • If you prefer to wear stand-alone women's safari trousers and women's safari shorts, then make sure you work out the duration of the activity and wear either trousers or the shorts depending on the weather. While other trousers are perhaps more stylish than women's safari zip-off trousers, there is no use starting off warm when it's cold in the morning only to sweat in the heat later on in the day. Another option if you prefer separate safari trousers and safari shorts would be to take shorts or trousers with you on each safari activity in a satchel or daypack and change while on the activity.
  • The ideal women's safari trousers and shorts should offer you a good level of style with a feminine cut. They should also be lightweight, strong, provide a high level of sun protection (SPF50+ is best), and have an anti-insect finish. Wicking is less important from a sweat point of view as your legs don't sweat as much as your upper body, but still consider wicking as an important feature to ensure that, should your trousers get wet from the rain or a water-based activity - or even just the morning dew while walking - that they dry very quickly.
  • Again, while your lower body does not feel the heat as much as your upper body, always consider women's safari trousers which are made from man-made fibres (such as polyamide) over those made from natural fibres (such as cotton). Women's safari trousers and safari shorts made from man-made fibres will also crease less and dry faster when you wash them on your safari and travels.

    Number of women's safari trousers and safari shorts to pack for your safari:
    Up to 4-day safari: x 2 (1+1); Up to 8-day safari: x 3 (2+1); Up to 12-day safari: x 4 (2+2)
    We have shown the number of women's safari trouser zip-offs/convertibles as the first number - "x 3"- and the women's safari trousers plus women's safari shorts combination in brackets - e.g. (2+1). Always make sure that you pack the total number whether you opt for safari zip-offs, safari trousers, or safari shorts, but always have a combination of safari shorts and trousers. As an example, for an 8-day safari, you could take one pair of zip-offs, one pair of trousers, and one pair of shorts - or three pairs of zip-offs or two pairs of safari shorts and one pair of safari trousers - or vice versa.

Women's Safari Socks & Ankle Gaiters Read our Women's Safari Socks & Ankle Gaiters Advice Guide

  • Walking in the bush while on safari is the quintessential experience. We recommend it to all who go to Africa.
  • Whether you go for a short nature walk with your guide or a multi-day walking safari, please ensure that you pack safari-coloured safari socks which offer a double layer for blister protection. Bad blisters ruin good walks.
  • Pack ankle gaiters if you prefer further protection for your ankles and socks.

Number of blister-proof socks to pack for your safari:
Up to 4-day safari: x 2; Up to 8-day safari: x 3; Up to 12-day safari: x 4.

Women's Safari Dresses & Skorts Read our Women's Safari Dresses & Skorts Advice Guide

  • Pack a women's safari dress and a pair of women's safari skorts to add variety to your wardrobe.
  • Ensure that you select women's safari dresses and skorts which are made in safari-suitable colours.
  • A women's safari dress can also be very versatile when worn with tights, as a longer shirt, or tucked into your safari trousers.
  • Women's safari skorts - which are a combination of shorts and a skirt, with the shorts inside the skorts - are great for safaris in 4x4s as you are able to climb on to and off of the game drive vehicle without worrying about your underwear showing.
  • While, by their design, both safari dresses and safari skorts do allow for a good flow of air around the body to keep you cool, it is still worth looking for styles made in technical fabrics simply as they are usually lighter, easier to pack, and perform better in the heat.

Pack any combination of women's safari dresses & skorts to get the following totals:
Up to 4-day safari: x 1 to 2; Up to 8-day safari: x 2 to 3; Up to 12-day safari: x 3 to 4

Women's Safari Beanies & Scarves Read our Women's Safari Beanies & Scarves Advice Guide

  • 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.
  • It can and does get cold on safari. See our Womens Safari Jackets and Fleeces page for more information on why this is the case.
  • Pack women's garments and accessories for your safari which keep you warm. Women's safari scarves, safari beanies, and safari gloves should be considered a packing essential over the African winter - and may also be required for some mornings on summer safaris too.
  • 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 women's safari beanie just in case. For the most part, your women's wide-brimmed safari hat should keep you warm enough, but why take the risk? Please also take note 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, so we would recommend taking warmer safari accessories just in case.
  • Pack safari scarves, safari beanies, and safari gloves in safari colours.

Number of women's safari scarves, safari beanies, and safari gloves to pack for your safari:
1 x women's safari scarf; 1 x women's safari beanie; 1 x women's safari gloves - although you should be fine tucking your hands into your women's safari jacket or fleece to keep them warm.

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