Good safari hats are an essential part of your hunting equipment - not only to protect yourself from the sun but also to reduce the chance of an animal spotting you.

“No one knows how ungentlemanly he can look, until he has seen himself in a shocking bad hat” Robert Smith Surtees

• Comfortable for many hours of wear
• Sweat absorbent on the inside and water-resistant on the outside.
• Cooling features, allowing your head to ‘breathe’ – vents, mesh, cotton or canvas material.
• Mesh is not a good idea in tsetse fly country - they will get inside your hat and drive you mad!
• All round wide-brim to prevent facial, ear and neck sunburn and reduce glare from sun.
• Well-fitting or with string to avoid being blown off during travel in open vehicle.
• Khaki, green, brown colours rather than white or any bright colour. A camouflage safari hat is ideal.
• A crushable hat is great for packing rather than a hat that you to have to wear or carry everywhere en route.

In addition to your main safari hat, you may need a warm wool or fleece hat for cold mornings in the hunting truck.

Here is a selection of safari hats worn by our clients.....

Bruce (right) is wearing a woollen non-bobble hat and full cold weather gear having a coffee break while buffalo hunting in Masailand. PH Steve is wearing a stylish canvas hat with Zulu bead hat band. PH Colin has enough hair not to need a hat in cold climates.

Martin looking very dapper in a very smart canvas hat in the style of a young Stewart Grainger.

Trigger looking every bit the quintessential Englishman in Africa with a Tilley hat and fine double rifle. He is only outdone by Melvyn (below) who hunted in a tie and flat cap in Botswana though these were left in the truck when Melvyn hunted the steamy Selous.

This hat (also known as a sun helmet, topee, sola topee, salacot or topi) was made of cork or the pith from the Sola plant of Asia and covered with cloth. It was designed to shade the head from the sun and was very popular with Europeans and Americans in tropical climates.

From 1870, the pith helmet was used by various military forces in the tropical colonies.

The helmet was made of pith with peaks front and rear, with holes for ventilation, a cloth covering and chin strap.

The pith helmet design is still prevalent as part military dress uniforms, though often decorated with spikes and plumes.

During the Anglo-Zulu war the British dyed their white cloth covering with tea, in an effort to camouflage. After this khaki coloured helmets became standard issue.

In the 1930s civilian life, the same pith helmet was worn (minus badges and regalia) to avoid sunstroke in the tropics by people of European origin – even indoors just in case the dangerous sun’s rays could penetrate the roof.

Related topics:

• Safari Shirts
- What to look for in a good safari shirt.
• Safari Jackets
- Do you need a classic safari jacket?
• Safari Trousers/Pants
- The long and the short of it.
• Underwear For Hunting
- Not a small consideration.
• Socks
- Functions of a good sock.
• Safari Boots/Shoes
- Characteristics of good hunting boots.
• Safari Accessories
- Scarves, sunglasses, belts etc.