Safari Pants

Page Updated: Feb 2021

When choosing your safari pants or trousers for African hunting, go for comfort above all and you might like the advice meted out by Henry Astbury Leveson when dressing your lower half for African hunting...

"In Equatorial Africa, during the intense heat of the day, I generally wore a kilt and flannel shirt, boots and gaiters, which dress I found cooler and less liable to gall than trousers. Many good sportsmen prefer the kilt to any other dress, on account of the freedom and play it allows the limbs". From the book 'Wrinkles: Or Hints To Sportsmen And Travellers On Dress, Equipment And Camp Life' by Henry Astbury Leveson or 'The Old Shekarry' (1874)

Choosing Good Safari Pants

More than anything, your safari pants need to be comfortable for hunting Africa. You will lots of time walking and sitting in a bumpy hunting truck so loose-fitting pants are a must, especially in the crotch area.
Preferably lightweight cotton or hi-tech synthetic material that is wicks moisture away and is quiet when walking. Safari pants fabric needs to be light for the heat but needs to be tough enough not to rip when leopard crawling or hunting through dense thorn bush.
Pants made with insect repellent impregnated synthetic fabric might be useful especially in the evenings when mosquitoes are at their worse. If you want cotton pants that are insect repellent, you will need to spray them yourself with permethrin.
Extra cooling features include zip-off legs which create shorts. Zip-off legs sound quite a good idea until you try to zip them on again while still wearing them!
Long trousers or shorts? Most hunters prefer to hunt in long trousers which offer better protection against thorns, insects and the sun. Shorts are obviously cooler and quieter to walk in.
Pockets - better to have a button closure rather than velcro which can be noisy to use.
Try to minimise other optional features like cargo-pants loops or flares as you will just get caught up on branches and thorns.
Really wide-legged, baggy pants are not really unsuitable for hunting in Africa - go for more narrow-legs but not too tight.
Khaki, green, brown colours rather than white or any bright colour

Recommended Safari Pants For Men

Here is a selection of pants which are ideal for different African safari conditions - some very rugged for thick and thorny conditions, some light weight, insect repellent pants and some convertible pants. Any pants that are made of synthetic material are liable to melt under a hot iron so tell the camp ironing person before leaving them in the dirty laundry pile. Read more on clothes ironing on safari.

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(Click on images for full details & colour options)

These men's quick-dry convertible pants are water repellent and breathable. They come with a comfortable side elastic waist, zip-off legs and UPF 40+ sun protection. Buy Now

These rugged outdoor performance pants are made with a soft, stretch cotton blend. They have articulated knees and gusseted crotch for greater comfort and mobility. Pockets include two rear, top-entry pockets and a low-profile side utility pocket with concealed zipper, all lined with hydrophilic mesh. Buy Now

These Explorer pants are made of a comfortable cotton blend has just enough stretch. The drawstring waist adjusts for the perfect fit every time. One the of the back pockets is zipped to keep your valuables secure. Buy Now

These lightweight yet durable pants are perfect for hot weather hunts. They are made of stretch-woven fabric with advanced hydrophobic fibers woven in for better moisture control. The treated fabric is water resistant and always feels dry to the touch. The double-weave fabric hangs away from your skin to help with wicking, venting, temperature control and is resistant to punctures and abrasion. Mesh pockets allow additional breathability. Buy Now

Billed as briar pants for hunters, these pants are equally at home in Africa. They are durable and comfortable with an athletic fit and technical stretch base fabric that is a blend of 98% cotton and 2% spandex. The front is reinforced with an extra layer of very tightly woven cotton canvas that will protect you from thorns. Buy Now

These cotton twill khaki pants are more substantial than ordinary khakis, so they hold up longer. They are prewashed for the soft, broken-in fit and come with plain front styling, interior button tab, locker loop to hang them and prevent wrinkling and a cotton waistband. Buy Now
If you prefer, these cotton twill khaki pants also come with a pleated front

These ultralightweight pants are treated with Insect Shield repellent and will dry almost instantly due to the durable water-repellent treatment on the fabric. They provide UPF 50 sun protection and come with articulated knees, gusseted crotch, and elasticized waist for comfort and mobility. The 2 zippered back pockets and two front pockets are all lined with mesh for even faster drying and lighter weight. The adjustable leg opening gusset allows you to customize your fit over different types of footwear. Scuff guard at back leg opening for extra durability. Buy Now

Wrangler RIGGS Men's Ranger pants are made of 100% cotton ripstop fabric. They have button closure, reinforced knees, roomy side cargo pockets with flaps and a zip fly with button. Buy Now

These 5.11 men's Stryke pants with Flex-Tac are made from two-way mechanical stretch fabric, with a fully gusseted crotch, self-adjusting tunnel waistband and articulated knees. Built to last, these pants feature 12 pockets, including double-deep reinforced cargo pockets and front pockets. Buy Now

The 5.11 Tactical men's Covert Cargo pants combine superior tactical performance with a comfortable, low-profile design. With the look and feel of casual flat front cargo pants, these pants have large storage pockets along the left and right seams, double-deep, reinforced front and rear pockets and a self-adjusting tunnel waistband ensures a stable and secure fit when you are on the move. Made from peached cotton canvas. Buy Now

These durable, quick-wicking convertible pants feature built-in sun protection and plentiful storage making them the perfect choice for active days in warm weather. Buy Now

These Carhartt's pants are made of 100% cotton ripstop fabric. There's rugged, double-front construction plus the added durability of cordura-lined front-ledge and back pockets. Carry what you need in two large cargo pockets with flaps and snap closures, as well as multiple utility pockets. Buy Now