Hunting In Sandels?

[dmyers]

Sandels for African Hunting?

I've always been fascinated by the footwear hunters wear. As a hunter and guide, I find that while we discuss caliber and different firearms for hours, the main ingredients for a successful hunt (equipment wise) are the correct clothing and especially footwear.

So I'm courous about why some PH's and maybe hunters wear sandals while hunting? I'm not talking about wet hunting here, but dry land hunting? What is the advantage?

If this is on another thread, please send me a link!

 

[Bsto270]

I can say in the part of the Eastern Cape I was hunting in, some sort of leather, enclosed boot/shoe was the way to go just due to the stunning amount of prickly pear, cholla (probably misspelled) cactus, thorn acacia, etc in the area. One of the PH's in camp told me about taking out some clients from the middle east one time who did not have sufficient footwear and the cacti turned into an issue for them. I bet in some areas they would work though.

 

[Ryan]

When it comes to hot and thorny places I've lived and hunted in Arizona wtih all it's assorted cacti, mesquite and acacias (@Bsto270 you got cholla right), north Florida with the greenbriars and two hunts in Namibia. Sandals have their place, I wore them a lot in town, around the yard and house and on trails. Heck I wore many down. But not often in the thick of things. If I did I usually paid for it. Just a little protection of the tops of your feet and ankles goes a long way to keep all the scrapes down and thorns out of my skin. So for me light hunting shoe type boots for dry places, now a pair of Russell Mocassin Thula Thulas. And in Florida we lived in LL Bean boots to keep our feet from getting too wet and beaten up by the briars.

 

[CAustin]

First two safaris I went innthe PH was wearing sandels. I thought he had to be crazy but he said he was very comfortable that way. He didn't seem to have any problems either.

 

[Fr8liner]

Definitely depend so on the area.
I had watched to many videos of PHS in sandels and decided to use a pair of easy slip on moccasins style shoes which I know are stealthy
My PH mate laughed at me and said when the first spikey thorn effort dropped into the open top I wouldn't be stalking I would be hopping!
Too True - the Save has a mean little ball thorn that litters the place. Boots and gaiters it has to be.

Then the other day we did a stalk on a couple of rhino and my footsteps in sneakers were crunching through the grass, different terrain so I slipped them off and continued barefoot with no hassles.

Depends on the area. If you in the gusu sands around Hwange you pretty much can go without shoes.
Take a selection - good boots and light sandels/sneakers, gaiters are a must. Just make sure both are quiet or your PH will give you the look that could put YOU in the salt.

 

[dmyers]

Interesting,

I find sandals usualy fill with seeds, dirt, sand, sticks and all sorts of uncomfortable stuff as soon as you get off the trail- nomater where you are - although I have only limited African experience.

It does look comfy!

 

[ArmyGrunt]

The area I hunted in SA was not laden with thorns. I wore these in a different color a couple of days. The worst I got out of it was teasing from PH and the hosts at the lodge. Damn comfortable, and far more quiet than Blackhawk desert boots

Vibram five fingers. Those were the only pair I owned, but I'm up to three now. Four pairs, if you count losing the ones that look like this image

 

[dmyers]

Wow, those are an interesting choice!

 

[frankdes]

These would be great to hunt bushpig during night (IR scope). They are really stealthy enough to run between the macademia trees especially in the Tzaneen area of Limpopo.

FRANK

 

[CLICKBANGBANG]

I've actually done a fair bit of hunting in sandals and taken many animals while wearing them. Granted, they were all rabbits, squirrels, and gofers while I worked in the garden and flower beds. But the sandals worked quite well as I stand between my bell peppers and tomatoes defending the squash with my .177 air rifle.

 

[fourfive8]

Do what suits you. It'll work until it doesn't. But no swiveling when it doesn't.

 

[lwaters]

I wore a pair of Merrell hiking shoes with gaiters when hunting buffalo. They were noisey as heck in the grass which was dry. A nice pair of quite soft soled shoes would have been better in the soft sand.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Lots of the trackers wear sandals. But for them it is likely a choice between sandals or nothing. Growing up in the environment without shoes, they have calluses few others can match and it works.

Due to an unlikely string of events, I ended up hunting in central Namibia in sandals for a few days and I certainly don't advocate it.

If the appeal of sandals is that they are quiet, ditch the American-style boots and get a pair of proper gum soled boots for Africa.

 

[Ernie Shipman]

isn't "sandels" spelled incorrectly?

 

[Nyati]

isn't "sandels" spelled incorrectly?

Yes, it´s sandals

 

[CAustin]

I wore a pair of Merrell hiking shoes with gaiters when hunting buffalo. They were noisey as heck in the grass which was dry. A nice pair of quite soft soled shoes would have been better in the soft sand.

Wouldn't think you would go bare foot

 

[Pondoro]

I have hunted frequently in sandals during the hot season in Africa, when its 37-40 degrees C it becomes unbearable to wear boots for me. The Keen brand is closed at the front, works splendidly...