Plus sized wear for safari

[FriendofDorothy]

In 5 weeks I am going on safari with my family (as long as none of us get Covid!) and I usually live in navy blue. However I have been told that navy isn't a great colour to wear on safari and I should stick to khaki and neutrals.

I am a size 20 and don;t want to look like a giant turd. Any advice from people who have been on safari for things to wear or take which are comfy and appropriate for a safari in Kenya.

Why isn't navy a good colour? I have been on a safari and was never told this... you'll be in a vehicle, presumably?

I’m a 20 and wear baggy linen trousers in beige and shirts in similar.

I have some linen joggers in beige, they could work and are very comfortable.

JayAlfredPrufrock that’s spooky!!!

You need cool.cotton or linen . Light colours are better in the heat. Something comfortable if youre in a 4x4, sturdy shoes, sunhat, sunglasses and long sleeves in case you get bitten. It can get humid. I wouldnt spend a lot of money.

@MorganSeventh presumably navy is to avoid tsetse flies as they bite through blue/black. It's not an issue everywhere.

Early morning drives can be freezing so bring layers. I just wear regular washed out jeans, long sleeved t-shirts and light coloured sweaters for the morning. Lighter trousers (linen or even light coloured leggings are fine) for the afternoon as it can be hot until the sun goes down. I avoid shorts/short sleeves as mosquitoes! Sunglasses/sunhat/suncream in your bag and they usually have blankets on the truck if you get cold.

Not been in Kenya, I went to Zimbabwe, but I wore khakis and beiges and camels mostly, simple things like t shirts, fleeces, long sleeved tops, shorts, and trousers - I found some paperbag waist ones which were lovely. Everything was highstreet or Mountain Warehouse. As per PP it can be very cold in mornings so you may want to layer with some thermal bases.

Sports bra is a must, even for a small chest like mine, those drives can be bumpy.

If you are staying at a camp that includes laundry ensure to check if launder underwear too, some don't, so you might want to pack extra or some detergent.

Just been to Kenya on Safari.
I laughed out loud when despite efforts to keep clothing neutral we were handed bright pink and red Masai blankets to keep warm in the Safari vehicle. Honestly no need to stick to neutrals our Masai Guide was also very colourful.
But I wore Mountain Warehouse trousers in pale blue if that's any help and they were excellent. If you have long hair it blows about and a hat won't stay on so I wore a bandana and that worked well- even if I looked like I'd dropped in from the 1980s. Fleece and waterproof windbreaker jacket.
It was fab- have fun!

I am a size 20 and did Botswana.
I agree with the loud brightly coloured blankets
I also live in navy.
I wore neutral and blues.
I echo the above.... it is so so bloody cold in the mornings. Every day I tried to get better at it. The last day I had socks on my hands... until the sun came out and you could start to peel layers on it is freezing.
I wish I had really understood that before I left.
It's all about the layers!

Recommend linen cotton trousers like these :-

www.craghoppers.com/nosibotanical-linah-trouser-blue-navy-stripe/?gclsrc

It’s only freezing in winter. In summer I’ve never been cold in early morning or night drives.

I’ve benn on 30+ safaris (lived in E Africa, worked in a safari lodge) and never stuck to khaki. Navy/ dark purples can attract tsetse fly (so painful)but there are lots of less intese shades that should be fine. dark colours also show the dust more but unless you are on a walking safari you dont need to worry about anything more than having to have changes / be prepared to look a bit grubby.

I would say in E Africa vehicles are normally not open so spooking animals is less of an issue than it would be with open sided vehicles more common in southern Africa. So you may need to be more mindful than I was depending on where you are going.