Expert Guide to Safari Shirts for Men
Long-sleeved safari shirts for men are one of the top packing essentials for African travels. If you're looking for advice on the best men's safari shirts, you've come to the right place. Our safari clothing has been designed in Africa to be the best safari, outdoor, and lifestyle shirts. Keep reading to find out what features to look for, the best fabric for safari shirts, top safari packing tips, and answers to frequently asked questions. Read the guide and shop the men's safari shirt collection.
Top Features To Look For in Safari Shirts For Men
- Choose Men's Long-Sleeved Safari Shirts: It's a myth that the best shirts for hot climates have short sleeves. Long-sleeved safari shirts are our top choice for sun and insect protection on safari. In lightweight technical fabric, long sleeves give you the option to cover up and adapt to the conditions. Our BUGTech+ safari shirts for men have built-in UPF50+ sun protection and built-in insect repellent - and are lightweight enough for you to cover up without overheating.
- UV Protection: You're going to be exposed to the heat of the African sun on many of your safari activities - on the back of open game-viewers, on boats or mekoros, or out and about on walking or horse safaris. Look for safari shirts for men with built-in UPF50+, which is the highest protection factor for garments on the market.
- Insect Repellent Safari Shirts for Men: Explore wild places and reduce the worry around insects in insect repellent safari shirts. Our BUGTech+ collection is powered by a proprietary EPA-registered Insect Shield® finish, which has been tested to provide insect protection. Essentially, this is achieved without compromising the wicking ability of the shirt. We always recommend doubling your defenses by applying (and regularly reapplying) a reliable bug spray throughout the day and in the evenings.
- Moisture Wicking: BUGTech+ technical fabric provides more effective moisture wicking properties than other fabrics. Wicking is the ability of the fabric to draw sweat away from the skin and dry fast. This plays an important role in temperature regulation and cooling - especially in warm-weather destinations.
- Roll-Up Sleeve Tabs: While long-sleeved shirts are a safari essential, the best safari shirts for men provide versatility. Features like roll-up sleeve tabs allow sleeves to be rolled up and secured so you have the choice of long or short sleeves during the day.
- Vents: If you are worried about overheating, an extra feature for ventilation and cooling is a vented safari shirt. Our Men's Explorer BUGTech+ Safari Shirt has our Vent+ system, which has mesh sewn into the seams in a way that minimally affects the overall styling of the shirt, but achieves great aeration.
- Safari Colors: Looking for the right safari colors is important when choosing a safari shirt. Classic safari colors include khaki and shades of brown, beige or tan, and olive green - neutral colors that help you to blend into the environment. This helps you to be less conspicuous to game, which can affect your game-viewing experience. Bright colors, white, and dark colors all stand out in the bush. White is also not the most practical color in dusty conditions on safari, while dark colors and black attract tsetse flies and insects, so are best avoided.
- Collared Safari Shirts For Men: A safari shirt with a collar is practical to cover up and protect the back of your neck from the sun. Choosing a lightweight, technical collared shirt - like our BUGTech+ range - ensures optimal UPF garment ratings.
- Safari-Tested: Our men's safari clothing has been designed to be the best for Africa, adventure travel, and the outdoors. To make sure that our clothing performs, we have wearer tested our men's shirts on safari.
- Pockets: Pockets are a traditional style feature on classic men's safari shirts. Our men's BUGTech+ safari shirts have front pockets with a zipped security section that is big enough for your passport - true travel shirts for practicality.
- Mix and Match Styles of Safari Shirts: Be sure to take a long-sleeved safari shirt in technical fabrics, but it's always a good idea to mix and match these shirts with T-shirts in safari-suitable colors. Our Men's Savute T-Shirt is made from a T-Liteful polycotton blend we've chosen for its feather-light construction and wicking properties.
Men's Safari Shirts FAQs
What shirt do people on safaris wear?
The best shirt for safari is made in safari-suitable colors (khaki, tan, and olive) from technical fabrics like BUGTech+. This lightweight fabric provides UV protection, insect defense, moisture wicking, and quick drying features that are useful for safari travel and are comfortable for outdoor adventures.
What color shirts should I wear on safari?
Choose safari shirts in neutral colors like khaki, beige, tan, and olive. Avoid wearing white and black, as these colors stand out and may affect game-viewing. If you are traveling to an area with tsetse flies, stick to lighter hues to prevent attracting these pests and their nasty bites.
What colors not to wear on safari?
Avoid wearing bright colors, white, black, and dark colors on safari. The trick is to choose neutral shades that don't stand out in the bush. Dark blue and black also attract the dreaded tsetse fly, which has a painful bite, as well as other insects.
What features to look for in safari shirts for men.
The best safari shirts for men are made from technical fabric like the BUGTech+ Collection. With built-in insect defense and UPF50+ sun protection, as well as moisture wicking and quick drying properties, these shirts offer comfort and protection in stylish, practical designs for African travels.
Why do we recommend long-sleeved safari shirts?
Long-sleeved safari shirts for men help you to cover up from the sun, for insect protection, for cooler starts or when the day creeps into the evening. In ultra-lightweight technical fabric, cover up without the worry of overheating in hot conditions. Our long-sleeved safari shirts also have roll-up sleeve tabs so you can roll up and secure your shirt sleeves - effectively giving you the option to convert to a short-sleeved safari shirt to adapt to conditions throughout the day.
What shirts to pack for a safari
The best men’s shirts for safari are long-sleeved shirts in technical fabric that offer insect defense, sun protection, and wicking features. Mix and match these shirts with safari-suitable non-technical T-shirts to build the perfect safari wardrobe for comfort and protection. Find out how many shirts to pack for the number of days of your safari with our safari packing list.
What is the best material to wear on safari?
Safari shirts in technical fabrics provide a range of benefits over other materials. BUGTech+ combines top features that are the perfect match for the conditions on safari. This includes built-in insect defense and UPF50+ sun protection, moisture wicking, quick drying, and fast crease release properties.
How to be stylish on safari
The best safari clothing provides technical benefits without compromising on how you look. A safari shirt for men is quintessential to safari style, which is enduring in its stylishness - both in Africa and every day. Our men's safari shirts have been classically styled and are made from high-performance BUGTech+ fabric, so you can look and feel great on your travels.
Can I wear a safari shirt casually?
Definitely! Safari colors are a very stylish addition to your everyday wardrobe. Our men's safari shirts have classic styling and a range of features that come in handy on any outdoor adventures or for summer style and practicality.
Are safari shirts suitable for other travel?
The features of safari shirts make them a great choice for travel. The ability of technical fabric to wash and dry fast and release wrinkles quickly is useful across travel destinations, while anti-insect, sun protective, and moisture wicking properties are a must for adventure and warm-weather travel.
What's the difference between a safari shirt and a regular button-up shirt?
Safari shirts typically use performance and outdoor-ready fabrics and prioritize practicality. Men's safari shirts also feature designs around warm-weather wear, such as vented seams and roll-up sleeve tabs.
Can you wear a white T-shirt on safari?
White stands out more than any other color on safari. To blend into the environment and for practicality, we recommend that you avoid wearing white on safari.