The Adventurer's Gear Thread

Baggers · Sep 7, 2006

Mojave Jack said:
By all means! And cheers, indeed. That backdrop does scream Africa. No need for BT's photoshopping skills here. And I'll be willing to bet it was about as hot as Africa, too! The high in Phoenix was 110 when I landed there today, and we have a bit of a monsoon right now. Very humid and Africa-like. Great ensemble, Baggers. Don't you wish we could get away with those boots on a daily basis?

Thanks, too bad the shots didn't turn out better. Actually, it wasn't that hot, but the OD wool shirt I wore for taking the shots of the campaign hat did get a little sweaty from the humidity that morning. We did get some rain late in the afternoon and evening, though, and on our drive back to the Dallas area on Monday it started raining on us again about halfway there and continued all the way home where it stayed with us through most of the night. A most welcome event, but not nearly enough to put a dent in the months long drought we've been experiencing. We're hoping for more this coming weekend. Bring it on!

And yes, I'm really wanting to wear those things out and about. They are just too cool. Who knows, I'm keeping an eye peeled for the appropriate time. Too bad I don't own a horse, I see people in the grocery store all the time who've just come from the stable dressed similarly. All I'd need to complete the look is some manure on them and I'd fit right in! lol

Cheers!

Serial Hero · Sep 9, 2006

I found this article that is kind of interesting

http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/library/chic.asp

Mike K. · Sep 9, 2006

Gentlemen of this thread, I would like to comment on two things I've noticed regarding adventuring gear...

First, I absolutely love seeing all of the fine boots, breeches, hats, etc. You all have some amazing collections of truly vintage-adventure style! Just one thing seems to be missing however...a little abuse.

All these photos and everything looks brand spanking new. Now, I know how much money goes into some of this stuff and not everyone would want to risk damage to their kits, but it just doesn't seem right seeing crisp & shiny instead of dusty & battered for adventuring gear. Perhaps we need to begin discussion about a Fedora Lounge safari.[huh]

Second, where are all the ladies?! Certainly some of the FL gals are adventurous types. I seem to recall reading a thread from MissQueenie about putting together the FolkWear bush outfit. There must be other gals with some khaki & leather in the steamer trunk! It just doesn't seem right that only the guys are contributing to this thread. What would Gable have been without Gardner in the movie Mogambo? C'mon ladies, where are those khakis?!:whistling

Nick Charles · Sep 9, 2006

True. And if I had anyone to go with, I'd get dirty. Aside from that after much delay and two lost orders I got the British Indian officer shirt in Khaki. which is british khaki not that light colored stuff. And man the shirt weigh about a pound and a half. rugged and well made. Photos to come.(Spanking new and clean)

K by the bay · Sep 9, 2006

Dear Sirs, I am an adventurous lady. Still can't figure out how to post pics though haha. I love pith helmets, campaign hats, tall boots, all that sort of thing. I suppose it sounds terribly decadent but I'd love to be a big game hunter. Small game is welcome too. Would like to try harpooning swordfish, deerstalking with a sword and many other things. The boots I wear are Hunter of Scotland green wellies. Also have the Argyll type. Black with red top. Your outfits look fine.

Baggers · Sep 9, 2006

Mike, you're absoutely correct. Our gear is too clean. However, I'm planning on allowing mine to "distress" naturally. I've never been a fan of pre-distressed anything because I think 90% of it looks fake. Besides, it's cool to be able to see the history in a garment by observing the dirt, scars, and wrinkles it's gathered during its years of use. I'm planning on giving my boots a good polishing this weekend, and then I'm simply going to wear them and let them gather their own character. After all, even Frederick Selous' vellies started out new, he didn't buy them pre-aged.

The safari idea sounds intriguing. Perhaps we could attempt a day or overnight trek here in the States (a park or wildlife area). My vote would naturally be for somewhere in the desert southwest. We could try to do it as "Golden Era" as safety would permit. Or we could organize a summit on some private land or at a lodge. Kind of like the Queen Mary, only under canvas.

Nick, I can't wait to see that shirt of yours. I've been thinking about it for myself, only in white, and haven't been down to my local Orvis store to see if they have it in stock.

And K by the bay, welcome! It's good to know that the ladies have an interest in this. Maybe you should give us a plug in the Powder Room?

Cheers!

Mojave Jack · Sep 9, 2006

Mike, you're absolutely right!

I was actually talking with Matt Deckard and Julius Xavier about this very thing. JX proposed a camping trip in old style, and I volunteered my little part of the desert as an option. (No bugs, a real advantage!) We haven't gotten very far, primarily since it is still too hot to really enjoy being outdoors. After all, even in Egypt they knock off excavating for the summer due to the intense heat. Nonetheless, the option is still on the table!

On the abused gear issue, I also agree. I don't wear it nearly as much as I would like, and I usually blend items into my wardrobe a piece at a time. I would descibe my typical field gear as "vintage inspired," rather than true to form. Even so I am regarded as excentric since I don't wear jeans and t-shirts every day. I was on my way to the field one day, wearing my usual: desert combat boots, khaki cargo shorts, button front shirt, with my P37 canteen slung over my shoulder. A co-worker looked at me, paused for a second, and said, "You're really into that old school sh**, aren't you?" Every time I go over to Range Scheduling, the supervisor says, "Here comes Indiana Jones!" even though I am wearing a bush jacket and khakis. When I was working on a project in Indiana, the rest of the crew called me the "Banana Republic Archaeologist," because I wore my Columbia fishing shirts and khakis. Here's a few typical days in the field:

Mojave Jack · Sep 9, 2006

Nick Charles said:
True. And if I had anyone to go with, I'd get dirty. Aside from that after much delay and two lost orders I got the British Indian officer shirt in Khaki. which is british khaki not that light colored stuff. And man the shirt weigh about a pound and a half. rugged and well made. Photos to come.(Spanking new and clean)

Nick, I want to do some research for my dissertation in your area at White Tanks. I've been talking with Indiana Tone (over at COW) about a visit there at a time TBD. Actually, we've been talking about it for over a year! lol I'm only five hours from Phoenix, so a field trip would be pretty easy. I really do need to get moving on it; other coursework has interfered with me making any progress on my own research, though. Maybe we should just pick a date and do it!

Nick Charles · Sep 9, 2006

Count me in I'll be happy to white tank with you guys. I even have a four wheel drive truck and enough regular camping gear to get it done. Really not vintage. But if someone has a wall tent thats great. LEt me know when.

Mike K. · Sep 9, 2006

Well everyone, let's rule out any encampment in my neck of the woods...err, swamp. The bugs aren't too bad this year, but 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity doesn't make for an enjoyable experience. November through March is a lot better. Baggers I really love that photo of you in Texas hill country...very Tanzania-ish. I should be wrapping up my PhD in the next several months if all goes well and I've been seriously thinking of treating myself to an African safari afterwards. I'm still debating between a real hunting trip versus a photo safari (perhaps I'll do a combination). I hear there's actually some African big game reserves in Texas. If we decide to go through with this get-together, perhaps we should consider one of these places in Texas. Mojave, it's not old school @$%!, it's classic-style @$%!

I usually get questions about crocodile hunting or going on safari, but over time everyone has gotten accustomed to my attire. K By The Bay, good to have you here...welcome! Please spread the word. As for posting your pics, just go to photobucket.com and set up an album. Then all you do is copy the URL and paste into the Fedora Lounge 'insert image' tab when posting a thread. It's really quite easy once you get the hang of it. As for me, I'll have to borrow one of the digital cameras from work and get some shots of myself. I just won some leather gaiters off the 'bay' that should go nicely with my service boots. I'm also waiting on the arrival of a different size Beretta safari jacket (hopefully this one will not be so oversized). There's also a British belted bush jacket at What Price Glory for a really decent price...and check out the cool horsehair fly whisk too!

Viola · Sep 10, 2006

What would you gentlemen recommend to a lady as a "starter set"? Exploring the wilds sounds very appealing, but none of my still-slim vintage collection is that rugged and somehow safari in nylon this and synthetic mumbo-jumbo that just doesn't have the same cachet.

Should I take this to the Powder Room?

Nick Charles · Sep 10, 2006

I'd go with much of the same stuff as the men. High boots, ridiing pants, maybe a more feminine shirt silk or gaberdine instead of wool or cotton duck. Pith helmut or wide brim hat. Like this

Baggers · Sep 10, 2006

Mike K. said:
Well everyone, let's rule out any encampment in my neck of the woods...err, swamp. The bugs aren't too bad this year, but 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity doesn't make for an enjoyable experience. November through March is a lot better. Baggers I really love that photo of you in Texas hill country...very Tanzania-ish.

Bummer. Too bad you can't send the rain our way. Actually, November through March might be easier to do. November is the Queen Mary, but perhaps after the first of the year. Very Tanzania-ish, eh? I like that.

Mike K. said:
I hear there's actually some African big game reserves in Texas. If we decide to go through with this get-together, perhaps we should consider one of these places in Texas.

There's one southwest of Dallas/Fort Worth, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. Check out the on site lodging and their off season special in the lower right corner of the page. Who knows how they'd react to a bunch of Out of Africa wannabes, but it might be interesting.

Mike K. said:
There's also a British belted bush jacket at What Price Glory for a really decent price...and check out the cool horsehair fly whisk too!

I've got that jacket (of course) and the fly whisk. You'll need to be careful about fitting. The sleeves on it are a bit too short for me and the cuffs are rather snug. I'm thinking of converting it to short sleeves so I can get more wear out of it. The fly whisk is not as big as some I've seen, but for only $14, it's not bad.

Cheers!

carebear · Sep 10, 2006

Baggers said:
The fly whisk is not as big as some I've seen, but for only $14, it's not bad.

Cheers!

Remember, it's not the size of your fly whisk that counts, it's the size of the whisk in your fly.

Mike K. · Sep 10, 2006

carebear said:
Remember, it's not the size of your fly whisk that counts, it's the size of the whisk in your fly.

lol Ha! No comment Carebear... lol

Baggers - I'll definitely check out the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. I'm also waiting for an info packet for a real Tanzania safari and it looks like another biological expedition to Trinidad is in the works for my next summer. Hey, since you have the WPG Bush Jacket, can you tell me what size and also the shoulder & sleeve measurements? I'm always a bit afraid of mail/internet purchases in terms of getting the right fit.

Viola - I agree with Nick. While synthetics are all the rage in the hi-tech outdoor world, they actually do not work well in a number of climates (leave 'em for the mountaineering trips). I'd recommend starting with some places like L. L. Bean, Cabelas, Orvis, and Woolrich. Also check eBay for some great items (e.g. old Banana Republic gear). View some old photos and movies (e.g. Out of Africa) and then look to mimic the style. Glad to have you here...by all means spread the word in the Powder Room!

Everyone, I don't know what your experience is but I've organized and led a number of expeditions/safaris over the years. I'm rather busy for the next several months finishing my PhD, but if we're serious about a trip...perhaps late summer/early autumn 2007... then I'd love to put it all together!

Mike K. · Sep 10, 2006

Folks the Tanzania wildlife safaris for 2007 are running right around $6000 (incl. airfare) at this time. I'm currently working with Thomson Safaris which is a top-ranked company. They can also put together 'private' safaris (perhaps for a group of us). I'll be looking to do something during the tourist off-season but still when wildlife is abundant. I'm opening a thread in the FL Events section so please respond there if you are seriously interested.

Viola · Sep 10, 2006

Thanks a lot, you guys. Now I have whole new sites trying to slurp up all my money! :rage:

Seriously I love this stuff, and I started a new thread in the Powder Room too.

Mojave Jack · Sep 10, 2006

Mike K. said:
Folks the Tanzania wildlife safaris for 2007 are running right around $6000 (incl. airfare) at this time. I'm currently working with Thomson Safaris which is a top-ranked company. They can also put together 'private' safaris (perhaps for a group of us). I'll be looking to do something during the tourist off-season but still when wildlife is abundant. I'm opening a thread in the FL Events section so please respond there if you are seriously interested.

Wow, Mike, that sounds like a great trip! Unfortunately, as long as the wife is still in school (until 2008), all of my leave time is reserved for her. She has a friend there at Yale that is planning a trip along the east coast of Africa around that time, and we are thinking seriously about trying to plan long term for that. There is also the question of my long-planned trip across the Gobi, to retrace the routes of the Central Asiatic Expeditions. Still, an African safari...

Viola, try this site, too: SHE Safari. I have no experience with them, but they have a lot of style and the prices aren't exhorbitant. I agree with Mike on the LL Bean stuff, too. That's the kind of stuff you can incorporate into your daily wear without looking too "safari." Of course, women can get away with a lot more than men. You can wear tall boots every day, and people will think you're pretty fashionable!

Great picture, Nick! Osa's got it goin' on!

Viola · Sep 10, 2006

Would that finding, not to mention affording, all this stuff was as easy as Heromachine!

carebear · Sep 10, 2006

Viola said:
Would that finding, not to mention affording, all this stuff was as easy as Heromachine!

Whatcha packin' there Vi?

Looks like a Python.

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