Katie from Audley tests our products in the South Luangwa.

We simply cannot test our clothing often enough. We want to be the best and so getting a variety of people from various backgrounds to test our products and make sure we are not making false claims is our bread and butter. We love criticism as this makes us even better.

Fortunately as we push the limits with our products the criticisms seem to be on the wane. We have sent our clothing and products out to Africa with professional safari guides, hardened explorers, seasoned safari goers from the press corp, and safari loving tour operators. When we heard that Katie from Audley was going to Zambia in the hottest, driest, nastiest time of the year during the aptly named 'hell month' we jumped at the opportunity to send some gear out with her to try out.

Of Zambia itself, Katie says: "...wow, what an absolutely stunning country. I absolutely loved it, one of my best ever safaris. It was so wild and beautiful, and we saw hundreds and hundreds of elephants - my favourite. Highlights were South Luangwa in general, I really enjoyed it there, especially the carmine bee-eaters - stunning. And the canoe safari - basic but such fun. And microlighting over the Falls, really incredible even though the falls were at pretty low water..."

Please do take the time to read her comments on the products tested below. We have illustrated the comments with some of the lovely images Katie took on the safari - proving that 'hell month' is definitely one of the best times to visit Zambia in spite of the heat!:

Barmah Squashy Leather Oiled Safari hat: "I travelled to Zambia in the hottest time of year, so for once I couldn't ignore the advice to take a hat with me. I bought the leather oiled hat, which I think was the best choice for me - it's been really well made and I'm confident will last me years and years of travel. It kept the sun off my face, was very comfortable and being able to squash it down and pack in my bag was a huge bonus. I love it!"

RID insect repellent: "Unluckily for me, I am a magnet for mosquitos and tsetses, if there are any within several miles, they will find me. RID worked considerably better than any repellent I've bought in the UK previously and definitely stopped me from getting eaten alive, despite seeing tonnes of tsetses in particular. I also love that the deet concentration isn't so high that your skin feels like it's melting! I will definitely be buying this again and would recommend it to anyone."

TechniBlock: "This stuff is amazing - a proper spray which you don't need to rub in at all, it's totally clear, and my usually sensitive skin didn't react to it at all. I spent several days in the blazing Zambian sun with no available shade, on a canoe safari, and this saved me from totally frying. And I still came home with a nice tan, despite wearing factor 40 for the entire trip."

Women's Rufiji Maratech Long Sleeved SafariElite shirt:"This shirt is so comfortable, and fits really well. It's been well designed to keep you cool during hot days, and has buttons on the sleeves so you can roll them up and keep them there, to make it a short-sleeved shirt. I love its versatility, and will definitely be packing this on all of my future safaris.

Travelling to Africa and not sure which tour operator to use. We highly recommend travelling with one of our safari partners - click here to view.



 

 



Posted Nov 7th 2011, 13:05