What Did Big Game Hunters’ Tents Look Like?

[Cacique Caribe]

Are there any good representations of what tents Western hunters took with them when traversing Darkest Africa?

[Plynkes]

Unfortunately they didn't take many pictures of their tents. However, I have seen a photo of Fred Selous walking past a tent (though there is nothing in the photo proving it is his tent). Fred Selous was just about the big-gamiest of the big game hunters during our period. The tent in question looked just like a tent. An unremarkable tent of the ridge variety, rather than a bell tent.


The other really famous hunter of the day was of course, Teddy Roosevelt. He seems to have favoured a large-ish ridge tent with an American flag flying from it and an awning to provide some shade outside. But I don't imagine he was typical. It would be like trying to discover how the average band gets about by looking at the Rolling Stones' tour bus and entourage.



I would just get any tent that appeals to you, I'm sure there aren't any turn-of-the-century tent experts waiting to pick apart your choices, a tent is just a tent, after all.


To my memory, the fictional character Alan Quatermain, who was based on Selous, never bothered with a tent. I don't recall one ever being mentioned in the books. He would sleep out in the open, under his wagon or inside it.

So those are some options.

[dadlamassu]

As already said - probably in the open except in rainy season if he was daft enough to go hunting then.

[Cacique Caribe]

Thanks gents!

Based on the leads above, I searched images using the keywords Theodore Roosevelt Safari Africa, and these pictures showed up.  It looks like the same tent as the one in the book cover.

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/president-theodore-roosevelt-and-another-hunter-hold-the-heads-of-picture-id640458421?k=6&m=640458421&s=612x612&w=0&h=NO0ITaegZQA4AKajKq7amQKyjQ7xbKiiclWPWVo3MkU=



Then I came across this:

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/theodore-teddy-roosevelt-african-safari-scientific-expedition.15084/

https://teddyrooseveltlive.com/tr-camp/

Dan

[Plynkes]

Thanks, Dan. Some great pictures in those links. Is that a sawn-off he's holding in that one pic? Interesting choice for a big-game hunter. 

[robh]

There is interesting video of TR's camp (and much more) in this old movie:

             camp is at 8:34

Shows the smaller style of tents with an external ridge pole as well.

[Lord Raglan]