Mt Kilimanjaro guides
and porters
Once on the Mountain, your well equipped guides and porters, will rank
second only to your mental determination, in terms of important factors
contributing to a successful summit attempt. For the duration of your
Kilimanjaro trek, your guide will be your advisor, he will lead you to
the summit, and he will bring down safely again. It will be important
that you work closely with him and take note of his advice.
Mount Kilimanjaro Gear: Feet
Item Description
TREKKING BOOTS Not plastic. Sturdy, waterproof, well broken in and high
enough to support ankle. Wear them on plane in case luggage goes missing
SOCKS 3 thermal and some regular. Some wear a thin pair under a thick
pair, rinse the thin pair at night and peg them to their pack to dry the
next day
TRAINERS For round camp
SPARE LACES
GAITERS Not required but can be useful if the forest is especially muddy
Mount Kilimanjaro Gear: Bottom Half
Item Description
SHORTS
TREKKING TROUSERS Not cotton or jeans. Fleece lined trousers are a good
choice
WATERPROOF TROUSERS A light pair that can be worn on their own or pulled
over your trekking trousers is best
THERMAL UNDERWEAR 1 pair of synthetic long john bottoms and 1 or 2 tops
Mount Kilimanjaro Gear: Top Half
Item Description
T-SHIRTS/SHIRTS Not cotton but synthetic preferably with wicking
properties
FLEECES Absolutely essential. We recommend 2 light and 1 heavy fleece.
Keeping warm on the mountain is about wearing lots of thin layers that
can be pealed off as you get warm or put on as you cool down. Make sure
fleeces all fit comfortably over each other
SHELL JACKET Optional if you bring enough fleeces but still useful.
WATERPROOF JACKET Gore-Tex is best. Try it on over your fleeces 1st
RAIN PONCHO Not essential but useful in the forest. Something cheap will
suffice
DOWN JACKET With enough fleeces and a good waterproof jacket for extra
insulation on the summit night a down jacket is not needed but if you’ve
got the budget it’s well worth it. 600 or 650 fill will be fine
GLOVES Fleece-lined is good, mittens over a thin thermal pair is best
but not essential. A thinner pair for round camp is also a good idea.
SUNHAT A wide-brimmed one is best. Try and get one that covers the back
of your neck to protect against sunburn
WOOLY/FLEECE HAT
BALACLAVA Not essential but protects against wind. Can be bought in
Moshi
SUNGLASSES Must protect against U.V.
Mount Kilimanjaro Gear: Equiptment
Item Description
Sleeping bag 3-season or 2-season with liner. Closed-cell sleeping mat
provided
Large bag for your gear The porters will carry this. Not one with a
frame, the porters will carry it on their heads and it makes their job
harder
Day pack Making sure you’re comfortable walking long distances with it
Travel bag For gear you don’t want on Kili. Kept safe until your return
Water bottles Thermally protected, enough for 3-4 litres
Water purifiers Iodine is best but try it for taste at home first (flavoured
powder helps). We boil all water on the mountain but better safe than
sorry
Headlamp Bring spare batteries and a spare bulb
Sunscreen/lipscreen
Personal hygiene items Towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, wipes and
alcohol-based hand disinfectant are useful. Soap & hot water is provided
daily.
Roll of toilet paper
Personal medical kit Antiseptic cream, plasters, knee supports, moleskin
or compeed, Ibruprofen/Aspirin/Paracetamol etc, Imodium, rehydrating
powder, throat sweets and insect repellent can all come in useful
Trekking poles Very useful on the descent
Camera Spare film/memory cards/batteries. A UV filter is needed for SLRs
Plastic bags For wet gear
Earplugs
Cell phone/spare batteries Check with your network provider for
coverage. You can get signal across a lot of the mountain but it is weak
in places
Personal snack food
Reading material For the long evenings in camp
Wristwatch & alarm
