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- ARUSHA - TANZANIA
In order to be safe and comfortable throughout your Mount Kilimanjaro climb, you’ll need to bring important gear and supplies with you. We have put together a comprehensive Kilimanjaro Packing list to help you prepare for your climb.
Trekking Kilimanjaro involves five main climate zones, from the warm, humid forest and lower slopes, to the bitterly cold summit zone, with glaciers, ice, and snow. You need to be prepared for all Kilimanjaro weather conditions: sunny, windy, and rainy.
We provide tents, the camp equipment, food, cooking facilities, and other shared items. You’ll have a duffel bag with all your kit, carried by the porters; and carry your own daypack during the trekking day.
If you are packing for your climb it is important to really plan your clothing appropriately. This is why we recommend that you pack the following:
To carry your main gear we recommend using a 80-90L duffle bag. Large rucksacks (>65L) can also work.
Your main gear will be carried by a porter (up to 15kg) .You will need to carry your own daypack. 30-40L is sufficient. We recommend Osprey daypacks.
You will need a 4-season or -20 Deg C sleeping bag and compression sack. We recommend Mountain Hardwear or The North Face sleeping bags. You can hire sleeping bags from our team in Tanzania
Capacity to carry 3 litres of water. Options: 2 x 1.5 litre wide mouth nalgene bottles or 2 litre platypus + 1 litre water bottle. Note that disposable plastic bottles are not permitted on Kilimanjaro
It can get dusty on Kilimanjaro. We recommend bringing a neck gaiter or bandana. The most versatile options are made by Buff or Hoo-Rag Headwear
Go for a version of a beanie that is either knitted or fleeced for extra warmth. The North Face, Berghaus and Columbia all make good outdoor beanies
Choose a pair of high UV protection glasses as sun intensity above 4,500m is very high. Julbo are a great mountain sunglass brand but any brand with high UV protection will suffice
Preferably go for a hat that is wide-brimmed for protection, and has a neck cover if you aren’t going to be wearing a neck gaiter
You will need a headlamp with good light output for any late night toilet journeys, and importantly for summit night. Petzl make market-leading and affordable headlamps
For lower slopes we recommend lightweight, fleece or quick drying fabric gloves. Berghaus and The North Face make good lightweight gloves
For the cold nights and for the summit push we recommend heavyweight, insulated, preferably water resistant gloves. The North Face and Black Diamond are recommended brands
Help keep your trousers clean in wet and muddy or dusty conditions.
We recommend using a mid-weight trekking boots with good ankle support. Recommended brands include: Salomon, Scarpa, Hi-Tec and Merrell
3-4 pairs of outer socks and 2-3 pairs of liner socks. We also recommend bringing 1 x thick thermal socks for summit night. Merino wool is the best material and Bridgedale or Smartwool make good trekking socks
1 x thermal base layer, ideally made from merino wool. Recommended brand is Icebreaker
Go for a light or medium weight, moisture wicking long sleeve shirt (x2). Icebreaker, Berghaus and Under Armour make great breathable trekking shirts.
2 x lightweight, moisture wicking short sleeved shirts. Recommend brands include Icebreaker, Under Armour, Columbia, Berghaus
A mid-weight polartec fleece jacket is ideal for Kilimanjaro. Berghaus, Helly Hansen and The North Face all make great fleeces
A water/windproof hard shell outer jacket to protect you from the elements. Goretex material is best. Recommended brands include The North Face, Arc’teryx, Berghaus and Mountain Hardwear
A good quality and warm down or primaloft jacket is required for the cold nights and summit push. Recommended brands include The North Face, Rab, Arc’Teryx and Mountain Hardwear
Thermal or fleece base layer for your legs. Merino wool is preferable. Recommend brand is Icebreaker.
To protect yourself from the elements you need a good pair of waterproof / windproof hard shell trousers. Ideally Goretex. Patagonia, The North Face and Arc’Teryx all make good outer trousers
Light or medium weight (x1) trekking trousers. Convertible trousers are an option. Recommended brands include Craghoppers and Columbia
Boiled sweets, nuts, energy bars and dried fruit are all a good shout. Isotonic drink powder to mix in with your water improves flavour and helps replace electrolytes
A plug adapter for charging your devices in the hotels before and after the trek. The standard voltage and frequency in Tanzania is 230 V and 50 Hz respectively. The power sockets that are used are of type D / G.
High SPF sunscreen and lip protection balm
This is a personal preference, but we recommend using hiking poles to help with your balance and mitigate fatigue. You can rent or buy poles, but you should practice using them at home before you travel.
Don’t forget your travel documents. You’ll need your passport and visa, travel insurance, any vaccinations and your yellow fever certificate (if you are transiting through a yellow fever zone).
Check with your doctor about malaria’s and recommended immunizations.
Note that as of 2019, Tanzania has banned all single-use plastic bags. So don’t bring any Ziploc or other plastic bags of any description.
Questions? Let us know in the comments, send us an email or hit the live chat button, we’re here to help.
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