Packing for Kilimanjaro

Photo Credit: orvis.com

Other than paying for the 7-day tour itself, the next most expensive part of hiking Kilimanjaro is purchasing the right gear for the hike. During the 7 days on the mountain, I’ll be hiking through various climates, from hot, to cold, to windy, to rainy and to snowy. The key to successfully cross these different climates is to dress in layers.  Planning what to pack will require both planning and time.

A list of what I’ll need for my Kilimanjaro hike:

1. Day pack with waterproof cover
2. Duffel bag: will be used to carry whatever I won’t need during the day. The porter will carry it for me.
3. Waterproof trekking boots and extra shoes just in case
4. Gaiters: used to protect yours legs from branches, snow, mud, etc
5. Thermal outer socks: should be either wool or synthetic
6. Inner socks: use a synthetic small sock before wearing the bigger sock
7. Waterproof trousers: to protect against rain and snow
8. Long trousers: a pair of warm and another pair of light trousers, both made out of wool or synthetic
9. Shorts: when hiking at the bottom of the mountain
10. Thermal underwear made out of lycra to protect against the cold
11. Jacket, both wind and waterproof
12. Waterproof outer gloves and a pair of inner gloves
13. Long sleeved shirts and t-shirts (synthetic or wool)
14. Balaclava to protect my head against the cold and wind and a hat to protect against the sun
15. Headlamps with spare batteries so I can see at night.
16. Insulated water bottles so my water doesn’t freeze.
17. Travel towel: it’s compact and dries quickly
18. Trekking poles: it helps save energy during the hike
19. Sunglasses, swiss army knife, whistle, small mirror, string/rope, watch, first-aid kit
20. Sun lotion and  lip balm with sun protection, insect repellent
21. Kleenex, wet wipes, biodegradable soap bar, no rinse shampoo, foot powder
22. Flavored powder to put in water: The water is filtered but doesn’t taste good.
23. Rehydration salts: in case I’m dehydrated
24. Power bars and other snacks to maintain energy levels

To this list, you need to add regular medicine (ipubrofen, sudafed, etc), more specific medicine (decadron for altitude sickness, amoxillin for upper reparatory problems, etc), toothbrush, toothpaste, camera, books, pens and more. I’m sure I forgot something on this list. But it gives me an idea of what I need to purchase in the next few weeks.  Any other suggestions?