Hiking up Kilimanjaro takes a lot of work and preparation. I couldn't have gotten ready for this trips without scouring the internet and blogs for packing lists, tips, and tricks to held me on my way. Feeling like you're ready for the trip is a huge way to help yourself mentally prepare and become confident that you can make it to the Summit!
Packing List
And for not being an avid hiker, I felt like I couldn't have packed better. I was never too cold, never too hot, and basically have decided I am the perfect packer ... so, I thought that I'd pass along my knowledge. The list below includes what I wore on day one, plus what was in my bag. Good luck on your own packing!
Baggage
- NorthFace Waterproof 70L Base Camp Duffel -- This is the main bag that the porters will carry for you. I opted to by a waterproof bag rather than have a bag and waterproof cover.
- Osprey 24 L Pack -- This was my choice in daypack to carry everyday due to pure comfort. It fit my back perfectly and was light. I just kept the essentials with me, so a small size taught me to keep cutting down what I carried.
- Eagle Creek Packing Cubes -- I used packing cubes inside my duffel to keep my clothes organized.
Sleeping
- Marmot 0F Down Sleeping Bag -- Many tour companies rent sleeping bags, but I opted to buy my own out of fear of being cold. This one kept me nice and snuggly.
- Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Extreme Mummy Bag Liner -- I added a sleeping bag liner to help with those freezing temperatures on Summit night. Trust me, you won't regret being warm.
- Sleeping Pad -- I opted to just use the one that the tour company provided because of size and cost, but if you desire comfort to the max, I'd buy your own.
Clothing - Upper Body
- Arc'teryx Gortex Beta LT Hydbrid Rain Jacket -- I got an outer shell with Gortex so that it was both rainproof and windproof. I wore this a lot!
- Patagonia Nanopuff Down Jacket -- This is an item that I already owned but was a perfect fit for an in-between layer. It ended up being the second most often worn after my Gortex Jacket because it would acclimate to the right temperature for my body.
- Patagonia Re-Tool Snap-T Fleece -- I really only wore this at the campsite and on Summit night when I needed an additional layer.
- SmartWool Midnight Wool Top Base Layer -- I wore this for days 4 and 5, when temparures started to dip. It adjusted to my body temp, didn't smell (as bad as I thought it would), and wicked away sweat when needed.
- Lululemon or Underarmor Breathable T-shirts (x3) ... Kind of like the Swiftly Tech Short Sleeve Crew -- I wore one shirt day one, one on days two and three, and the third on day six. You could probably get by with two, but I wanted to make sure my clothes weren't damp when I was sleeping. I had a mix of brands and styles, but just pick something comfortable, soft, moisture wicking, and breathable. No cotton.
- Sports Bra (x2) --Honestly I wore one sports bra days one, two, and three then changed for the second half of the trip.
- Snow Gloves -- I just used these for summit night, and you definitely want some warm gloves. Other people opted to use hand warmers, but I didn't need any since I had a good pair of gloves from skiing/snowboarding.
- Glove Liners -- I initially thought about skipping these, but I ended up wearing the lightweight gloves a lot of morning and evenings around camp to fight the chill. I have an old pair that I bought from Lululemon a few years ago, but unfortunately they don't make them anymore.
- Hat -- I acutely ended up taking two. A lightweight black beanie for most days, then a fur lined hat for Summit night. That one may have a bit overkill, but it just depends on your weather.
- Buff -- I just used it for Summit night to cover my face from the wind during the worst hours, but was very thankful to have it for that short time.
Clothing - Lower Body
- Arcteryx Gortex Beta SL Pants -- I ended up wearing these days three through five, layered with various smart wool bottoms and/or leggings.
- NorthFace Hiking Pants -- Really any brand will do, but you're going to want that in-between lightweight, breathable pants for day two of your hike. And be prepared for them to get a little dirty - there's a lot of climbing to be done!
- Lululemon Leggings -- No girl travels without leggings anymore, so why should Kili be any different? I used mine for sleeping some nights and for the walk down on day six (and they were they only bottoms close to clean left).
- SmartWool Midnight Wool Bottoms Base Layer -- I actually had two pairs, but you could get by with just one. These go under the Gortex pants on days four and five.
- Underwear (x3) -- Yes, I know this doesn't sound like enough. But I did use panty liners - see below.
- Hiking Boots -- This may be the most important piece of clothing to get right. Comfort is key. Pick sturdy ones that cover your ankles
- Keen Camp Sandals ... Like the Whisper Sandals -- A sandal or tennis shoe would be fine. You're just going to want something to put on after a long day of hiking other than your boots to eat and go to the bathroom in.
- SmartWool Liners -- I wore liners inside my socks on days four and five for some extra warmth. This also was a way that I kept my socks dry, so after trekking, I would take off the liners and just wear those socks for the night.
- SmartWool Mediumweight Socks (x3) -- Dry feet are a number one priority for my warmth and deter blisters. I changed my socks daily.
- SmartWool Heavyweight Socks -- I used these for sleeping and summit night. Did I mention I hate cold feet?
Toiletries
- Deodorant -- Get a travel size.
- Toothbrush and Toothpaste -- Well duh, no one likes bad breath.
- Sunscreen/Chapstick -- I used a moisturizer with sunscreen in it, but you'll need something to keep your face protected.
- Wet Wipes -- Really to be used for anything. 50 count should be enough.
- Panty Liners -- I thought this was a bit crazy, until I read the tip over and over again. The last thing you're going to want to do when it's super cold is change you underwear. Problem solved.
- Hair Ties -- It's almost guaranteed that you will want your hair out of your face at some point.
- Plastic or Sanitary Bag -- Keep in mind that you can't throw anything away on the mountain. I just put my trash in gallon size ziplocs.
- Toilet Paper -- I'd recommend at least two rolls, because that's what I used. Keep in mind you're drinking a lot more water than you usually do to help with acclimation, so you're going to pee a lot more too!
- Mosquito Repellent -- I really only needed this the first and last day in the rainforest, outside of that I ever saw any bugs.
Electronics
- Camera -- I have a Nikon D3300, but whatever you have, make sure you bring it. The views are unbelievable!
- Phone -- You probably are taking this anyway, but I use mine to play music and as a camera back-up.
- Headphones -- I used my phone to listen to music on occasion.
- Headlamp -- A friend's techie boyfriend picked one out for me and I loved it. It's the Black Diamond Unisex Spotlight Headlamp - 2016 Model.
- Portable Battery/Solar Charger/Extra Batteries -- Whatever your method, make sure you still have charge in your devices to take pictures on the summit!
MISCELLANEOUS
- Sunglasses -- This were my best friend. We had really sunny conditions, so I constantly had mine on.
- 3L Platypus Bag -- To hold the bulk of your water and make drinking while walking a breeze.
- 1L Nalgene Bottle -- Extra water, plus it was nice to have a bottle to drink from with dinner.
- Trekking Poles -- I didn't use mine the whole time, but was glad to have them to take some of the work from my back and legs.
- Journal and Pens (x2) -- I kept a journal to have some memories and something to do in the evening. Your choice if its your style.
- Granola Bars or Other Snacks (x5) -- See the tips section below, but just in case you don't like the food!
- Medications -- I took a baggie with a little of everything - ibuprofen, tylenol, aleeve, tums, altitude meds. Basically, I wanted to be prepared for anything.
- Paperwork - Passport, Visa, Credit Cards, Cash, and copies of those. I kept these with me in my daypack.
Tricks
Here are the most valuable pieces of advice that I would pass on to future Kili climbers:
1. Get a 3L Platypus Bad for drinking water. Having the straw at my front and just being able to sip water whenever I needed it, without having to stop to grab a water bottle from the back of my bag caused me to drink my water a lot quicker. And trust me, you want to make sure to be drinking at least the 3L of water while hiking each day - it helps with acclimation.
2. Bring two rolls of toilet paper. There isn’t toilet paper sitting around for you on the mountain, you have to bring your own. I used the paper sparingly and went through two rolls - maybe bring three if you like your toilet paper. Keep one roll in your daypack at all times.
3. Wear panty liners. I read this one so many places and it sounded silly. But, panty liners mean that you don’t feel as gross if you don’t change your underwear. And trust me, when it’s really cold, the last thing you want to do is strip down to nothing to change your underwear.
4. Put your hair in braids and don’t touch it. I put my hair into two french braids and literally did not touch them until we got down the mountain. Feeling gross from greasy hair is just not something that you want to deal with.
5. Sleep with your clothes in the bottom of your sleeping bag on Summit Night, so you only have warm things to put on. Maintaining energy for the Summit is super important, so not making your body work extra to keep itself warm, even just for a little while is a nice treat.
6. Bring a 50 pack of wet wipes. Wet wipes are great for everything - giving yourself a little bath, cleaning up your clothes, wiping your hands clean before dinner.
7. Get a solar charger or bring an external battery pack. In six days, your camera or phone or iPod or whatever is bound to run low, get a back-up because making it to the Summit and not getting a picture of it would be terrible.
8. Splurge for a comfortable day pack. Go to REI or similar and have them fit you for an appropriate 20-30L day pack. Your old school backpack will not nearly be as comfortable. Your back will thank you.
9. Light layers. These are your friend. Cold morning and evenings, but potentially warm days make it a struggle to dress correctly. Light layers that can be added or removed throughout the day make it one less thing to worry about.
10. Pack your favorite snacks. Everyone tells your to bring protein bars or other foods high in energy. My vices are chocolate and Coke-a-Cola. My group thought I was a little funny for bringing coke, but my level of joy drinking it made it so worthwhile. You also may want to bring crackers - an easy calming solution for an upset stomach.
11. Break in your boots. Blisters are a nightmare. Comfortable and broken-in boots are potentially the most important thing in your arsenal.
12. Take "pole pole" to heart. Possibly the greatest challenge is the altitude, so moving slowly helps your body acclimate to it. The guides know what they are doing, so listen to them.
13. Drink lots of water - like 4L per day. Sure, I had to stop to pee A LOT. But staying hydrated is one of the easiest ways to keep your body healthy. And start drinking this much a few days before the trip so your body gets used to it.
14. It's as much mental as it is physical. Keep a positive attitude at all times!
And last but not least ... Tips
Prepping for Kilimanjaro, I’d read that people typically tip between $100-$150USD. To me, that sounded like a lot of money after all that I had already paid to hike the mountain in the first place. So I brought my $150USD with me and assumed that it was sufficient and would cover everything that was needed.
On the last night of our trip, our lead guide told us that we would be tipping the crew in the morning. Since we had a large group (17 people), we planned to put all of our tip money together and then hand it out as one.
I really had no idea what the appropriate tips were for all of the amazing guides and porters we had. Our lead guide gave us a sheet of what the recommended tips were for each position, which we used as a guideline for handing out the tips.
If we would have tipped each guide/cook/porter exactly according to guide, we would have needed $173USD per person. So, our group ended up tipping about 80% of the lead guide’s recommendations to each position. But, when I realized how much this meant for some of the porters, I wished that I would have brought more money. If I could do it again, I would definitely splurge for bringing another $50USD or so, just so I could tip the porters more.
Your tip should be based on the number of days that you spend on Kili. So, the dollar values below are on a Per Day basis.
- Head Guide: $25 per day
- Assistant Guides: $20 per day
- Cook: $16 per day
- Assistant Cook: $12 per day
- Summit Porters (We had some porters also summit with us to carry bags): $8 per day
- Tent Set-Up/Porters: $8 per day
- Water Filterers/Porters: $8 per day
- Dishwashers/Porters: $8 per day
- Porter: $6 per day
Thanks for reading and good luck on your adventure up Kilimanjaro! I hope it's an amazing as of an experience as mine!
