Kilimanjaro Gear List
Example Equipment List for Climbing Kilimanjaro
Climbing Kilimanjaro is a life-changing experience. At 19,341 feet above sea level it's the highest point in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. It is the trip of a lifetime and should be on the bucket list for any outdoor enthusiast. Approximately 20% of those who attempt to summit the mountain succeed. Reaching the top and returning safely requires being fit, determined, having the right equipment, and knowing how to use it. Let's take a look at my recommended packing list for climbing Kilimanjaro.
Before we begin, a few caveats:
I'm only covering gear required for climbing the mountain. You'll likely want to take additional items on your trip to Africa and leave them in a suitcase with the front desk at your hotel prior to embarking on the climb.
Examples are only examples. I included links to products that are appropriate for the task. Generally these are items that I have personal experience with and enjoy using or items that I'm confident will get the job done. But these are examples only. Many products are interchangeable with what I've listed. Choose what is right for you.
I'm specifying balanced-budget equipment. Climbing Kilimanjaro is somewhere between hiking and mountaineering. It's not technical, but you can get intense mountain weather and you'll be in frigid, high-altitude environments. For that reason, and because you're legally required to have a porter carry your overnight gear, I've selected a balance between primo outdoor brand-name gear and budget-brand gear. If you can afford to 'make it rain', go nuts—I won't judge. This list is for the 99% of us.
The packing list is divided into the following categories:
Clothing
Hiking Clothes
Choose wool or synthetic hiking clothes that will keep wicks sweat and dry quickly. Avoid anything cotton and plan for a good deal of sun exposure.
- Lightweight Hiking Pant or Uninsulated Soft Shell Pant (x1)
- Merino Wool or Polyester T-Shirt (x1)
- Ball Cap with Sun Flap
- Underwear (x1) also available in women's version
- Glacier Gloves
Baselayers
Worn next-to-skin, they help regulate your temperature by moving sweat away from your body so it can evaporate without letting you to catch a chill. At altitude they'll also provide some insulation. Choose synthetic, wool, or bamboo fabrics. Avoid cotton.
- Spare Underwear (x1) also available in women's version
- Expedition-weight Baselayer Top
OR combine two lightweight layers: - Expedition-weight Baselayer Bottom
Insulation Layers
These are the items you'll turn to in order to maintain warmth while on the go and for quick stops. They should add warmth but not be so warm that you'd break a sweat while hiking. The industry refers to these items as active insulation.
- Lightweight Fleece w/ Hood
- Optional: Lightweight Fleece w/ Quarter or Full Zip
- Add this item if you tend to run cold.
- Size it to fit over hooded fleece.
- Baggy Fleece or Puffy Pants
Footwear
By now you get it... wool or synthetic, right? Good. Make sure your boots fit all the socks you intend on wearing to the summit without constricting blood flow or you will have cold toes for sure!
- GoreTex Hiking Boots
- Camp Shoes / Crocs / Sneakers
- Liner Socks (x2)
- Lightweight Wool Socks (x2)
- Heavy Wool Socks /Summit Socks (x1)
Hard Shell / Rain Gear
Splurge on the waterproof jacket. You can cut corners and go with lighter-weight 3-season rain pants. Try to get full-zip for convenience.
Cold Weather Protection
You don't need to spend a fortune on hiking/mountaineering puffy insulating layers. Prioritize your gloves and then get cheap down puffies or use high-pile fleece jackets. Size-up for outer layers so you can nest like a Russian doll.
Polyester or Wool Neck Buff
- Fleece or Wool Beanie
- Optional: Neoprene Facemask or Polyester/Wool Balaclava
- Waterproof Shell Glove w/ Removable Fleece Liner
- Backup Glove or Mitten
- Lightweight Down Jacket w/ Hood
- Belay Jacket/Thicker Down Jacket w/ Hood
Equipment
Traction
If you encounter snow or ice, slip-on spikes will save the day. Trekking poles help you conserve energy on ascents and help protect your knees on the way down.
- Trekking Poles
- Microspikes
Sun Protection
Protect your eyes. The sun is more powerful at altitude. You'll need to live in your sunglasses.
- Sunglasses (Glacier Glasses or Wraparound style)
- Sunscreen
Sleep System
The cold ground will rob you of warmth faster than the air, so be sure to use two sleeping pads. Plan for the coldest conditions. A sleeping bag's rating is typically 20°F lower than the temperature at which it ceases to be comfortable. So don't be stingy with the insulation. Keep the sleeping bag dry with a drybag/waterproof compression sack.
- 2-3" Inflatable Insulated Sleeping Pad (R3 or Higher Rating). Add this on top of the pad your tour company provides for extra comfort and warmth.
- Closed-Cell Foam Pad
Add this only if your tour company doesn't provide a pad. - 0°F Down Sleeping Bag
- Medium or Large (~14 L) Waterproof Compression Sack for Sleeping Bag
Utility, Toiletries, & Medical
You don't need to go all Rambo out there. A small, lightweight blade and a scissors will solve 90% of the issues. Repair gear quickly with duct tape. Wrap some around your trekking pole for easy storage.
You don't need to carry a mini-ambulance of medical supplies—especially if you don't know how to use them. Chances are you'll just need things for bumps, bruises, and scrapes. Be prepared for stomach-borne illness and practice good hygiene with liberal use of hand sanitizer.
- Small Multitool (Scissors and knife at least; or choose a knife and pack a small scissors.)
- Small Gorilla Tape or Duct Tape Roll
- Bic Mini Lighter
- Pain Relievers (Advil, Asprin, Tylenol, etc.)
- Anti-Diarrheal Medication (Immodium)
- Cipro (Antibiotic to treat Giardia)
- Ear Plugs
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Leukotape for blisters
- Personal Medkit including a needle and thread for treating blisters
- Hand Sanitizer
Hydration
Your guide outfit will likely treat water for you, check ahead. If they don't, bring a Steripen and two sets of batteries. Use wide mouth bottles to prevent freezing at the lid.
- Nalgene 1L Bottles (x2)
- Nalgene Insulator (x2)
- Nalgene Splash Guard (x1)
- Electrolyte Tabs/Powder or Gatorade (2 per day)
- Optional Steripen: How paranoid are you?
Electronics
Your electronics list may end up very personalized, here is what I took. Be sure that you have plenty of battery power and memory for your camera. Bring a second camera or use your phone as a back-up in the event of equipment failure. Don't forget to bring your charging cables.
- Headlamp
- Batteries for Headlamp (x2 sets) or buy rechargeable headlamp and bring recharging cable to use with power brick.
- Power Brick (13,000 mAh)
- Cell Phone
- Cell Phone USB Charging Cable
- Camera
- Extra Camera Battery
- Memory Card(s) (32 GB for photos; 384 GB if shooting video)
- Headphones
Stowage And Packs
You only need to carry your food, water, and necessary layers for the day. A small day pack should help keep you from stuffing the kitchen sink inside. The rest of your gear travels in a duffel on the back of your porter. Don't forget to waterproof it's contents.
- Day Pack (What you wear while hiking)
- Pack Liner or Trash Compactor Bag (x3)
- Duffel Bag (What the porters carry)
- Stuff Sacks (x2-3)
I recommend size M or L (9-15 L)
Administrative
Tipping must be done with envelopes and with perfectly crisp US dollars of a specific denomination. (I forget why, you'll want to research it though.) Tipping is shared by the climbers. Bring what you'll need to calculate effectively.
- Envelopes that fit US Dollars for tipping (# of climbers in party x3)
- ~$160 in $20 increments, crisp and new from bank for tipping
- ~$60 in $5 and $10 increments, crisp and new from bank for tipping
- Notebook or paper for calculating tips
- Pen or Pencil
Food/Snacks
Your tour company should feed you breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What you eat while you're walking between these meals is up to you, however it is advisable to load up on some calorie-rich foods with lots of carbs and protein.
Don't forget to pack extra snacks for your porters. Show them your respect by keeping them fed with quality snacks. Mine loved some bangin' beef jerky I gave them on their hardest day.
- Personal Snacks for Each Day (~1500 cal/day)
- Some of my favorite snacks:
- Pro Bars: Almond Crunch
- Pro Bars: Whole Berry Blast
- Pro Bars: Superfood Slam
- Picky Bars
- Taos Mountain Bars
- Snickers Fun Size Bars
- Hershey’s Fun Size Bars (Krackel, Mr Goodbar, Hersheys Milk Chocolate)
- Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars
- Snacks and Candy For Porters
There you have it! That's all the equipment I'd take on a climb of Kilimanjaro. Did I miss anything? Is there something you think is overkill? This is very close to what I took and I still beat the weight limit for the porter's load by over ten pounds. I also went when it was fairly dry, so I might have needed more insulation in wetter, colder weather. Let me know what you're experiences on Kilimanjaro were in the comments below!
HACK YOUR PACK TIPS
You don't need to spend a fortune on expensive mountaineering gear to safely and comfortably climb Kilimanjaro. The examples in list above prioritizes a reasonable budget to get the most value out of equipment where it is critical for safety or comfort.
- Rent big ticket items to save your budget. Items like the winter sleeping bag are worth renting unless you know you'll be using it for subsequent winter trips.
- Look for generic or discounted performance attire. Shop at the local big-box stores and discount outlets like TJMaxx and Marshalls to snipe deals on performance layers from last year or generic brands at insane prices.
- Train in your gear. Use cold and warm weather to train in the clothing you choose to take. You'll learn how to layer for various conditions and also get a good sense for when you'll overheat or get cold.
- Take what you need to be comfortable. Kilimanjaro is not very rugged as far as backpacking and mountaineering standards go. Porters set up and take down your tent and carry it for you. Someone else prepares your meals and cleans up after you. All you have to do is walk. So if you are under in the weight department, you can throw in that inflatable pillow you love, or that industrial strength hair dryer you cannot live without.
Related Posts
Climbing Kilimanjaro is a life changing experience. It's the highest point in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Reaching the top and returning safely requires being fit, determined, having the right equipment, and knowing how to use it. Here is my recommended packing list for Kilimanjaro.