As Mount Kilimanjaro is a non-technical climb, there’s no need to worry about harnesses, ropes, carabiners, ascenders and a plethora of other climbing gear. You’ll need lots of warm clothes, a good set of waterproofs, decent hiking boots and some pieces of equipment. A full list of the gear needed for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is listed below. We ask you to consider each item carefully before deciding you don’t want to bring it. Most of the items are essential, some are marked as optional. Some of the gear can be expensive to go out and buy so we run a very reasonable equipment hire service in Moshi. Get in touch with our office if you want a list of what gear can be hired along with the costs.
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 | |