Fleece jackets can be worn as a separate piece of clothing or over a trekking shirt. They are great to have at night when you are in the camp. A fleece jacket is a must have – you will be using it on most of your Kilimanjaro days.
Polartec-200 fabric is recommended over all others for Kilimanjaro expeditions. The best brands of fleece jackets are: The North Face, Red Fox, Mountain Hardwear, and Patagonia. Hooded fleece jackets are better, as they provide extra warmth and comfort. We recommend taking 2-3 pieces for your trip.
The best brands of fleece jackets for expeditions to Kilimanjaro are The North Face, Red Fox, Mountain Hardwear and Patagonia.
Hard shell rain jacket will likely be necessary from the first day of your trip (especially on Lemosho 7-day program, where you’ll be starting from 3,500 m/11,500 f), and should always be packed into your backpack for easy access.
Polartec-200 fabric is recommended over all others for Kilimanjaro expeditions. The best brands of fleece jackets are: The North Face, Red Fox, Mountain Hardwear, and Patagonia. Hooded fleece jackets are better, as they provide extra warmth and comfort. We recommend taking 2-3 pieces for your trip.
You will need several types of trousers for this trip.
Trekking pants of good quality are usually enough for a Kilimanjaro expedition. If you prefer hiking in shorts, taking a pair of trousers is nevertheless needed for the higher elevation parts of Kilimanjaro and chilly evenings in the camps.
Membrane pants are needed for your Kilimanjaro adventure, and they are especially useful during the rainy season. When worn together with the trekking pants, they provide excellent protection against winds and rains, making your overall experience better.
Warm trousers or ski pants are another must-have item on your packing list. They are needed for the summiting part of your hike, when the weather is particularly cold. These trousers should be water resistant, lined with fleece on the inside for warmth and covered with good hard shell insulation for protection against wind and rain. Ideally, you should be able to feel comfortable wearing these pants in temperatures under -15 CO/5°F. If you are not quite used to cold temperatures, you will also be especially happy to wear warm pants in the higher camps of Kilimanjaro.
You will need 5-6 pairs of underwear for your Kilimanjaro adventure. In addition to that, having 2-3 pairs of thermal underwear (base layer) is necessary for this trek – you’ll be wearing the first pair on your usual days, and the second one on the summit night. Also, sleeping in thermal underwear is more comfortable than without it.
The first set can be made of light synthetic fabric so that it dries faster. The one used for the summiting should contain warmer, more natural components, e.g. wool.
Any branded thermal underwear will be perfectly suitable for your Kilimanjaro adventure.
As far as shirts for Kilimanjaro expeditions are concerned, having 3-4 short-sleeved and 2 two long-sleeved shirts is necessary. Avoid cotton, as it is bad for wicking. Fabric should be light and ‘breathable’. Shirts made of the mixture of polyester and spandex or nylon are excellent.
High-quality bags are necessary for your Kilimanjaro trip. In short, you will need two types of bags: a daypack that you’ll be carrying yourself and a duffle bag that will be taken care of by a porter.
While choosing a backpack please pay attention to the following:
A good backpack should also have a shoulder hip belt which is helpful for reducing weight pressure.
A duffle bag is where you will keep most of your Kilimanjaro gear, such as clothing, hiking boots (unless you’ve decided to put them on straight from the first day), sleeping bag and more. A porter will be carrying it all the time. Typically, porters carry duffle bags on their heads, making it necessary to choose soft models for their comfort. The total distance covered by a porter with your duffle on his head will be (depending on the route) around 40-50 km. Your fully loaded duffle bag should weigh up to 15 kg according to Kilimanjaro National Park regulations.
Along with a duffle bag we recommend taking several large dry bags and packing your gear inside separately. This approach will provide extra protection and will keep all your gear dry in case of heavy rains (sometimes the water can leak through the zippers straight inside to your duffle bag).
Along with a duffle bag we recommend taking several large dry bags and packing your gear inside separately. This approach will provide extra protection and will keep all your gear dry in case of heavy rains.
Since rains are not rare on Kilimanjaro, taking a dry bag is a good idea. Putting it inside your duffle bag or backpack can help you keep all your Kilimanjaro gear dry and fit for use. If you decide to take one, make sure that it is large enough to fit a sleeping bag and all other gear.
You should have 1-2 water flasks (one liter each) for your Kilimanjaro trip.
Apart from having a water flask, it is also recommended to have a thermos for hot tea/coffee. Though the guides normally carry one thermos each for the hikers to have a hot drink on the way, taking your own means extra supply, which will be never superfluous on Kilimanjaro. More tea or coffee means more energy, which you will surely need.
If your daypack is compatible with a hydration bladder, having one will surely add comfort to your trek. You should be very cautious and choose only high-quality models. Make sure that the pipe is insulated, otherwise, it might freeze on the summit night.
High-quality hydration bladders retail at USD 30 and more, but this is a good investment.
1.5 and 2-liter variations will be perfect for your trip.
A highly recommended item that makes it comfortable to get all of your gear sorted inside a duffle bag. Also, using such organizers is helpful for keeping dirty and wet clothes apart from the clean ones.
Footwear is one of the most important items on your Kilimanjaro pack list. This is where you should be particularly attentive and selective. Choosing your hiking boots and/or sneakers is a task of supreme importance. A wrong choice here can result in broken toenails, corns and blisters.
For this trip you will need high-quality hiking boots, trekking sneakers (optional) and trekking socks.
Choosing appropriate hiking boots is probably of utmost importance. There are many options on the market, and sometimes it’s hard to find the right one.
Ideally, your hiking boots should meet the following criteria:
Of course, your boots should be waterproof to keep your feet dry all the way up to the top. It is especially important in the summit area if you climb Kilimanjaro during the rainy season. Wearing high-quality trekking socks will provide extra protection, so it is always recommended to have a pair.
Preferably, laces should get fixed to the speed hooks for better comfort and protection. It is critically important to break in your boots before the start of your Kilimanjaro trip. Taking a pair of brand new boots will cause discomfort, sore soles and calluses. Therefore, it is highly recommended for you to wear your boots for about 5-6 days before the start of the expedition. You should take at least one long hike to get them ready.
It is critically important to break in your boots before the start of your Kilimanjaro trip. You should take at least two long hikes to get them ready.
You can not hike Mount Kilimanjaro without a headlamp. Firstly, you’ll need it for moving around the camp after sunset when finding your tent can become quite a task. Besides, if you decide to go to the bathroom at night without a headlamp on you could stumble upon the tent ropes. Secondly, a headlamp will be necessary during the summit. Normally, hikers start at midnight aiming to reach Uhuru peak by sunrise. So a headlamp will be a great help to see the path.
A headlamp will be necessary during the summit. Normally, hikers start at midnigaht aiming to reach Uhuru peak by sunrise.
Some of the gadgets that will be useful on your Kilimanjaro trip are:
Camera: The scenery opening from Mt Kilimanjaro is truly spectacular! Taking great pictures is one of the main reasons people sign up for this trip. You may take a smartphone with a power bank or a Go-Pro camera with spare batteries to capture the most fantastic moments of your adventure.
Power banks: The scenery opening from Mt Kilimanjaro is truly spectacular! Taking great pictures is one of the main reasons people sign up for this trip. You may take a smartphone with a power bank or a Go-Pro camera with spare batteries to capture the most fantastic moments of your adventure.
E-book: For those who like to read before going to sleep, it is a must-have item on the packing list.
Mp3 Player: This is what will make your Kilimanjaro adventure truly great, especially on the summit night. Your favorite songs will certainly keep up your spirits and make the moments on the top of Africa even more wonderful.
Marangu Route is often called the Tourist Route or the Coca Cola Route, and is both the least difficult and the shortest way to reach Uhuru Peak. It is also the oldest of the routes. 70% of all climbers choose to take this route, as it mostly consists of easy hiking. While this is the ‘easiest’ route, it also has a high failure rate due to poor preparation. If you take the route seriously and prepare adequately, you’ll be fine. Marangu is not considered as scenic as other routes, but it has the benefit of boasting hut accommodation along the route – which makes it a good choice in the rainy season. You can choose to complete this route in either five days or six days.
The six day Rongai Route is the only route up the north-eastern part of the mountain. Second to the Marangu Route in terms of difficulty, this path is also gaining popularity due to the stunning and unique wilderness conditions it features. You spend several days hiking through true wilderness before joining up with the Marangu Route at Kibo Camp. Caves along the way offer an opportunity to overnight in a completely unique fashion, and the route is a popular choice for those wanting to avoid the Marangu crowds. The Rongai Route takes six days.
Considered to be the most beautiful and scenic of the various routes up Mount Kilimanjaro, the Machame Route is appropriate for more adventurous hikers who wish for a more physically demanding climb than Marangu or Rongai can offer. Machame is presently the most popular route despite its higher degree of difficulty, so you can expect to not be the only one climbing. You can choose to complete this route in either six days or seven days.
With two options when it comes to reaching Uhuru Peak, the longer Lemosho Glades Route is an alternative way to ascend up to the Shira Plateau. The Lemosho route offers climbers an opportunity to see some of Africa’s most iconic animals up close, and the first day’s climbing even requires the presence of an armed ranger. You can choose to take the easier Machame route to the summit or brave the Western Breach/Arrow Glacier route. Lemosho offers a great combination of scenic views, low climber density, and a high success rate. It is recommended to allow six to eight days for completion of Lemosho Route.
The Shira Route is very similar to Lemosho Route, but starts at a higher altitude. In fact, Lemosho was a route designed to improve upon Shira Route, and is considered a vastly superior climbing experience. Climbers will need to be very confident in their ability to acclimatize should they take this route. Given Lemosho is an improved version of this route, we discourage people using the Shira Route.
The newest route to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the Northern Circuit is the longest of the routes but promises a quieter, more personal climb. Beginning on the Lemosho Route, climbers will eventually split away and traverse the mountain’s northern slopes far away from the crowds. The extra time taken to adjust to high altitude on this climb mean it boasts the highest success rate of all routes. The Northern Circuit takes nine days to complete.
If you want just a taste of what Mount Kilimanjaro has to offer, we can cater to you too. Starting from your hotel after breakfast, our driver will take you to Machame Gate. Situated at 1980m, you’ll start from here and hike through the rainforest to visit Maundi Crater and the Mandara encampment. This half-day trip gives you an opportunity to spot colobus monkeys and a startling array of birdlife in their natural habitat.
Unforgettable Adventures will be at your service every moment of the day, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Just send us an email or contact us through WhatsApp and/or Facetime.