Essential Gear for Your Kilimanjaro Trek

After deciding to hike Kilimanjaro (Africa’s tallest mountain and the world’s highest free-standing peak at 5895m), one of the first questions you might have is, “What do I need to pack?” 

After returning from our successful 8-day Lemosha route trek, we put together a detailed packing list along with useful tips to help anyone thinking about summiting Kilimanjaro.

As you prepare for your trek, this is a great opportunity to pack an additional bag of gear to donate to your guides, cooks, and porters as they have limited access to quality gear. At the bottom of this page, you will find a list of the most needed items.

First, I have to say this will be a trip of a lifetime and one you will never forget. The mountain itself is a sight to behold. Each day of hiking will be a new adventure with the varying climates (rain forest, moorland, alpine desert) you will experience. The guides, cooks, and porters will inspire and impress you with their abilities and knowledge of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Now, when reading through this list, keep in mind a porter will be carrying a waterproof duffel for you that can weigh up to 15kg (33lbs) - check with your tour company to confirm. We recommend using a KPAP partner company to ensure the guides and porter’s well being is being taken care of. On most treks, each hiker will carry their own daypack with a daily supply of water, rain gear and anything they may need for each day of hiking.

Suggested packing list to hike kilimanjaro:

Basics:

• Towel (microfiber, fast drying)

• Soap

• Hand sanitizer

• Toothbrush, toothpaste

• Eco-friendly wet wipes

• Sunscreen 

• Lip balm

• Insect repellent

• Camera

• Headlamp

• Sunglasses with UV protection

• Sleeping bag

Paperwork:

• Trip receipt

• Passport and visa for Tanzania

• Immunization papers

• Insurance document - we have used World Nomad

Summit gear (worn summit night) - think layers… temperatures can be well below freezing in fahrenheit:

• Gore-Tex or K-Tech jacket

• Gore-Tex or K-Tech pants

• Fleece/puffy jacket - may want both

• Fleece gloves or thermal glove liners (use as liner for Gore-Tex mittens) 

• Gore-Tex mittens or other good glove for cold/wet weather

• Neck gaiter or buff

• Fleece or knit toque (cap)

• Thermal top

• Thermal long johns

• Thermal socks

Daily hiking gear:

• Rain poncho (mainly used in the rainforest)

• Rain cover for daypack

• Hiking boots or trail specific running shoes

• Undergarments

• Shorts (optional), Hiking and fleece pants 

• T-shirts - sweat wicking fabric

• Sun hat (baseball/peak caps may not offer enough protection) 

• Woolen socks

• Fleece beanie

• Gaiters (also used on summit night)

• Puffy jacket (usually good in the mornings, evenings, and summit night)

• Gloves (summit night)

• Fleece jacket

• Neck buff 

General gear and equipment:

• Waterproof day pack (20L to 40L, carried by hiker) w/water bladder (2.5L works)

• Waterproof duffel bag or Waterproof backpack (60L to 100L, carried by porter, max 15kgs) 

• A small lock to lock the duffel bag

• Walking poles (adjustable)

• Sleeping bag (Rated for 30° F)

• Sleeping bag liner (optional)

• 1-liter water bottle (Nalgene bottles)

• 1-liter thermal flask (optional)

• Portable charger(s) (optional) 

First aid / medication to consider:

• Prescriptions

• Malaria – you will need to start taking these prior to your arrival 

• Altitude sickness

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Cold and flu

• Muscle sprains - icy hot, bengay

Snack suggestions:

• Bars and meal supplements – protein bars, energy bars, granola bars, protein powder

• Salty and sweet snacks – trail mix, nuts, pretzels, jerky, potato chips in a can (think Pringles) (other chips will get crushed), candy, chocolate bars, dried fruit

• Energy snacks – gels, sport beans

• Electrolytes – Nuun tabs, Skratch powders

Here are a few tips from our trip to Kilimanjaro:

1. Bring comfy shoes to change into after each day of hiking. I really liked this pair from Merrell - they were easy to pack and light so they didn’t add a lot of weight to my gear bag and were warm to walk around in at each camp, even basecamp.

2. Your Nalgene bottle will be your best friend along the trail. You can use it for your electrolytes to keep your water bladder for fresh water only. At night, you can fill it with hot water to put in your sleeping bag for extra warmth. You can also wrap damp clothes around the hot water filled bottle to help them dry out.

3. While gear can be rented in Moshi or Arusha, the gear available may not be the best quality. We DO NOT recommend renting your sleeping bag, hiking shoes, or summit gear as these are critical pieces of gear for your trek.

4. Plan on wearing things multiple times - this is backpacking, not a resort vacation.

5. We think a rain poncho is a better choice than a rain suit. It is easier to get on and off and goes over your daypack to keep it from getting wet too.

6. Review tipping guides before you head out on your trip. Bring cash for tipping the guides, cooks, and porters. You can check in cash at your hotel as you are not supposed to bring large sums of cash on the mountain. Tell your guides you want to give the tips to each member of the crew to ensure tips get to everyone.

7. Enjoy every day of hiking. While going to the summit is truly amazing, every day of hiking provides something special. Views of Kilimanjaro, views of Mt Meru, a variety of plants and animals, breathtaking views and so much more.

8. Talk to your guides, cooks and porters. They have amazing knowledge and history of the mountain to share, can teach you about the many tribes and culture in Tanzania, and can teach you a little Swahili.

This is not a tip, but something to consider as you prepare for your trip to Tanzania and attempt to summit Kilimanjaro. Your climb will be supported by a group of guides, cooks, and porters - each of them will carry their own gear AND all of the supplies and gear to make your climb a success. Their goal is simple - help you summit Kilimanjaro.

As you know or will quickly realize, high quality mountaineering gear is expensive and thus often out of reach financially for the guides, cooks, and porters who will support you during your trek to the mountain.  Most depend on donated mountaineering gear.

The cost of shipping anything to Tanzania is also very expensive. To send 66 lbs of gear can cost over $500 USD and larger shipments can run over $2000 USD or more. So, consider packing an extra bag of gently-used gear in a backpack that you can check-in as baggage. At the end of your trip, when you return to your hotel, you can give this bag of donated gear and any other gear you want to donate to your lead guide. This gift of donated equipment will go a long way to equip each guide, cook, and porter with the proper gear they need to keep them warm and safe on the mountain. Just note that all your bags will go through a scanner when leaving JRO airport so be mindful of what you are packing to take with you.

Consider this list of gear to bring to donate: 

• Backpacks

• Technical shirts, half zips, fleeces

• Rain gear

• Down or other puffy jackets

• Gloves

• Beanie hats

• Wool socks

• Technical hiking pants 

• Hiking boots

• Sleeping bags with a rating of 30 degrees or lower.