Highly desirable equipment to take with you up Kilimanjaro

A list of highly desirable equipment for climbing Kilimanjaro

Plastic bags Useful for segregating your wet clothes from the rest of your kit in your rucksack.

Trekking poles If you’ve done some trekking before you’ll know if you need trekking poles / sticks or not; if you haven’t, assume you will. While trekkers on Kilimanjaro often use trekking poles / sticks (also called ski poles) the whole way, trekking poles really come into their own on the descent, to minimize the strain on your knees as you trudge downhill. Telescopic poles can be brought from trekking/camping outfitters in the West, or you can invest in a more local version - a Maasai ‘walking stick’ from souvenir shops in Moshi or Arusha.

Boiled sweets/chocolate On Kilimanjaro sweets are great for winning friends and influencing people. Good for energy levels too. And morale.

Bandanna (aka ‘buff’) For keeping the dust out of your face when walking on the Saddle, to use as an ear-warmer on the final night, and to mop the sweat from your brow on those exhausting uphill climbs. Also useful for blocking out the odours when using the public toilets at the campsites.

Chapstick/lip salve or vaseline The wind on the summit of Kilimanjaro will rip your sunburnt lips to shreds. Save yourself the agony by investing in a chapstick, available in strawberry and mint flavour from pharmacists in Moshi and Arusha.

Money For sundry items on sale at huts en route to and from the summit of Kilimanjaro.

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