 Months before setting foot in Tanzania, I spent hours researching everything about climbing Kili, from what to wear, to the best routes, to best pre-climb training, to how to tip, etc. By the time I got on the plane to Africa, I felt ready. Small details can have big rewards - that's how we planned our trek. We were all about being prepared to tackle the mountain, not just the physical challenge, which required a lot of training on my part, but also about being smart about packing and bringing things that would up the comfort level a notch or two. This is a mountain you generally climb only once, so why not do everything to make it one of the most memorable hikes you've ever done. It was for me! In addition to the two most important tips: drinking 3 liters of water per day and paying attention to symptoms of altitude sickness, I've put together 10 tips to help you make the most of your Kili climb: 1. Go with A KPAP Partner The heart and soul, and by far the hardest working people on the mountain, are the porters. By selecting a reputable company, you can rest assured that the porters will be paid fairly, provided proper clothing for the weather, including having proper footwear, and carry only the weight permitted. Porters are the backbone to every hike up and down the mountain. Every hiker has a dedicated porter who carries their duffle bag and sleeping bag along with their own necessities. Then there are many other porters carrying everything a camp needs from the tents, toilets, food, kitchen supplies - everything. You only need to see the porters carry a heavy load on their head and their backs to understand that you can't climb this mountain without them. Just because they've hiked the mountain many times, doesn't mean porters are any less susceptible to altitude sickness. A reputable company who is a KPAP partner should look after the crew and ensure their health & safety. While you're hiking at a leisurely pace from camp to camp, enjoying the views and taking little breaks, the porters have struck your tent, packed up and hauled it to the next camp. They will pass you as they need to get to camp before you to set up. Every time they do - you'll be amazed and their stamina and strength as you're huffing and puffing up the hill only carrying a daypack. My amazing porter would meet me about 45 min to an hour from camp and carry my bag the rest of the way. Seeing him always meant we were getting close to camp. KPAP (Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project) has made it easy to search tour companies who participate in the program. Check it out here. We went with Follow Alice and I can't speak highly enough about them and their crew - always smiling, always encouraging and always giving us a high-five when we arrived at camp. In short, they are the rock stars of Kili. 2. carry a well stocked first aid kitChances are you may not need anything from your first aid kit, but someone else might (that happened in our group when someone had tummy troubles) and wouldn't it be better to have it and not need it, than not have it and need it? It's also a prudent idea to carry it with you in your daypack, kind of like insurance - you won't need it if you have it, but you will if you don't. Things to carry in your first aid kit:
I've learned that a woman died of a heart attack while reaching Stella Point last week, a tragic reminder to truthfully listen to your body while on the mountain and hire a team of people with a well-trained guide who can spot the signs of stress. While Kilimanjaro doesn't require technical mountain climbing skills, it stands 5,895 meters tall where the oxygen is 48% less than at sea level. Be prepared so you won't be scared. 3. Wear lip balm ALL the timeYour lips will be forever grateful if you coat your lips with a moisturizing protective lip balm day and night. The air is very dry, the sun is very strong and the dust is ever present. I have a little lip balm addiction, my current favourite is a natural lip balm by Upper Canada Honey Company. I'd venture a guess and say my addiction prevented my lips from cracking (from dryness) and blistering (from the sun), which happened to several people in our group who hadn't, perhaps, moisturized their lips as liberally as I did. 4. long lasting batteriesThe last thing you want to happen is for the batteries in your headlamp to run out of juice, especially on summit night. We brought two kinds with us: Regular Duracell for evenings until summit night, and then for summit night we popped in Duracell Optimum hoping they would last us the night so we wouldn't have to change the batteries half way up in the dark. Not only did they last the seven hour night time trek to summit but also afterwards when I used my headlamp every night while on a 5-day Safari and on a 9-day tour of Uganda. And, a week after arriving home, I'm still using them when I walk my dogs at night. I can whole-heartedly recommend spending the little extra money on the Optimum batteries so that you have peace of mind that you won't find yourself in the dark without a working headlamp. 5. Solar panel charger Without any place to charge your electronics on the mountain, you'll want to start with a charging bank that's fully charged and then something to charge it when it runs out of juice. We brought a solar charger and set it up outside out tent when the sun came out and on sunny days we attached it to our backpacks. This provided enough extra juice to charge our power banks. One BioLite solar panel was enough for two of us to charge things when needed (see photo, backpack on the left). On that note, our only camera was our iPhone. You'll definitely want to keep your phone in airplane mode as there is little to no reception on the mountain so no need to waste battery power searching for signal when it doesn't reach that high up the mountain. Your instagram posts will have to wait until you get back to Moshi. 6. Tent Lamp I can't take credit for this idea as it was my sister who brought this along - an inflatable, lightweight, solar powered lamp for the tent from Luminaid. Having this in our tent meant we didn't have to use our headlamps as the only light source. The charge lasted quite a while and when it needed it, and like the solar panel charger, we'd set it outside our tent or attached it to our backpacks to catch some sun (see photo above, backpack on the right). We hung it in the middle and it lit up the whole tent. And on several nights we shared the love/light and hung it up in the mess tent during dinner for a little extra brightness. This lamp isn't just for camping - we've used it when the power has gone out at home. If charged, it will last quite a while. And if you're having a party in your tent, it even has a disco setting. Naturally we were always too tired to have a disco in our tent. Maybe another time. 7. Hand & body warmersIt gets cold on the mountain at night. Presumably your tour company has supplied highly rated sleeping bags, but even so, bring some hand and body warmers and pop them in your bag before you go to bed and cozy warm. These will be very welcome on the night before summiting. 8. LEAKPROOF / Period underwearLadies, time to talk about underwear. I simply can not rave enough about leakproof underwear. These underwear have changed my life and have added a level of ease and comfort to hiking & camping. My favourite are by Knix. They come in various absorbency levels too. As hygiene is difficult to maintain when you can't shower for 8 days (cleanliness standards plummet quickly), these underwear absorb sweat and other, um, stuff. If you get your period, which you probably will on the mountain as an effect of the altitude, you'll be ready. You wont need to carry as many other products either so you'll also reduce the waste on the mountain. Trust me on this one, you'll wonder how you ever hiked without them. 9. Ear plugs & eye maskThe mountain makes very little sound but somehow it's a very loud place, especially at night. If you're a light sleeper, like me, and easily kept awake by the sounds of snoring or people unzipping and zipping up their tents, then I highly recommend wearing ear plugs to sleep. I wouldn't have slept much if I hadn't had them with me. While it is very dark on the mountain, an eye mask will block out the lights from your tent mate's headlamp when they get up in the night to pee. So with ear plugs and an eye mask you should sleep like a pampered fat baby and get a restful night's sleep. 10. e-readerThe sun sets at 6:30pm on the mountain and once you finish dinner there really isn't a whole lot to do. I had a Kobo e-reader with me and read at night - I may have been reading 'beach reads', please no judgment - but without TV or internet it was the next best thing. E-Readers are lightweight and easily packable, and if fully charged, the battery will last the whole duration of the trek. Just remember to keep them in a water proof bag. Bonus Tip. night sky cameraThe night sky, free from light pollution, is something to behold! Seeing the night sky was one of the things I was most looking forward to. It was a full moon for the first few nights and so while the sky was beautiful and bright, it did make it a little difficult to see the stars. But, the moon acted as a spotlight on the mountain and if you braved the cold and escaped the relative warmth of your tent in the middle of the night, the sky and the mountain gave quite a show. Totally worth getting out of your toasty warm sleeping bag if you have to use the toilet tent - just don't forget your camera.
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