The kit list.....

One of the things you quickly realise when you start planning a trip like this is how important having the right kit is, both from having the right amount and the right quality. Unfortunately another thing that you realise quite quickly is that with the vast amount of information available on the internet nobody agrees exactly on what the right kit is!
The kit list for the company that we have booked with recommends that we take 6 pairs of thin socks with us along with 3 pairs of thick socks for the 6 day trek, seems sensible enough…… However they also recommend that we take 3 sets of underwear!!!! I appreciate that I’m not going to get a shower while on Kilimanjaro but surely a pair of pants for each day is normal…?
There are a lot of items that all of the kit lists agree on anyway, items like a sleeping bag rated for 4 seasons so it is ok in the warm area of the lower mountain as well as when it is colder in the higher regions. The sleeping bag was one of the first items that I purchased and is rated from down to -7ºC for comfort down to -23ºC for extreme temperatures, unfortunately I can’t try it out to see how warm it will really be at these temperatures but I’m sure I can keep my thermal undies on to keep warm as well……
Another of my biggest worries about doing this is the washing facilities, yes I know that I am going to be on a mountain in the middle of nowhere but as my hair looks greasy if I go 24 hours without washing it I wanted to have some sort of facilities to wash my hair. As with most things a quick Google search later and I had found a web site for a company called ‘No Rinse’ Products. The items are generally meant for the elderly or incapacitated but that didn’t deter me! I ordered a couple of their hair washing caps to try along with a bottle of shampoo, a bottle of conditioner and a pack of their wet wipes.
The shampoo cap wasn’t what I had hoped for, when I opened the pack and found what was basically a lined shower cap that was moist. The instructions told me to put it on my head and ensure all hair was contained within the hat and then massage until hair was saturated, after 5 minutes of looking like an idiot in a shower cap and rubbing my hair I removed the cap and found that it was mostly still dry, this along with the worry that Darina would by this point have taken a photo of me in the cap and published it for the world to see. I abandoned the cap and tried the shampoo, this seems to be much better and just involves me squirting on my hair rubbing in then towel drying. Sorted!!!
There are also strict limits to the amount of weight that you are allowed to take on Kili, you are expected to carry your own day pack which will contain everything you need throughout the day until you get to the next camp site like water, waterproof clothes, layers and food. Then each trekker has a porter to carry their main luggage bag and this is limited to 15Kg, it seems a lot but then when air lines allow you to take 20Kg of luggage how many of you use all of this for your holidays? Then I have to have clothes suitable for tropical and arctic conditions and everything in between as well as including a sleeping bag…….
I also bought a rucksack to fit all of my luggage in, the rucksack was rated at 65+10 litres and was the biggest size rucksack that was available in the shop so I assumed that this would be more than big enough for my requirements, that was a mistake!
The sleeping bag takes up the whole of the pocket in the bottom of the rucksack (I think it may actually be designed for this (showing my massive hiking and camping experience here!)). Which leaves around two thirds of the rucksack free, by the time I add a pair of trainers and a couple of pairs of trainers along with underwear (sorry I really have to take a pair for each day!) and socks the bag is pretty much full.
I also currently have two pairs of boots that I’m not completely happy with. I got the forst pair in the Christmas sales as they seemed to do everything I wanted, however after a couple of treks there does not seem to be as much grip as I would like, my main concern is the final ascent and climbing on ice. The second pair that I bought are a pair of Merrell Moab boots, I am much happier with the grip and they are incredibly comfortable however they don’t seem to offer a lot of ankle support……
So my next shopping trip is off to purchase the biggest holdall that I can find and possibly another pair of boots! Seems like my blog is also turning in to a what not to do for you Kilimanjaro kit list!
That brings you all pretty much up to date with where I am in my planning for Kilimanjaro, there are 149 days until we leave and I still have lots of equipment to purchase.