Kit List
04:23
OK. Kit.
You are climbing a large, cold, intimidating and unpredictable mountain. You need to be prepared before you start the climb.
There are two ways of doing this, and I think it largely depends on what type of person you are.
For instance, this year the only things I’m taking with me to Africa are money, passport, the clothes I’m wearing, spare pants and socks, climbing boots, a headtorch (more on this later) and a couple of comfy T-shirts because I know I can hire or buy everything else out there.
Other people will take every item to cover every possible eventuality because they won’t want to get caught out.
With regards to transport and storage of your stuff, take everything you could possibly want on the plane with you. We then have a couple of days in Moshi, the town at the base of Kili, in our hostel/hotel, which we can use as a base. More importantly they let us store our stuff in a strong room whilst were are up the mountain and be reunited with it when we get off, so all the stuff you’ve brought for zanzibar/safari/volunteering doesn’t have to be lugged up the mountain with you.
So, this is the recommended exhaustive and complete list of things to take to be on the safe side:
For The Climb:
Rucksack (60 litre or so)
Day bag (small bag)
Walking boots
Walking socks (x6)
Lycra under shorts (x1)
Walking trousers (x1)
Waterproof trousers (x1)
Thermal underclothes (x1)
Thermal ‘keep warm’ layer (x2)
Rugby shirt (x1)
Fleece (x1)
Down-jacket w/hood (x1)
Waterproof jacket w/hood (x1)
Gloves (x2)
Balaclava (x1)
Woolly-hat (x1)
Buff (x1)
Strong UV sunglasses (x1)
Sun block (high factor)
A platypus water bag
Water purification tablets
T-shirts (lots)
Head Torch
The bare minimum you must have before the climb is:
Walking boots- you should buy these early and wear them in
Walking trousers- again, make sure they don’t chafe, and are lined for warmth
Head Torch & batteries- It’s dark in your tent and on the night climb- the torch is ESSENTIAL, as one chap without a torch found out last year when he fell in a latrine hole!
He was called ‘poo-boy’ for the rest of the trip.
A few Tshirts for layering up and wearing afterwards, pants and socks, and your large kit bag, to put everything you need for the whole trip in.
Everything else you can hire out there- these are the prices we were quoted in '08:
Ventex Jacket: $20
Waterproof Trouser: $7
Down Jacket: $20
Sleeping Bags & Inner Sheet (high alpine): $30
Sleeping Bags & Inner Sheet (standard): $20
Walking Sticks: $5
Water Bottle: $2
Gallers: $10
Balaclava: $5
Day Pack: $10
Kit Bag: $20
Waterproof Jacket: $10
Gloves: $5
Sleeping Mat: $5
in '09 we got everything a bit cheaper, a deal of around £30 for the 'essentials':
Thick mountain Jacket, sleeping bag, Trousers, sticks.
The tour company are sending us a list of 2010 prices soon, which we'll pass on as soon as we know (bear in mind that everything out there is quoted in dollars, and currently the pound is crashing against the dollar, so things might go up a bit.)
There’s no point in spunking hundreds of pounds on equipment you’ll have to lug to the airport and the ALL around Africa after the climb when you’ll only use it once and you can rent it anyway.
If you have ski gear, a lot of that works fine on the mountain- gloves, hat, shades, underlayers etc.
Here’s what I would recommend buying beforehand/ bringing as a balanced view between over and under preparedness:
For the Mountain:
Walking boots (this should be your biggest expenditure- you do NOT want blisters at 18,000 feet)
Comfy yet thick walking trousers
A couple of pairs of THICK walking socks
Lots of woollen and cotton socks
A nice warm fleece
A trusty warm hat
Underwear
A 60 Litre rucksack
A small backpack
Headtorch and batteries
And about $60 to hire everything else
For the trip:
I and your leaders will cover this in more detail before you go, but these are the things you should have on you AT ALL TIMES:
Money belt- it’s not sexy, but it is essential.
Passport- NEVER let it out of your sight.
Travel Insurance documents, photocopies of passport, contact numbers!
Credit cards- VISA is much better than Mastercard, they’ve never even heard of Maestro, American Express etc... Take at least one, see if your parents can lend you one of theirs “for emergencies”, and if possible take an old one that has been cancelled to give if you get robbed (unlikely, but a wise precaution)
Mobile phone/Camera/MP3 player (if you have this all in one it’ll be a lot easier.)
Otherwise, some board shorts/ bikini for Zanzibar, light floaty clothing (you can buy it out there too), comfy tshirts, underwear, flip flops, a pair of comfy shoes that aren’t your walking boots- you will never want to see or wear them again after you get off the mountain.
As I say, this is only a rough guide for those of you that want to get on with buying stuff over Easter- your leaders will fill you in with more information closer to the time.
“What goes Black White Black White Black White...?
A nun rolling down a hill.”
Blanch xx
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