Kilimanjaro Gear

I leave for Kilimanjaro in a few days and have all my gear packed. My previous descriptions and videos of the gear I am using for the 7 Summits Climb for Alzheimer’s has been popular so I thought I would do one for this climb.

Believe it or not, I have added a couple of new items that I needed for the unique nature of a Kili climb but otherwise will use most of the same gear I have on the previous 5 climbs. There is one huge exception – no crampons, ice axe, harness or other technical gear. It is not needed on Kilimanjaro.

We will spend the vast majority of our time walking on well worn dirt trails with a few sections of easy rock scrambling. There may be some snow on the trail when we reach the summit crater but still no need for technical gear.

All that said, Kilimanjaro has some unique aspects. We will start in the hot and humid micro-climate of a rain forest. Then gain altitude as we cross four more micro climates until we reach the summit. This is when things change dramatically. The summit day can be extremely cold. that I mean temperatures near 0F and if there is a strong wind, the wind chill can be extremely dangerous. This is not to be underestimated and is the cause of many missed summits.

Another unique aspect of Kilimanjaro is that I will never carry more than my day pack with some water, a jacket – and my camera! Local porters will carry all the other gear as well as set up camp, cook, clean dishes – you know the stuff you never want to do at the end of a long day! It will be very much like a scene from the movie “Out of Africa”. I am excited to be climbing once again with International Mountain Guides.

We can look at Kilimanjaro, in terms of gear, in two phases:

• Trek to High Camp
• Summit Bid

If you have read my other posting about gear on Vinson, Aconcagua or Everest or looked at my gear list, (recently updated) you know what I am about to say about clothing in the mountains. It is all about layers and knowing what to use depending on the conditions and having it accessible on a moments notice.

So with all this, I created a video showing what I will use on Kilimanjaro. Others will do it differently and there are no hard rules. Just whatever works for you is what I say.

Finally, I don’t cover my communication equipment but I will be sending dispatches back to this website and Facebook pages on behalf the The 7 Summits Climb for Alzheimer’s: Memories are Everything. I hope this encourages you to get involved, learn about Alzheimer’s and make a donation.

I hope you enjoy the video. Click here to download my Kili gear list in spreadsheet format.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything