So you're going to Kilimanjaro and you're probably thinking about what to pack
Hey everyone, I'm Salo from 'Follow Alice' and in this video
I'll share with you our experience going up Kilimanjaro and also what we learned from our clients
First things first and is your bags
That's what you carry your gear in
So you have to think about that you have a porter on Kilimanjaro
And you will have a bag where you carry your own personal gear
and you also have a duffle bag, that you give to the porter to carry for you
Now the way to split it up is the things that you need throughout the day should be in your day pack
And the things that you will need at the camp
For example, your sleeping bag, a sleeping mat, that will be in your duffle bag
That you hand over to the porter
So your day pack is what you're gonna carry every day
and in our case, we use the 45 liter bag
Is a little bit on the large scale, you can do with a 30 or 35
But we had some extra camera gear so we chose to go with this one
So one important thing is the hardness and your normal backpack probably doesn't have something as comfortable as this
Sometimes you carry it for up to eight hours a day
So it's very important that you feel comfortable while carrying it
Another thing that is really great is the net on the back
Just makes sure that you don't get too warm and there's air between yourself and the bag
So all the heat can get out, otherwise you start sweating, and it's a bit uncomfortable
Hiking bags compared to normal backpacks have way better harness
They have extra pockets for you and also extra clippers to even out the weight
So you can adjust a little bit while you hike
Get one of these, [because] a normal day pack or backpack that's used for school is probably not gonna do the job
When we went to Kilimanjaro we packed light, so this 65 litre bag actually did the job for us
But I would say that you probably need something a little bit bigger
Around the 100 or 85 kilos can also do and as you also have a big sleeping bag in there if you go with us
And also when you pack and if you go with 'Follow Alice' or any other operator that will give you sleeping bag
Remember to leave some space in this bag because you will obviously have to put it in there
Your sleeping, bag you'll use it each and every night, and it keeps you warm
On Kilimanjaro, it starts warm but you do go up the altitude and as you go around base camp it really gets to freezing
So you need a good sleeping bag and comfort temperature around -10 C
And now again, sleeping bags vary a lot and the most important thing is what are they made of
You can have synthetic sleeping bags and you can have sleeping bags with down
The major difference between them is that down is a bit lighter
And it's also quicker to heat up so once you get into [the] sleeping bag
It gets warm very quick and the synthetic takes a longer time
The down does require a bit more maintenance because it cannot get that humid
And you should avoid it getting wet at all times
Now if you travel with 'Follow Alice'
We will take care of this, we have great sleeping bags, and you will get that for free included
But if you don't, then use more budget to operators, make sure that they have good quality sleeping bags
If not, if you have your own, then you can also bring that
So this is a down sleeping bag and one thing you will notice on good sleeping bags
Is that they have an extra strap inside of them
And this is very important because you can close it around your neck and
No cold air will go through and that will keep you warm
and also the warmth from your body wouldn't go out
So you can pull this strap and if it gets too warm
Obviously, you can open up a little bit
If you really do freeze even with a good sleeping bag
There's a few hacks you can actually do
You lose a lot of heat from the top of your head, so a warm hat goes a very long way
It's actually amazing, if you put a hat on and you freeze a bit
You'll feel warm instantly
A pair of thermal underwear is also a very good idea to keep you warm
If you do struggle with keeping warm
and sometimes if you don't have a really good sleeping bag
These small things can help
You could also put on a pair of extra socks
And even an extra tshirt
Another thing you need to fit in the duffel bag that you give to the porters, it's a sleeping mat
There is normally two types: either foam or inflatable
Keep in mind that if you get a sleeping mat from your operator, you need to fit that in as well
One of the most important things, if not the most important thing is your boots
So hiking boots comes in many different shapes and brands
But the most important thing is what is it made of
In this case, I have leather boots, the big competitor to leather is is gore-tex which is great
The only difference between leather and gore-tex is breathability
With the leather you can actually control how breathable should be
But leather do require way more maintenance than gore-tex
Gore-tex's easy to keep clean
You clean it and that's it
Which in leather boots, you really have to clean them
And then you have to wax them and the wax makes them water repellent
But also it takes away the breathability
So, if your boots are new, you'll have to break them in
and that means hiking around 100km, and that's before you go on the mountain
Your foot has to get used to the boots to avoid blisters and
Also for the boots to get used to your feet
One good tip with your boots is that if you either keep them on
Or put them in your hand luggage, we have experienced clients bags go missing
and they don't have their equipment
Now, we can replace a lot of things and you can borrow and so on
But the boots [are] really a personal thing and it's really hard to replace
A good down jacket is also essential
You won't need it for the first couple of days
But as you get higher and higher, you start using it in the camp when you relax in the evening
It gets very chilly and also for your summer climb
Now, these jackets are like the minimum, I think, you use for the summit climb
But I do like layers, so that worked for me
But you can also get bigger jackets, that with 'Follow Alice' we do rent them out
Or you can maybe have your own
The first couple of days you do not want to keep it in your day pack
You'll probably put it in the duffel that you give to the porters,
But as you get higher and higher, it starts getting colder
So it's good to get it like the last two-three days, put it in your day pack
Because during lunch, when you have breaks and so on
It gets chilly and it's really nice to have the down jacket, together with your warm hat, is amazing
When you have the stop at certain places
A lot of people use hiking poles, they're great things to go down, I found
But I didn't use them too much
But if you travel with 'Follow Alice' we will give you a pair
And you can try them out, see if you like them, then go further
A lot of people actually love them and wouldn't hike without it
So, it's really a matter of taste
Rain jacket and rain trousers
Normal rain jackets as we know them, is probably the most waterproof jackets you can get
But as you're going to be very active on the mountain, you're going to be hiking a lot
You also need a rain jacket that is breathable
So, there is different rain jackets and there's one of them, it has a fully coated membrane
Which makes it breathable and very waterproof and water repellent at the same time
They also call it "a 20,000mm hydrostatic head"
a 20,000 millimetres hydrostatic head
Which tells you a bit about how waterproof and repelling they are, but yes, it's a very important thing
And I'm sure nobody goes on a mountain without a good rain jacket
Another thing your rain jacket is really good for it's a windbreaker
Some people like to have a big jacket, some people like to have more layers
So I put this jacket on top of my down jacket and then it acted as a windbreaker
Rain trousers work in the same way as a rain jacket, in regards to material and breathability
You can also choose to have ski pants with you
You can use for the summit climb and you're so high up that rain turns into snow anyways
So you don't really get wet at the summit
The ski pants won't get as wet as the rain pants
But the rain pants is a must-have
Layers are amazing, they really give you flexibility to regulate your body temperature as you hike
Besides the base layer, I'd bring two warmer layers with me
and one of them is a fleece, hiking trousers personally I like the zip off
and so the first couple of days I had them off and then as we climbed higher, I started attaching them, is very easy
Then you have one pair, if you already have a pair of hiking trousers that cannot be zipped off
It's good to have a pair of shorts with you
It's really nice in the lower altitudes so
The last layer will be the inner layer, it's what you have closest to your body
and I'd bring two of those, two sets and that is a long trousers
The base layer itself, some underwear, you do sweat and these are made of merino wool
It transfers the moist away from your body
And it's really nice thing to have, I would avoid cotton
Because it gets heavy, it dries slow in case it gets wet
So wool, merino wool is a really good thing
And also for the underwear, you are on a mountain for seven days and you get what I call "washy washy"
It's also really good because it's antibacterial and you don't get a shower and Kilimanjaro
Gloves are very important if you do tend to get cold very easily in your hands
A closed glove is a very good thing because then your fingers, they warm each other
But if you want some more flexibility, if you have a camera, if you want to record some stuff
You can also go for these, but get a pair of proper hand gloves
Your socks, on a day of hike, regular hiking socks will do
And you can also choose to have a pair of liners underneath
It also helps avoid a bit of blisters, because the friction will be between your socks
Rather than the sock and your skin or the boot
and for the summit day, it's recommended a pair of summit socks
They are thicker and they are warmer, and you will need it
It's very important with the gloves and the socks, because there's where you'll freeze the most
Hiking bags normally have these compartments and this is for your Camelbak, is for your water system
And they also have a hole out, so you can have the mouthpiece sticking out
It's very convenient when you hike, because you can just pull it up and drink
This system is quite common and it's actually very good to have it
Makes life way easier, if you are tired, or you are challenged on the mountain
It's way easier to just pull this out, have a drink, you're done, instead of reaching for your bottle
This specific one is insulated, this is for the summit day, so it doesn't freeze
One problem these camelbaks have is that they do freeze in the mouthpiece at the summit when it gets really cold
Water is vital when you're hiking mountains, especially because it helps cope with altitude sickness
So if you do not have a camelbak, you can have bottles
And they are very good, these kind of more thin bottles are great
Especially for the summit day, because you can put them inside of your jacket and make sure they do not freeze
These are a little hard to have in a jacket
But as they freeze top down you can actually just turn it upside down in your bag
And then you need to drink, you just flip it and you have water
Another tip is that you can take a sock, and you're gonna actually place your water bottle inside of it
For the summit day, and for the summer day and that also helps insulate it a little bit
You should have 2-3 liters of water with you at the summit day
So make sure you actually have more than one bottle
You won't have a shower on Kilimanjaro, but you have what they call washy-washy
So a little towel like this will do so, that's all I have
and also it dries quick, a good thing to think about is material you'll bring with you, that they actually able to dry quick
I use a toiletry bag for toothbrushes and other personal hygiene and
Also, you can bring some painkillers
Which is recommended, if you get to feel some altitude sickness
And some people also bring diarrhea pills
It's a good thing because you can't get that here in the mountain
and also very good to bring stuff like a bit of plasters
Blister plasters, if you get that, I use sport's sleeve to try and avoid getting blisters
Toothbrush and so on, I use a toiletry bag for that
It's easy to get and it's all in there
Mosquito repellent, that's also a good thing, the first few days you are in malaria zone
Malaria tablets, it's also a great thing
Okay, so to all the small bits, but very very important bits
Sun hat, avoid get a sunstroke, it is Africa, it is intense in here and it's really warm
Especially when there is no clouds, you really get to feel the Sun
and a warm hat, very very important, when you stand still, put this on, if you feel cold in the night, in the evening
It goes a long way
And a balaclava, is really good for the last day, the summit
Kilis in Tanzania is very close to the equator so the sun goes down very quick
Around seven o'clock it's dark, so a head torch is a really good thing around the camp
And when you want to find your way around and also for the summit climb, you will need it
Because we normally climb during the night, so we see the sun rise in the morning, you used it all the way
Spare batteries for the head torch is also very important, because you will use it a lot
A camera is very good idea
You're probably only gonna climb Kilimanjaro once
Unless you are like our co-founder Danny, he did it 2-3 times
A pair of binoculars can be fun to look around and
Especially when you get up in the heights
Last, but not least remember your passport, check what kind of visas you will need from your country
And vaccines and so on with your GP
There is a long queue at the airport for visas, you can get them for $50
But if you do have an embassy near you, a Tanzanian embassy
You can get it beforehand and avoid standing in the queue
I hope you enjoyed this video, and it was helpful to you
And happy climbing