Kilimanjaro Gear and Equipment

What gear do you need to climb Kilimanjaro?

You need walking gear, not climbing gear. On the standard routes (Marangu, Machame, Lemosho, Rongai, Northern Circuit, Umbwe and Shira) there are no ropes, harnesses or ice axes. What you do need is clothing that handles a temperature swing from humid forest to an arctic summit, footwear you trust, and a warm night's sleep.

Tents, sleeping mats, cooking equipment and food are normally provided by your climbing company. Your job is personal kit. For a full item-by-item list, see the Kilimanjaro packing list.

How does the layering system work on Kilimanjaro?

Layering means wearing several thin garments you can add or remove, instead of one heavy coat. It lets you stay dry while walking and warm when you stop, which is the whole game at altitude. Sweat is the enemy: damp clothing loses warmth quickly once you stop moving.

Base layer

Sits against your skin and moves sweat away. Choose merino wool or synthetic fabric, never cotton.

Mid-layer

A fleece or light insulated top. This is the layer you will take on and off most often.

Insulating layer

A down or synthetic insulated jacket for camp evenings, early mornings and summit night. Down is warmer for its weight; synthetic copes better if it gets wet.

Shell layer

A waterproof, breathable jacket and trousers to block rain in the forest and wind higher up.

On summit night most climbers wear all four on top, and two or three on their legs.

What boots should you wear on Kilimanjaro?

Wear waterproof trekking boots with ankle support and a stiff enough sole for loose scree, and make sure they are properly broken in before you arrive. Standard routes do not need insulated double mountaineering boots, but your boots must have room for a thick sock without squeezing your toes, because cramped feet get cold fast.

• Walk at least several long hill days in them before the trip.
• Test them with the exact socks you will wear on summit night.
• Bring gaiters for mud low down and grit on the scree.
• Pack light camp shoes so your feet can breathe in the evening.

If you only get one thing right, make it the boots. Blisters on day two turn a week on the mountain into a long negotiation with your feet.

How warm does your sleeping bag need to be?

It needs to keep you warm on nights that drop below freezing at the high camps, so choose a bag by its comfort rating, not its extreme rating. Most reputable bags are tested under ISO 23537 (formerly EN 13537), which gives several figures.

• Comfort: the temperature at which a standard woman sleeps comfortably in a relaxed position.
• Limit: the temperature at which a standard man sleeps curled up without feeling cold.
• Extreme: a survival figure, not a sleeping temperature. Never plan a night around it.

These ratings come from a heated manikin on a well-insulated pad in a lab, wearing a base layer and socks. Backpacking Light's review of the standard stresses that a rating is not a guarantee of warmth, because metabolism, body size, health and acclimatisation all vary. If you sleep cold, are tired, or are on a thin mat, you will feel colder than the label suggests. A liner and dry base layers worn to bed help.

What other equipment is worth bringing?

• Trekking poles. They take strain off the knees on the long descent.
• Head torch. Summit night starts in the dark. Lithium batteries cope better with cold.
• Gloves in two layers. Thin liners for dexterity, insulated mittens or gloves over the top.
• Sunglasses. CDC notes that high altitude brings increased ultraviolet radiation, and glare from snow and pale rock is strong.
• Insulated water bottles. Hoses on hydration bladders can freeze on summit night.
• Daypack of about 25–35 litres with a hip belt and rain cover.

What should you rent and what should you buy?

Buy anything that touches your skin or has to fit your body: boots, socks, base layers, and ideally gloves. Rented boots are the fastest route to blisters, and nobody wants second-hand thermal underwear.

Rent or borrow bulky, expensive items you may never use again: a sub-zero sleeping bag, a down jacket, trekking poles and gaiters. Check any rented item at your gear briefing, not at the first camp. Look for a working zip on the sleeping bag, loft in the down jacket, and poles that lock without slipping.

How should you test your gear before the climb?

Do at least one full-day hike in the boots, socks, pack and layers you plan to use, ideally in bad weather. Then do one cold night at home or in the garden in your sleeping bag if you own it. You will learn more from those two outings than from any gear review.

If you are still unsure, bring your kit to the pre-climb briefing and ask the lead guide to look through it. It is much easier to fix a gap in Moshi or Arusha than at 4,000 m. Kili Aventura can also answer gear questions before you travel through the quote form.

Not on the standard trekking routes. They are walking routes with no technical climbing. Occasionally snow or ice near the crater rim can make footing tricky, and guides will advise if conditions call for extra traction.

Choose a bag whose comfort rating, not extreme rating, covers sub-zero nights at the high camps. Ratings under ISO 23537 are lab results, so if you tend to sleep cold, pick a warmer bag or add a liner.

Some experienced hikers do, but most climbers are better off in waterproof boots with ankle support. The forest can be muddy, the scree is loose, and summit night is cold enough that thin shoes leave feet numb.

Down is warmer for its weight and packs smaller, which makes it the usual choice for the summit jacket and sleeping bag. Synthetic insulation keeps more of its warmth when damp, so it suits climbers who expect wet conditions.