Kilimanjaro Trek Tips, advice and Tips, advice and shopping list

AMREF (African Medical and Research Foundation) is the largest African health organisation in the world, providing health care and training across the continent. Its mission is to improve people’s health as a means for them to escape poverty.

FARM-Africa is an international non- governmental organisation that aims to reduce poverty in eastern and South Africa. They work in partnership with marginal farmers and herders, helping them to manage their natural resources more effectively and build sustainable livelihoods on their land.

For information about taking part in this trek or any other fund-raising events please contact AMREF UK via their website at www.amref.org/uk or FARM Africa at www.farmafrica.org.uk.

It really depends on the time of year and the route you take as to what you should take with you on the trek so I can only really advise you as to what I took in September on the Machame Route.

Clothing

Woolen hat
Fleece head band (to cover your ears)
Sun hat (one that's soft so you can scrunch it up and put it in your pocket)
Sunglasses
Scarf or something else to wrap around your head and ears
Long-sleeve thermal top (a good quality breathable one - Helly Hansen Lifa are great)
Breathable t-shirts x2
Micro-fleece top
Fleece jacket
Waterproof/breathable jacket (as light as possible)
Thin thermal gloves
Waterproof/thick gloves (for the final ascent)
Thermal long-johns (Again, the Helly Hansen Lifa ones are fantastic)
Lightweight trousers x2 (I used the sort that you could also zip off the bottom half and then you've also got two pairs of shorts!
Waterproof over trousers (Breathable are best but can be very expensive)
Underwear (obviously)
Socks (double lined) x2 - these are great to prevent blisters occuring
Socks (thick moutain socks) x2
Very good quality trekking boots - it is important to get a pair that you feel comfortable in so spend a bit of time hunting around the shops. I bought some leather Brasher boots for around £100 and I didn't even have to wear these in before I started the climb (this was very lucky for me and I was very stupid not to have spent more time wearing the boots in - I would advise you to spend as much time as possible wearing your new boots in)

To carry during the climb

Rucksack - 25-30 litre sack with a few outer pockets for easy access
Walking poles - these seemed to vary alot in price. I just went for the cheap option (around £20 for the pair on eBay) and these were perfectly adequate
Water Pouch
Water bottle - if you've already for the drinking pouch then I would just go for a 1 litre water bottle for a bit of extra water
Nuts, dried fruit, boiled sweets, chocolate, Trail mix
Camera - remember to take enough film or memory cards to last your journey. Also take a couple of batteries and keep them warm.

Tioletries & Medication

All of the usual including:
toothbrush
toothpaste
wateer purification tablets
aspirin/paracetamol
sleeping tablets
altitude sickness medication
anti-diarrhoea tablets
moist wipes
anti-malarial tablets
insect repellent
blister plasters
lipsalve/sunscreen

• Firsly to do with shopping. If you're buying a lot of equipment from one shop then don't be afraid to ask for discount. We got 20% off our final bill.
• Drink 2-3 litres of water every day. You will get dehydrated during the climb and so it is very important to drink this amount. Remember to use iodine tablets to neutralise your water. I found that if you also add a effervescent orange flavour vitamin c tablet it takes away the taste of iodine.
• Snack frequently whilst walking. It is important to keep your energy levels up and the best way of doing this is by snacking on nuts, dried fruit, boiled sweets, muesli bars. We found that the nuts and dried fruit method to be the best.
• Take a bar of chocolate. You will find that you will get tired and run-down at times and it can be a god-send to see a bar of your favourite chocolate peering out from within your rucksack. Remember to keep it for when you really need it!
• Pack layers. Although you are climbing a mountain, and yes it can get very cold, remember to pack for all conditions. I spent most of the 5 days wearing a breathable t-shirt, fleec top and lighweight trowsers and this was perfectly adequate.
• Take walking poles. This was my saviour on the climb and especially on the descent. Apparently using walking poles can reduce the pressure on your legs by up to 50% (I think - I'm no doctor but i'm sure I read something somewhere) and this I certainly found to be true. This is a matter of personal preference and you may find that you don't need them but it's better to take them and not use them than not take them and wish you had!
• Your water will freeze! On the final ascent the tempertures may plummit to -20˚C and if you use a camelpack (or similar) the water will freeze in the tube. These are fantastic for normal tempertures and I used mine throughout but then it failed at the vital moment and I was left without my own water supply for 4 out of the 6 hours on the final ascent. The only way around this problem is to wrap your water bottle with clothing etc to insulate it.
• Use a good quality 2-3 season sleeping bag. It can get very cold during the night and you need what little sleep you can get to be comfortable. I found that a -20˚C rated sleeping bag can keep you at just the right temperture whatever the climate range.
• Take drugs for altitude sickness only when you need to. This was the one big decision when I was preparing for the climb. I had heard lost of differing opinions on the subject of Diamox. Some people said that they can make you feel worse and some said better. Whose advise do you take, well ultimately your own. My advise is to wait until you feel really bad then take them. I didn't suffer many adverse effects from altitude so was very lucky. Nick did suffer during the latter stages of the climb and it was only then that he took them. He made it to the top so it must have had some effect.
• Sleep with your batteries. Batteries will lose their energy quicker in colder tempertures and you want to have enough charge on your camera to take photo's throughout. I put my batteries in a sock and put them at the end of my sleeping bag at night to keep them warm and therefore keep the energy levels as high as possible.