Equipment Recommendations for Kilimanjaro Climbers

When you climb Kilimanjaro on our Advantage or Excel Series, you will carry as little weight as possible. The main reason for this is that you’ll acclimatise better and faster if your respiratory rate is as low as possible – which is why your guide will introduce you to the ‘Pole, pole‘ pace within 10 minutes of entering Kilimanjaro National Park.

While substantially inferior to the more robust, larger Ortlieb dry bag that is preferred by soldiers encountering hostile conditions, if you’re not planning more adventures after Kilimanjaro, this bag ought to suffice to keep your stuff dry within your holdall or rucksack while you climb Kilimanjaro with us.

If your pre-expedition Kilimanjaro training has consisted of cardiovascular exercises primarily, such as running, cycling and swimming and you do not intend to use weight when training in the hills to simulate the fatigue of high altitude, then you don’t really need a large capacity rucksack.

Many rucksacks have a built-in rainproof cover sewn into the lid or the base of the bag. If you use a decent rucksack liner it’s not essential to use a rucksack cover, however, it is nonetheless advised as it is advantageous to ensure that your rucksack remains reasonably dry so that it does not become frozen and brittle at night when the temperature drops below zero.