Climbing Kilimanjaro | WHAT TO PACK + IMPORTANT TOP TIPS

Prepare and pack your kit list for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, with IMPORTANT TOP TIPS, additional ADVICE for FEMALE hikers, and a GUIDE of what to wear on SUMMIT night.
This in-depth and extensive packing guide video covers;
01:00 - Main Trek Bags
04:41 - Dry Bags
08:54 - Optional Additional Bags
09:42 - Tops & Coats
13:02 - Bottoms
16:06 - Underwear
18:51 - Footwear
21:15 - Accessories
23:37 - Gear & Equipment (Daytime)
26:28 - Gear & Equipment (Night time)
28:09 - Tech
32:45 - Toiletries
36:59 - First Aid
41:27 - Entertainment
43:34 - What To Travel In
With this list, you shouldn’t forget a single thing. Be sure to watch the full video for various helpful tips, recommendations, advice and anecdotes throughout!
PACKING LIST BREAKDOWN:
- Main trek bags
- 35L Backpack
- 90L Duffel bag
- Dry bags
- Various colours & sizes (x14)
- Optional additional bags
- Boots bag
- Hotel bag
- Travel wallet
- Tops & coats
- Sweat wicking t-shirt (x2)
- Thermal vest (x1)
- Thermal long sleeves (x3)
- Zipped soft shell jacket (x1)
- Fleece (x1)
- Down jacket (x1)
- Thin waterproof coat (x1)
- Thick waterproof/ski jacket (x1)
- Bottoms
- Thermal leggings (x3)
- Thick fleece lined leggings (x1)
- Walking/Hiking trousers (x1)
- Thin waterproof trousers (x1)
- Salopettes (x1)
- Underwear
- Thick padded socks (x4)
- Comfortable cotton socks (x3)
- Long ski socks (x1)
- Thick, fluffy bed socks (x1)
- Comfortable pants (x4)
- Longer, thicker pants (x1)
- Menstrual pants (x5)
- Sports bras (x3)
- Footwear
- Trainers
- Hiking boots
- Spare laces
- Accessories
- Brimmed sun hat
- Woolly hat
- Snood
- Sunglasses
- Thin walking gloves
- Thick thermal/ski gloves
- Gear & Equipment (Daytime)
- 2L-3L Water bladder
- 60CL Water bottle
- Headtorch
- Headtorch batteries
- Carbon walking/hiking poles
- Handwarmers & footwarmers
- Gear & Equipment (Night time)
- Sleeping bag liner
- Hot water bottle
- Pillow case
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs
- Tech
- Phone charger (plug & USB multi-purpose cable)
- Travel plug adapter (to UK plug)
- GoPro Hero 7 camera
- Sony A6500 camera
- GoPro chest strap (wouldn’t recommend)
- 30mm f1.4 Sigma lens
- 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 Sony lens
- Camera batteries (x5)
- USB battery charger
- SD cards & wallet
- Mini tripod
- Power bank (20,000mAh)
- Headphones
- Toiletries
- Toiletries bag
- Sealable liquids bag
- Wet wipes
- Microfibre cloth/small towel
- Deodorant
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Toothpick/Dental floss
- Shampoo, conditioner & body wash
- Ear buds
- Tissues & loo roll
- Sanitary products
- Sun cream (SPF 50)
- Lip balm (with SPF)
- Bug repellent
- Hairbrush
- Small mirror
- Hair ties & hair clips
- Nail kit (with clippers & file)
- First Aid
- Plasters & bandages
- Pain relief medication
- Alcohol wipes
- Hand sanitiser
- Aloe vera gel
- Rehydration treatment
- Constipation medication
- Diarrhoea medication
- Malaria tablets
- Decongestant spray
- Antihistamines
- Bite cream
- Antacid medication
- Thrush/yeast infection treatment
- Personal medications (e.g. inhalers)
- Entertainment
- Book
- Playing cards
- Journal & pen
- Letters from loved ones
- Travelling In
- Sweat wicking t-shirt
- Leggings or thin hiking-appropriate bottoms
- Trainers or hiking boots
- Top Tips
- Pack your important gear, medication, and belongings in your hand luggage when travelling.
- Keep a padlock and an identity tag on all of your luggage.
- Organise your kit into labelled and/or colour coded dry bags.
- Aim to only fill half of your duffel bag if you plan to hire a sleeping bag upon arrival.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR ADVENTURE UP MT KILI!
FILMING:
Filmed with: Sony A6500 & 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 Sony lens
Date of filming: 28th July 2022
TRIP:
Dates of trip: 12th-21st March 2022
Tour Operator - KE Adventure Travel
Route - Rongai Route

[@chrisradfordjones]

The best video by far I have seen in the last few months on preparation. Thank you

[@theworldwithsam]

Glad I could help! Thank you very much for watching!

[@irynastruk]

I’m getting ready for climbing Kilimanjaro in a few weeks and your videos have been sooo helpful. Thank you so much and please keep sharing your adventures on KZbin!

[@theworldwithsam]

Oh thank you for watching, I'm so glad they've helped! Do let me know if you have any more questions, I'd be happy to offer any more advice where I can :) Good luck on your trek, I wish I could join you for a second go!

[@irynastruk]

That’s very kind of you Sam! Thank you!

[@luissanchez1159]

How was your trip? I'm going in a few months!

[@hannafauzie4555]

Thank you! very comprehensive and helpful.

[@jamesjordan4676]

Amazing content. Thank you!

[@theworldwithsam]

Glad you found it helpful, thank you for watching!

[@6373abhi]

Very comprehensive and well made video. I am definitely taking notes from it. Thanks for this awesome video. Love from India.

[@theworldwithsam]

Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful! Are you planning on doing Kilimanjaro too?

[@6373abhi]

@@theworldwithsam Oh Yes! I am. In late March this year. I am thinking Lemosho route being good for acclimatization and scenic. And Yes - Mt. Elbrus in around September this year. Though your video Covered most things, any special advice that you think of sharing.

[@theworldwithsam]

@@6373abhi oh wow, that's amazing! Good luck on your adventures! If you haven't already, feel free to watch my other Kilimanjaro videos. We took the Rongai route as that is also one of the best for acclimatisation. I documented my entire trek if you feel like watching! I hope you have a fantastic time and make some brilliant memories!

[@6373abhi]

@@theworldwithsam Yes. I have already watched those videos. You documented everything very well. Really helpful. Which company you went with. And what was the cost? If you can share.

[@theworldwithsam]

@@6373abhi thank you for watching! So we used KE Adventure Travel, they were brilliant and I couldn't recommend them enough. I actually went with a charity so I didn't pay for my spot, but I *think* it was about £3000 per person (I think flights were also included in that)

[@anvarkasmi4817]

brilliantly thorough. thank you. you are a starrrrrrrr

[@theworldwithsam]

Thank you, glad you found it helpful!

[@ChooseU4ever]

Thank you for this detailed video. It was very helpful.

[@theworldwithsam]

Thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed it!

[@eddiealexander5276]

Great vids Sam, especially the emotion you showed on the mountain. We are going to climb this in memory of mum who we lost to cancer earlier this year and also raise some charity money for the wonderful nurses who cared for her in her final moments.

[@theworldwithsam]

What an amazing reason to climb! I'm sure the charity and nurses will be incredibly grateful. I'm so sorry to hear about your mum, maybe take a photo or a belonging of hers up to the mountain with you, that's what I did with my dad. It's such an incredible experience, definitely a challenge at times, but absolutely fantastic, you'll love it! Good luck, and thanks for watching! :)

[@eddiealexander5276]

@@theworldwithsam That's what brought it all back to me. I lost my dad years ago, I miss him every day but my mum has been a rock for years after. Looking after my kids( her grandchildren) and she at least lived to see her great grand daughter. Thanks for the idea of taking something of hers up there👏We were both born in Kenya so it will be all the more poignant. She spoke swahili fluently and even in her last few weeks would come out some hilarious stuff PS who did you travel with? And all the best on your future adventures, I shall now keep a lookout 😃

[@theworldwithsam]

@@eddiealexander5276 gosh, sorry to hear. I can't imagine losing my mum now that I've lost dad. It just strengthens your relationship so much, doesn't it? I had my dad's ashes made into a ring and I wore that up the mountain. Ooh, I'd love to spend more time in Tanzania/Kenya, I simply adored the way of life. I also love the sound of Swahili, it sounds so musical! We travelled with KE Adventure. They were brilliant, very informative and responsive, and our team of guides were so friendly and kind, and were also able to answer all of the questions we had about the mountain as we climbed. Our guide was called Onex. If you do go with KE, I recommend asking for Onex to be your guide, he was so lovely!

[@ConradNeilGatt]

Wow THAT was very detailed indeed, and found it very informative … leaving for Kili in 2 days … from Malta 🇲🇹 … thanks also SUBSCRIBED to you channel

[@theworldwithsam]

Glad to be of help! Thank you for watching 🙂 oh amazing! I wish you all the best for your adventure!! Please come back and tell me what it was like!

[@Gribardson]

Thanks! Pretty informative. Noticed no diamox in your list.

[@theworldwithsam]

@@Gribardson thanks for watching! No, I didn't take Diamox. About 50% of our group did, and about 50% didn't. You're right that it was probably worth mentioning in the video, but because I didn't have it on my list, it completely slipped my mind!

[@Gribardson]

@@theworldwithsam makes sense!

[@leopoldbloom4835]

A padlock can be trouble at customs service (unless you use a tsa lock) and doesn’t add much protection as a thief can slit open the bag - which is more of a problem than if you‘d left it unlocked. If you want to know if you’re bag has been opened, just seal it with a zip tie.

[@aditinair4215]

hi, thank you so much for the video! i will be climbing this upcoming january :) i was wondering whether you recommend sizing up for a warm fleece jacket? i've read online that it should fit snug as to entrap the most heat. But considering the number of layers, i'm confused as to whether to go with the perfect fit or with a size up to leave room for more inner layering?

[@theworldwithsam]

Good question! I think I went for the next size up, but I could've easily worn one of the right fit too. Most times that I wore my fleece, I only had a single layer underneath so the size of the fleece didn't need to cater for a lot of thick layers beneath it. I did wear it on summit night with a few layers of thermals underneath, but due to the thermal layers being of quite thin fabric, even when I did wear lots of layers, the fleece still never felt like it was tight. Your fleece will usually always be a mid-layer so personally I don't think size (or over-size!) is of too much importance as on your daily walks it will just be used to take the chill off if there's a cool wind, and on summit night it will be sandwiched between other thick coat layers so you won't be losing much heat through it anyway. I'd say best to go too big than too small as too small will allow for much less movability and you want as much freedom and comfort as possible. If you find that you get cold, then just change your fleece for your down jacket/coat!

[@karenklinger8371]

Going to watch your other videos. This was great. Any specific hints about going to the bathroom on the trail as a woman? Did you use a she wee?

[@theworldwithsam]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! In all honesty, everyone in our group just embraced the wildness of the bathroom trips and we all squatted behind bushes/rocks/whatever. If you think you'd feel more comfortable using a she wee then by all means do, it's important that you do what is comfortable for you. There aren't many insects or irritating plants so you should be perfectly fine squatting. You very soon adjust to the going to the toilet in nature and it only takes a day or two before you forget that it's actually not the norm to go behind a bush! We had the portable loos at each camp (which I highly recommend adding onto your booking if you haven't already as the camp toilets aren't very pleasant!), but for the most part, you're only walking for a few hours a day so you could even complete a full walk without needing to do a "wild wee". Hope this helps!

[@michelleboyd4352]

Hi! This is amazing content. What month did you go?

[@theworldwithsam]

Thanks for watching! We went in March. Feel free to check out my other videos for the full lowdown of what the weather and the overall general experience was like climbing in that month!

[@eddiealexander5276]

Hi Sam, where did you get the dry bags in the vid from? Ones I'm seeing seem a bit pricey x

[@Samlyonmusic]

I got all mine off of Amazon! I think I spent about £20 in total for all of mine.

[@bowdiersackett6433]

What do you think of bringing a compression sack for the sleeping bag

[@theworldwithsam]

The sleeping bags we hired on the mountain did come with compression sacks, but I must admit it was very fiddly trying to get the sleeping bag to fit back into it every morning! I think there were a couple of occasions (only when we had shorter walks) where I just left mine out of the compression sack for the sake of ease, but overall I would recommend using one as its an extra protective layer for your sleeping bag (no one wants to get in a wet sleeping bag!), and it also does help to keep it as compact as possible in your duffle bag.

[@carog7467]

What brand r the dry bags? I only find really thick ones

[@theworldwithsam]

I ordered almost all of my dry bags from Amazon, I have a few Holemz bags and a few Kuou bags. They're super thin, but really durable, and also very affordable too!

[@rajeevthapa5803]

What goose down jacket did you use? Thanks!

[@Samlyonmusic]

The down jacket I used (the pink one in the video) was Dare2B!

[@rajeevthapa5803]

@@Samlyonmusic Thanks again! Great video-

[@Samlyonmusic]

@@rajeevthapa5803 thank you for watching! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@eddiealexander5276]

What make is the main duffel please?

[@theworldwithsam]

It's a Tuffbag! The one I used is a 90L Tuffbag Wastewater Duffel, at the moment they're averaging around £65 here in the UK.

[@TuanTranFitnessCoach]

Hey ☺️ I respect how dedicated you are to losing weight, because you inspire others to keep going!Good job! New buddy to help you grow on KZbin! Let's do this together!

[@goagray5]

I'm not sure if it was included in your personal medications, but did you bring or use diamox?

[@theworldwithsam]

I didn't take Diamox personally but a few members of our group did and I think it did help with their altitude sickness!

[@goagray5]

@@theworldwithsam oh wow. You're a trooper! Thanks for the quick reply! Your videos have been very helpful.

[@theworldwithsam]

@@goagray5 thank you for watching, I'm glad they've been useful for you!

[@Pavel3333]

Looks like a lot of clothing. What was a total weight? Thank you

[@theworldwithsam]

The maximum weight you're allowed in your duffel bag is 20kg, the porters aren't allowed to carry anything heavier than this. Mine came in a fair bit less than 20kg though actually. But, one thing to consider when packing is if you are hiring a sleeping bag upon arrival, make sure you cater for this additional weight when packing at home, try pack less than 20kg if you can.

[@henryh3050]

What if you wanted to bring your own sleeping bag. Can you?

[@theworldwithsam]

You absolutely can! One of my friends took her own sleeping bag for this trip! (If you watch my Kili videos, it's the other girl who features quite heavily throughout the video, I think we may even talk about our sleeping bags at one point!) One perk of taking your own is that you can see exactly how much space you have in your duffel bag WITH your sleeping bag in it. I didn't have my own sleeping bag so chose to hire one upon arrival and completely didn't think about how big it was going to be so struggled to fit it in my duffel bag. Hope this helps!

[@cttfgi]

pee bottle/ yoghurt tub

[@theworldwithsam]

ooh, good recommendation! I don't think we would've used them in our group as we were all quite comfortable with going to the toilet outside, but definitely a great suggestion!