Use our ultimate Kilimanjaro Packing List as a guide for what to bring along while you’re hiking to the Roof of Africa! We’ve packed this Kilimanjaro Packing List with our trail tested favorites and recommendations, plus lots of useful info on the best gear for adventuring in all of Kili’s conditions.

Our biggest piece of advice is to pack light and smart, and bring durable, multi use items that you can layer as temperatures and weather changes (because they will)! Test and break in all your gear beforehand and use common sense and your own best judgement when choosing exactly what you pack. After all, no one knows you better than you! If you tend to run cold, pack an extra layer or two. If you have dietary restrictions, bring extras of your go-to snacks. If you have strict dietary restrictions and/or allergies, you should bring a card written in the local language describing them (you can do this in Google Translate) and carry this card with you during mealtimes, especially in restaurants.

We’re firm believers that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate gear! Stocking up on quality gear from brands who are doing it right will make all the difference for enjoying all your adventures in the great outdoors!

1-2 THERMAL BASE LAYERs

Have a thin, snug-fitting top and bottom set that you can wear underneath everything at higher altitudes (and can double as your pajamas). We recommend a merino wool or a synthetic fabric like polyester that wicks sweat away from your skin and regulates temperature. We love these Smartwool tops and bottoms.

4-5 PAIRS WARM HIKING SOCKS

Bring durable wool socks in a few different weights - lighter for the hotter days, and serious heavy ones the colder days and nights. Consider liner socks, which can help prevent blisters. We love Darn Tough’s Hiker Boot Sock in Full Cushion.

2-3 SPORTS BRAS

Bring comfortable bras that provide support and dry quickly, and don't bind, smoosh, or chafe.

UNDERWEAR

Bring as many pairs as you know you’ll want! Check out REI’s Merino Hipster Underwear which are comfy and great for adventuring!

DAYPACK

You’ll need a lightweight hiking backpack to wear on the trek and to carry your essentials like water, extra layers, snacks, etc. Something around 30 L should work perfectly. We recommend getting one with a padded hip belt and that’s compatible with a water bladder/hose. Make sure you have a rain cover (many packs have them built in). Brands we love: Deuter, Osprey, Gregory.

Pro Tip: Bring a hip pack to keep snacks, your phone, and sunscreen in for easy access.

LARGE WATER RESISTANT DUFFEL

This bag will store all of your gear and clothing for the trek, and will be carried from camp to camp by our amazing porters (aim for 75-90 liters in size). It must weigh less than 33 lbs (15 kg) all packed. We love The North Face Base Camp Duffel. Inside the duffel, pack your gear in waterproof bags (including your sleeping bag)! We like these dry bags from Sea to Summit.

WATER BLADDER

Staying hydrated is so important while hiking at high altitudes! We highly recommend getting a 3 L water bladder with an insulated tube and cap; it’s the easiest way to carry and drink water while trekking.

WATER BOTTLE

Bring a 1 L wide-mouth, BPA free, plastic Nalgene water bottle or similar. You'll want this on summit night when your water bladder might freeze.

TREKKING POLES

These are MANDATORY, and a life (and knee) saver on tricky terrain. Make sure they are collapsible, for easy stashing, and simple to adjust for up and downhill. Check out our faves at Leki.

BONUS: You get 20% off Leki poles for being a part of the WHOA family! Just use this special link and your discount will be automatically applied. (For free shipping use code FREE99 at checkout.)

1 PAIR GAITERS

You’ll wear these over the top part of your shoe and lower pant leg to help protect your feet from any water, dirt and pebbles that try to sneak in. These are especially helpful for the downhill portions of the trek. We recommend these ones from Black Diamond.

1 PAIR MICROSPIKES

You need a traction attachment for your boots, like MICROspikes, to give you grip and prevent slipping in case of snowy and icy conditions.

RAIN PONCHO

Sometimes, like in the rain forest, it’s too hot and uncomfortable to wear a waterproof jacket, so a poncho is perfect to throw on to protect you and daypack from getting wet. Not to mention, if it's raining a lot, using only a rain jacket and pack cover will leave too much exposed and your backpack straps will get soaked. Please only bring a durable, reusable poncho - no single use plastic ponchos allowed!

FOUR SEASON SLEEPING BAG

We recommend a zero degree Fahrenheit bag like the Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass. Thermarest sleeping mats are provided free of charge to everyone on our treks!

SLEEPING BAG LINER

This will add an extra layer of warmth at night. We recommend this one from Sea To Summit! For a little extra comfort on the mountain get a

BUFF OR BANDANA

An all around great item to always have with you. You can use it as a neck gaiter, head band, sweat rag, etc. Plus, there are so many different fun designs to choose from!

HEADLAMP + EXTRA BATTERIES

This is important for after the sun sets, and on summit night when we're hiking through the night. We love Black Diamond for headlamps, and recommend opting for a lighter weight rechargeable one. If yours uses batteries, make sure you have an extra set.

POLARIZED SUNGLASSES

You have to protect your eyes from the fierce sun so make sure they are UV-blocking and polarized. Goodr makes cute sunglasses that are great for hiking!

portable battery charger

Whatever electronics you choose to bring, make sure you have a way to recharge them and don’t forget an outlet adapter; Tanzania uses Type-G (the same as the UK).

MEDS

Consult with your physician on any prescription medication you might need for this adventure, especially Diamox, a common medication taken for preventing altitude sickness. Other common medications you might want to bring along include, pain relievers, anti-histamines, cold medicine, and antidiarrheals.

PASSPORT

Make sure yours is valid for 6 months after your adventure dates. Bring a waterproof bag to keep it dry, and it’s always a good idea to travel with a copy of it.

Travel Insurance

Travel doesn't always go as planned! That's part of the adventure, and it's also the reason we require all of our adventurers to have a travel insurance plan that includes medical coverage and emergency medical evacuation. We HIGHLY recommend purchasing a travel insurance plan ASAP to cover you financially with any costs that can come up like trip interruption or cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances. The IMG LX plan is one option that offers excellent medical and evacuation coverage, has no altitude restrictions, and offers cancel for any reason but do your research before purchasing a plan to make sure it works for you and your situation! 

FIRST AID

We’ll have all this stuff on hand, but make sure you have a compact kit with Neosporin, bug spray, band-aids, moleskin, eye drops, duct tape, anti-septic, etc. We like this one because it’s lightweight, waterproof, and has everything you might need. Expert tip: For the long Kili downhill days, we love kinesiology tape on our knees.

Toilet Kit

Sometimes nature calls when we’re not near a bathroom, so having a toilet kit is necessary! This includes a Kula cloth, a small amount of toilet paper, and compostable dog poop bags to pack out your toilet paper. Bonus: These bags can double as foot booties if you have a heavy rain day! You should keep this all in your daypack inside a small dry bag.

SUNSCREEN + LIPSCREEN

This is a must have for being in the strong mountain sun all day! Bring a new, full tube with an SPF rating of 30+. We love Badger sport sunscreen because it works great and is environmentally friendly!

TOILETRIES

Don’t forget the travel essentials like travel sized deodorant, sun screen, lotion/aquaphor, hair ties, hair brush, face wipes, tampons, contact solution, toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, masks, and ear plugs etc. Remember our pledge to keep single use plastics out of the places we love, so pack reusable bottles, bar soaps and biodegradable products! Pack it all in this cute upcycled toiletry bag!

QUICK DRY TOWEL + WET WIPES

Who needs running water and a shower?! Don't forget about the environment and make sure your wet wipes are biodegradable. This camp towel from Cocoon is great.

2 LUGGAGE LOCKs

Always lock your things! Have one for your duffel on the mountain, and have one to lock your suitcase that will stay at the hotel while you’re trekking.

DRY BAGS

When preparing your gear, pack everything in dry bags (or silicone bags for smaller items), we’ll be in the elements so we want to make sure our gear is always protected! We recommend bringing along different shapes and sizes of these to help organize and separate dirty clothing and gear.

For waterproofing your phone/passport/money, we recommend using a dry pouch.

SHOPPING BAG + PAPER BAGS

Having a stash of brown paper lunch bags, sanitary bags, or any form of biodegradable bag is great for collecting and carrying out trash on the trails and when we’re on the go. You’ll also want to bring a small reusable shopping bag to eliminate the need to use a single-use plastic bag for snacks or souvenir stops. They’re also handy to have in case you need another bag to take on the plane. Just another way to make Mother Earth proud!

SNACKS

There’s plenty of hearty food provided at meal time, but bring plenty of extra snacks. The days can be long, you need to keep your energy up, and nothing beats comfort food when you're at high altitude. Some of our favorite morale boosters are Cheez-Its, gummy worms, and M&Ms. 

While we can accommodate dietary restrictions, due to the remote nature of our adventures, there might not be as much variety as you’d find at home. If you have dietary restrictions or allergies, bring extras of your go-to snacks and carry a card written in the local language describing them for mealtimes (Google Translate works great for this).​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ If you have questions about what to expect on your adventure when it comes to food, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team!

Backpack or small duffel

Unless you are going directly to the airport after safari, you’ll be leaving your mountain gear at a hotel, so bring a backpack or small duffel to pack all your safari gear in. To make things easy, this can be the daypack or duffel you use for the mountain.

Small backpack OR PURSE

For the items that you’ll want easy access to in the car, like snacks, phone, portable phone charger, and your warm layer. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy and can even be a reusable tote bag if you want.

Casual shoes or sandals

On this part of the adventure you can give your feet a break, so pack a pair of sandals, or comfortable shoes (they can be your camp shoes from the mountain) that are easy to take off for when you need to climb up on the seats to better see the animals.

3 pairs of clothes in neutral tones

Since you’ll be in the safari car all day it’s important to pack functional, but comfortable clothes. Neutral tones are important - think khaki, army green, or white - to keep the tsetse flies away. They’re especially attracted to black and royal blue, so stay away from those colors. The sun will be strong so consider UPF clothing. Please note: some roads will be bumpy, it’s best to wear a supportive sports bra (NOT an underwire cup bra) while on safari!

Warm layer

Mornings and evenings on safari can get chilly (like as low as 40°F!), so make sure to bring a warm layer. This can be a fleece or down jacket, and can be one of the items you wore on the mountain.

Bathing suit

You never know when you might need your suit to take a sunset dip in the safari lodge pool!

Sun Hat

Bring a packable sun hat to protect you from the sun while spotting animals on safari. 

Sunglasses

Goodr sunglasses look just as amazing on safari as they do on Kilimanjaro, so don’t forget to pack those!

Sunscreen

Just like on Kilimanjaro, the sun can be strong in the Tanzanian bush. Make sure you pack your sunscreen like you did for the mountain.

Pajamas

Bring whatever pajamas you’re most comfortable in so you can get some great rest after spotting animals all day.

Insect repellent

One of the challenges of going on safari are the insects. We recommend bringing Picaridin from Sawyer Products to apply each day to help prevent insect bites.

Poncho or Rain jacket

Mother Nature can always throw a rain storm our way, no matter the season, so make sure to pack your poncho or rain jacket for safari. This can be the same poncho or jacket you wore on the mountain.

Toiletries

While on safari you will have access to showers, yay! We recommend bringing your mountain toiletries and anything else you might need for off-mountain pampering. Safari is known for dusty conditions so be prepared with some extra wipes just in case.

Entertainment

While we’ll be spotting plenty of animals, we have some long drives in between, so bring something to entertain yourself on the long drive (books, audiobooks, podcasts, or even download a season of your favorite show). Feel free to take a nap - we love naps!

snacks + a reusable shopping bag

There’s plenty of food provided at meal time, but be sure to bring some extra snacks! Think of safari as a long road trip, what are your favorite things to pick up at a gas station on a long drive? 

Bring a small reusable shopping bag to eliminate the need to use a single-use plastic bag for snacks or souvenir stops. They’re also handy to have in case you need another bag to take on the plane. Just another way to make Mother Earth proud!

Binoculars (optional)

Want to spot those far away animals? If you do, consider bringing a pair of binoculars so you can get a closer look at our safari friends.