This post covers the most important tips and lessons learned during my recent climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. They include tips for preparation as well as tips during the climb up Kilimanjaro. Keep reading for more!
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Table of contents
Decision Making
Choose Your Route Wisely
The first tip for Kilimanjaro is picking the right route. There are about 7-8 routes that you can take to summit Kilimanjaro, each with its own success rate. The overall success rate of summiting Kilimanjaro when you average all routes is around 65%. As a general rule of thumb, the longer the route, the higher the success rate because longer routes give your body the chance to acclimatize. The Northern Circuit route and the Lemosho route both have high success rates as they are the 2 longest routes. If you have the time and the budget, going with a longer route will ensure better success.
Choose Your Provider Also Wisely
Choosing the right provider can make or break your trip. After not being happy with the provider on the EBC trek, I was determine to go with a professional provider when it came to Kilimanjaro and this made all the difference in the world. I had two very vast experiences on the two treks. I went with Ian Taylor Trekking and they are a professional expedition provider who specializes in mountain climbs and treks around the world. You can read about my experience with Ian Taylor HERE (this is not sponsored! I thought they were great!).
Make sure you read reviews well and get clear answers on what is included and not included in the cost. Ian Taylor sent me a 47 page dossier which had so much valuable information that prepared me well for the trek!
Pay for a Toilet
A portable toilet is included in some operators’ final cost (Included with Ian Taylor Trekking) while it’s an add on for some others. This is one of my top tips for Kilimanjaro! Do yourself a favor and rent a toilet. It will be set up close to your tents. Imagine having to walk in the dead of night in the freezing cold to the common camp bathroom and having to fumble in the dark? I did this on the Inca Trail! Hardest of passes!
Rent Gear
If you don’t plan on camping in cold weather, you should consider renting some of your gear. Hiking gear like temperature regulated sleeping bags and sleeping mattresses can be expensive and if you don’t plan on using it again, it could be an expensive investment with very little return. First inquire with your tour operator if they have equipment that you can rent. A bonus is that you don’t have to lug it around if you are going on a safari or to Zanzibar post Kilimanjaro.
Preparations
Train for Endurance and the Incline
Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro is no walk in the park and you definitely should train your body to be able to hike for long distances and steep inclines all while also dealing with the altitude. If you are able to do long day hikes wearing a backpack or weighted vest, then that would be most ideal. Another alternative is to run up and down stairwells inside a tall building or to walk on a treadmill with the incline set to the highest setting.
Start Drinking Water at Home
It is advised that you drink anywhere from 3-4 liters of water when hiking. Water helps your body acclimatize better. You may find it hard to drink this much water all of a sudden and so one of my best tips for Kilimanjaro is to start drinking at least 3 liters of water at home. I started about a month in advance. It always takes my body a couple of days to adjust to this kind of high water intake, so starting early will helped me drink the advised 3-4 liters of water on the trek without a problem.
Test Your Gear in Advance
This is another very important tip for Kilimanjaro! You need to test your gear, especially your hiking boots and your backpack, well in advance of your climb. It’s even better if you use them for practice hikes so that they are both well worn before Kilimanjaro.
Packing
Invest in Merino Wool Clothing
Merino wool clothing is an investment but one that is so worth it! Merino wool will keep you dry and warm. In addition, you can wear the same clothes for multiple days without it ever smelling bad. I highly recommend buying Merino wool base layers and socks. This is another one of my top tips for Kilimanjaro
See my complete Kilimanjaro Packing List HERE. In this post, I cover;
- What to pack
- What I packed but never/hardly used
- What I wore at different elevations
- Packing tips
Bring a Good Battery Pack
Bring at least two high power external battery packs. These should be enough to charge your phone for even an 8 day trek as long as you put your phone on airplane mode.
Invest in a Sleeping Bag Liner
In addition to a good sleeping bag at the correct tog rating for the month you are trekking, you should also invest in a good sleeping bag liner. I was never cold at night thanks to my sleeping bag liner.
Bring a Comprehensive Medical Kit
This is another very important tip for Kilimanjaro and I cannot stress this enough! There are no doctor’s offices or hospitals as you climb. Having a good medical kit with a wide variety of medication for various illnesses is extremely important. I cover what I took in my packing list post linked above.
Bring Fiber Supplements
High altitude and changes to your diet can cause changes to your gut. Bring a fiber supplement in case you need to use it.
On the Trail
Go Pole, Pole
It’s so important to follow the pace set forth by your guides on the trail. Pole, pole or slowly, slowly is how you should be walking each day. Going slow helps your body to acclimatize which is critical for any high altitude hike. Don’t try to outpace your guides on the trail.
Bring Bags to Dispose Waste on the Trail
If you need “to go” on the trail, bring some zip locks or bags to hold the waste paper so that you don’t litter the trail. You can dispose these once you get to camp.
Don’t Skip Out on Sun Protection
A sunhat, sunglasses and sunscreen are musts on the trail. The sun is harsh at altitude because you are closer to it that at sea level and you also have no where to hide from it on the open trail. Don’t be like me and skip out on any of these and then suffer the consequences after!
Rewards Yourself
Go slow and reward yourself with a sweet treat. Got to the top of an incline? I popped some skittles to reward myself.
Cover Your Nose and Mouth
This is a very important tip for Kilimanjaro. Covering your nose and mouth with a buff will keep the dust away and trap in the moisture therefore preventing respiratory illnesses.
Wear Polarized Sunglasses
Polarized sunglasses will help cut the glare and direct sunlight that is especially common as you climb up.
Dress and Pack Well for Summit Night
Dressing correctly for summit night is crucial. Having the correct layers and summit jacket is very important to successfully summit. The correct accessories like mittens for your hands and good coverage for your head and ears are also vital. I cover what I wore during the summit in my Kilimanjaro Packing List post so check it out! Take an extra pair of hand warmers with you so that you can switch them out when the ones you are wearing stops providing heat.
At Camp
Have At Lease One Nalgene Water Bottle
Two is ideal but bring at least one Nalgene water bottle to double as a hot water bottle at night. I filled my bottles with boiling water and put them inside my sleeping bag at night to keep warm.
Cut Off Water by 6 PM
Do you hate it when you have to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? Now imagine that it’s below freezing and you need to get out of your cozy sleeping bag and tent to walk outside to go to the bathroom? Not fun! Since you need to drink 3-4 liters of water a day, you may find yourself trying to gulp water late into the evening/night. My advice is to drink a liter early morning as soon as you wake up and about 2 liters on the trail while walking and then cut off your water intake by about 6 PM. This way you won’t have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom.
Prepare for the Dark
Bring everything you need when you go to the mess tent for tea each evening so that you don’t need to fumble inside your tent in the dark. Here are the things I brought with me:
- Nalgene water bottles
- Medicine (Diamox, ibuprofen)
- Headlamp
- Wipes and hand sanitizer (if you need to go to the restroom)
- Down jacket
- Gloves
In addition to this, also keep your tooth brush and tooth paste where you can easily access them in the tent. I kept mine near the entrance so that I could reach them without having to take my shoes on and off.
Put Your Electronics Inside Your Sleeping Bag Overnight
Cold weather can drain batteries of your electronics fast. I slept with my phone and external battery chargers inside my sleeping bag liner.
Keep Your Clothes Inside Your Sleeping Bag
I kept the clothes I would wear for the next day inside and at the bottom of my sleeping bag. Putting my clothes inside the sleeping bag at night ensured they were nice and warm when I wore them in the morning.
“Wash” as Soon as You Get to Camp
You will usually get to camp late afternoon or early evening while the sun is still out. Your tent will get colder as soon as the sunsets, so don’t wait to “wash” or do a wipe down. Do it as soon as you get to camp.
General Tips
Listen to Your Guides
If you go with a reputable company, your guides will be professionals who have done this many times. Our head guide had summited Kilimanjaro 289 times (our summit was his 290th!) and knew exactly what he was doing. They watch and observe you to make sure you are doing well on the trail. They also know exactly what you should wear, what medication you should take if you feel ill etc.
Be Prepared for Anything
Wind, cold, sun, dust, snow – it’s definitely mountain weather on Kilimanjaro. Be always prepared for any type of weather situation.
Eat Even if You Don’t Want to
Some people lose their appetites because of the altitude and it’s easy to skip meals when this happens. You should aim to eat even a little, even if you don’t want to or feel like it. Food provides much needed energy on the trail. I learned this the hard way on the Everest Base Camp trek and made it a point to eat well on Kilimanjaro.
Keep Your Nose Moist
An MVP of any medical kit is saline nasal spray or drops. These keep your nose moist which is critical in high altitude where the air is drier. Nose bleeds are usually common at altitude and using a nasal spray will keep your nose unblocked and prevent bleeds.
Cut Your Nails Short
The dust on the trail is unreal. Every morning, I would clean my nails and they would be gross my evening. Cutting your nails very short prevents dust from getting under them and helps you to stay clean. Also cut your toe nails short, especially for the descent. Most people lose toe nails on the descent because they don’t cut their nails short (also because their shoes are the wrong size!)
Lean on Fellow Trekkers
Lean on fellow trekkers in your group. Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro is a huge mental, physical and emotional strain and leaning on your fellow trekkers whether it’s exchanging a few words of encouragement or sharing snacks will go along way.
See all my posts on Kilimanjaro HERE!
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