Kilimanjaro Photography Workshop Gear List
The equipment list is meant to help you compile your personal kit. You'll notice that the gear is essentially the same as that required for a summer ascent of Rainier without the inclusion of any technical climbing gear. Most items are required, while a few are optional. Please consider each item carefully and be sure you understand the function of each piece of equipment before you substitute or delete items from your duffle. Keep in mind that this list has been carefully compiled by Phil Ershler and Eric Simonson, the expedition organizers. Don't cut corners on the quality of your gear. Please contact us if you have any questions.
| Travel Items | |
| [ ] | Duffel Bags: Two duffel bags with name tags. One of the duffle bags goes on the climb with you and will be carried by the porters. Expect for it to get wet and muddy, so a rugged, waterproof duffle is good. You will store the other bag at the hotel with your clothes for travel and safari so it does not need to be as robust. Bags with wheels are nice for the airport, but the porters don't like to carry them, so don't bring two wheeled bags. |
| [ ] | Daypack: Large daypack or bag with a shoulder strap, so you don't have to set it down while doing the duffle shuffle or handling travel documents while going through passport control and customs at the airport. It needs to be big enough to hold everything you'll need for an overnight stop. |
| [ ] | Locks: You'll want padlocks in Africa, but for flying out of the USA, it might be better to use plastic zip ties which can be cut by TSA staff if necessary (bring extra zip ties). |
| [ ] | Travel Wallet: A secure travel wallet is a must for carrying your important documents including passport, extra photos, duffel inventory list, and money. We suggest that you use a travel wallet that you can hang around your neck and place inside your shirt, or around your waist tucked under your shirt or trousers. |
| [ ] | Passport. Carry a photocopy of the first two pages and an extra photo in a separate location. |
| Trekking Gear | |
| [ ] | Trekking Poles: Poles come in handy for balance and easing impact to your knees. Get collapsible poles that can attach to your backpack. |
| [ ] | Trekking Backpack: You need a pack big enough for your clothes, water, camera, food, etc during the day. Packs should be in the 50 liter / 3000 cu in range. Not too big, not too small. |
| [ ] | Pack Cover: Waterproof rain cover for your pack. |
| [ ] | Sleeping Bag: Rated to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Synthetic is better in case of rain. |
| [ ] | Sleeping Pad: (chose either a self-inflating or closed-cell foam pad) |
| [ ] | Tip: Bring 5 large plastic garbage bags to pack gear inside duffels to protect gear from rain. |
| Clothing | |
| [ ] | Base Layer: 2 pair synthetic long johns: one midweight set and one expedition weight set. |
| [ ] | Mid Layers: One additional warm layer (wool sweater, another fleece jacket, shelled vest, etc, that can be worn in conjunction to the other layers). |
| [ ] | Warm Pants: Look for construction that provides freedom of movement and/or stretch materials. Fleece is good. Wear over longjohns with shell on top for cold weather. |
| [ ] | Shell Jacket: Waterproof/breathable jacket with hood. |
| [ ] | Shell Pants: Waterproof/breathable pants (full side zips are best). |
| [ ] | Parka: REQUIRED (it gets VERY COLD on summit morning!). Down or synthetic. This should be big enough to go over other garments. |
| [ ] | Rain Poncho: Nice for hiking in the forest if it rains; a cheap plastic one is fine. |
| [ ] | Hiking Clothes: Light hiking pants and / or hiking shorts - NOT cotton. Shirts for hiking on nice days (t-shirts OK, quick-drying synthetic fabric far better.) |
| [ ] | Casual Clothes: For travel/safari/meals in dining rooms. You'll want a shirt or two with a collar to wear on flights and in the lodges. A sweatshirt or light jacket might be nice in the evening. |
| [ ] | Bathing Suit: Some of the hotels have pools. |
| Clothing Accessories | |
| [ ] | Gloves and Mittens: Light gloves for hiking and around camp, warm ski gloves or similar, and down or warm insulated mittens for summit day. Fingerless Gloves if needed for shooting on cold mornings. |
| [ ] | Hats: Warm wool or heavy fleece hat, sun hat and bandana. |
| Footwear | |
| [ ] | Lightweight Shoes: Running/tennis shoes for camp, around town, safari, etc. |
| [ ] | Hiking Boots: Medium-weight hiking boots (NOT plastic double boots), waterproofed and broken-in. |
| [ ] | Gaiters: To keep snow, mud, and scree out of your hiking boots. We've used the OR Crocs for years. |
| [ ] | Socks: 3 complete changes of socks, in a combination that you have used and know works for you. Make sure your boots are roomy enough for the sock combination you intend to use. Tight boots will make your feet cold. |
| Camp Accessories | |
| [ ] | Headlamp: With several sets of extra batteries and bulbs. The small LED headlamps are great for reading in the tent, but for climbing you might appreciate something a bit brighter. The Petzl Myo 3 and the Black Diamond Gemini lamps are good options that use AA batteries. |
| [ ] | Water Bottles: 2 water bottles with foam insulation shells (OR water bottle parka). |
| [ ] | Water Treatment: Iodine tablets (Potable Aqua or similar), iodine crystals (Polar Pure), or the new Chlorine Dioxide (made by Potable Aqua) for water purification. |
| [ ] | Camera: With spare batteries, and film or memory cards. |
| [ ] | Pocket Knife. |
| Personal Accessories | |
| [ ] | Wrist Watch: With alarm. |
| [ ] | Eyewear: Bring good sunglasses. For contact lens wearers, ski goggles with light color lenses (for use at night) might be useful in windy conditions that cause blowing dust. |
| [ ] | Vision correction: Bring extra prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses if you wear them. Lens solutions are not widely available in Africa. |
| [ ] | Skin Care: Maximum SPF sunscreen and lip balm, (you are on the Equator!) |
| [ ] | Personal items: Hand sanitizer (Purell), toothbrush, insect repellant, ear plugs, several rolls of toilet paper, some wet wipes. Plan on getting dirty if the trail is dusty or muddy, so a small towel, some soap, maybe a nail brush, some wet wipes, etc, will be appreciated. There will be warm water available at camp for hand/face washing (but no showers!). |
| [ ] | Small first aid kit: moleskin, tape, aspirin / ibuprofen / acetaminophen, Imodium for diarrhea, antacid, band aids, etc. |
| [ ] | Prescription Medications:
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| [ ] | Personal Snack Food: You should bring some extra snacks for the climb, especially for summit day, and some drink mixes if you like these to add to your water bottle. |
| Camera Gear | |
| This is not a shopping list, but merely a suggested packing list. You should be able to limit your lenses to three or four. | |
| [ ] | One to two digital SLR camera bodies (Reducing lens changes will help keep your sensor clean!) |
| [ ] | Wide angle zoom or prime for landscape images on the climb and safari (I use the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L) |
| [ ] | Mid range zoom for climb and safari (I use the Canon 24-135mm f/4L IS - Image Stabilizer) |
| [ ] | Lenses up to ~500mm for Safari, f/2.8 or f/4 with Image Stabilization is desirable (I use the Canon Telephoto EF 500mm f/4.0L IS or Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/4.0DO IS) |
| [ ] | Sturdy padded camera backpack (I use the LowePro Photo Trekker) |
| [ ] | Dedicated on camera flash (I carry one flash with either a remote triggering device or an off camera shoe cord.) |
| [ ] | Batteries for camera and flash. Use terminal covers or place in individual plastic bags. (See http://safetravel.dot.gov/index_batteries.html) |
| [ ] | Battery chargers and socket adapters (such as Franzus NW1C) |
| [ ] | Memory cards (I carry about 45 GB's worth of Compact Flash Cards.) |
| [ ] | Small laptop computer or portable hard drive |
| [ ] | DVD Media or external hard drive for backup |
| [ ] | Memory card reader or "camera to computer" cable |
| [ ] | Lens Pen or lens cloths, blower bulb |
| [ ] | Lightweight Tripod |
| [ ] | Lens hoods |
| [ ] | Bean bag for safari vehicle (Kinesis Safari Sack) |
| [ ] | Binoculars if you like |