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Climbing Why good equipment is the key to success on Kilimanjaro?
Climbing a mountain is a major endeavor and proper preparation can make all the difference in the final days to the summit. Anyone who has spent time in high elevations understands the unpredictable weather and necessity of quality equipment at high altitudes. Imagine: waking in a warm sleeping bag inside a durable tent the morning of the summit, versus waking in the middle of the night in a cold (or even worse - wet!) sleeping bag and leaking tent in the middle of the night due to poor equipment. Quality gear is more than just comfort - it means your health and safety are a priority. Just as poor equipment could compromise your trek or even put your health at risk, quality gear can be an important factor to your successful summit.
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An experienced guide and meticulous preparation are important for a mountain expedition - and so is equipment. These are the items you will walk in, sleep inside, and will be used during inclement weather. For your own health, safety, and the investment in your climb ensure you use high-quality equipment.
We at Altezza Travel encourage the use of top gear, not only for clients, but also for our own team of staff. We outfit our teams with name-brand items that we personally ensure are in top shape. All of our equipment is bought directly from The North Face, Red Fox, Marmot, Black Diamond and other world-class brands. These manufacturers ship to us straight in Tanzania, so guests can be assured equipment is genuine and new when we first receive it. We clean and maintain our gear after each trek, and regularly restock items so that all of our equipment is in prime condition.
Equipment and Gear for Kilimanjaro Treks
There are two categories of gear used on Kilimanjaro trips - camping equipment and personal items. The camping equipment is carried and set up by the crew. These items are generally bulkier and include tents and kitchen/cooking items. Personal gear covers items such as clothes, footwear, and personal items.
Both of these categories are incredibly important and should be given equal attention.
A climber’s personal gear includes boots, rain jackets and clothes for cold weather - items trekkers will likely be depending on every day of the climb. These should be quality pieces because they ensure health, well-being and comfort. When it comes to a climber’s pack and boots comfort is not just a ‘nice-to-have’ sort of thing, but truly a necessity, because after an hour or two, ‘uncomfortable’ becomes blisters or back pain and will inhibit a climb. Ensure your personal gear is in prime condition, fits well and is made of quality materials that can withstand trekking the tallest mountain in Africa.
Camping equipment is very important, as well. Trekkers will sleep on the sleeping pads that provide a cushion from the ground, within warm sleeping bags that ensure body heat retention, all inside a durable tent that is fully waterproof and keeps out the wind. Further, every meal will be prepared with the mobile kitchen and cooking equipment. Sufficient rest and energy for the trek are absolutely dependent on quality gear. The difference between a few nights of great rest or a few nights of poor sleep due to low-quality equipment will certainly be noticeable on the morning of the final ascent.
Individual gear required for the climb
In comparison to other popular mountaineering destinations, climbers do not need a great deal of equipment to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. However, note that the expeditions last 6-8 days, which often results in 10-15 kgs of weight in personal equipment. We’ve already prepared an easy list of essentials,check out our packing list via this link.
Group Camping Equipment
Don’t worry about the tent!
Altezza Travel includes all group camping equipment in our climbing packages. Everything from living tents, mess tents, kitchenware, cutlery and crockery and more are already taken care of by Altezza. We ensure everything necessary for camping during your expedition will be provided.
We also offer some ‘luxury’ items for an additional cost, if you want to take a full shower while trekking or sleep in a fold-out cot, we can make that happen. Please contact your consultant for more information.
Our tents
We are proud to offer the best selection for Kilimanjaro treks.
We use:
The North Face VE-25
We use this tent in most of our Kilimanjaro group climbs and classic private adventures. We prefer this excellent tent because it has consistently proven its durability. (A testament to its reputation: this is the preferred tent for climbers attempting Mount Everest.) This tent is well-insulated, strong and the best choice for Kilimanjaro expeditions. Each North Face VE-25 tent sleeps 2 hikers comfortably.
Walk-in Altezza Kilimanjaro tent
This tent is manufactured in partnership with the UK engineers, and is all about comfort. While as strong as the North Face tents, these special tents are even spacious enough to walk inside and have room to deploy a camping cot, if desired. We usually assign two hikers to each Altezza Kilimanjaro tent.
Hiring personal gear from Altezza
Altezza offers top-quality personal gear for rent to guests. While clients are welcome to bring their own items, sometimes it is more convenient or even less expensive to rent items here in Tanzania.
For new or less-avid climbers who have not already invested in gear, it may be easier to rent items for the duration of your expedition rather than investing in new items which may only be used once. A full kit of new gear for a mountain climb could run over 1000 USD. For climbers just starting out this may not be a wise investment. Alternatively, renting from Altezza will cost 300-350 USD. Further discounts may be available, ask your consultant for details.
Packing all the necessary gear may sometimes exceed airline weight limits. Many trekkers find it to be overall cheaper to hire gear from Altezza on-location than buying their own, and then paying additional baggage charges, too.
For those planning to go on a safari to the national parks or relax in Zanzibar after their trek, it is more convenient to rent gear than to carry it around all around Tanzania. A quality heavy jacket is definitely not needed in Zanzibar, although it is necessary for the peak of Kilimanjaro. Choosing to rent quality gear from Altezza saves a great deal of hassle for the adventurous traveler.
Some reasons to rent directly from Altezza include:
- Stock is regularly reviewed and re-supplied two times a year (March and November)
- Our equipment is directly supplied from the best manufacturers only:
- Footwear from Zamberlan
- Clothes from The North Face and Red Fox
- Sleeping bags from Mountain Hardwear
- Backpacks from Black Diamond
- Our equipment is meticulously cleaned and inspected to ensure it is prime condition
- Trekkers outfitted with proper gear look stellar in photos. Your Instagram photos will surely stand out!
- We only rent our gear to Altezza customers, never other hikers.
- We have affordable prices.
- Clients are not charged for damage to equipment while on Kilimanjaro, we understand that many factors are involved and we regularly restock items no matter what.
- Renting with Altezza is easy and convenient. Mention renting equipment for your climb to your consultant and it will be seamlessly included in your schedule so that you have one less thing to think about before your climb.
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Potentially, you can, but we will still allocate a porter because if you get tired or experience Acute Mountain Sickness, we need someone who can carry your duffel bag. From our perspective, we advise you to just carry your backpack and enjoy the environment. By giving a porter the opportunity to carry your duffel bag, you are providing them with a chance to earn money for their family, which also benefits the local communities.