Before you arrive
Down jackets and sleeping bags rent well. Boots do not — the one item you must never arrive without is footwear you have already walked fifty kilometres in.
You do not need to buy everything. A full Kilimanjaro kit bought new can cost as much as the climb, and a good deal of it is equipment you will use once.
Most of it can be rented in Moshi or Arusha. The question is which items rent well and which absolutely must be your own.
| Item | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Boots | Own, always | Fifty kilometres of breaking in. Rented boots cause blisters, and blisters end climbs. |
| Socks | Own | Hygiene, and fit matters as much as the boot. |
| Down jacket | Rent happily | Expensive, bulky, used for one night. A rented one works fine. |
| Sleeping bag | Rent happily | Bulky to fly with. Check the temperature rating and take a liner of your own. |
| Waterproof shell | Own if you can | You will wear it for days, and fit and breathability matter. |
| Trekking poles | Rent fine | Adjust to your height on arrival. Low risk. |
| Base layers | Own | Worn against skin for a week. |
| Gaiters | Rent fine | Simple item, low fit sensitivity. |
| Daypack | Own | You wear it every day. Fit matters and you should have trained in it. |
| Duffel bag | Rent fine | It just needs to be soft-sided and hold your things. |
| Headtorch | Own | Cheap, critical on summit night, and you want to know it works. |
| Gloves and hat | Own | Cheap, and fit matters when your hands are cold. |
How rental usually works
Most operators run a kit store or work with one. You are typically fitted the day before the climb, at your pre-climb briefing, and pay per item per climb rather than per day.
Quality varies enormously between operators. The useful questions are:
- What temperature is the sleeping bag actually rated to?
- How old is the down jacket, and has it been cleaned?
- Can I see and try the items at the briefing, with time to swap?
- What happens if something fails on the mountain?
The one thing worth spending on
Boots. If you buy one item, buy boots, buy them early, and walk in them until they are unremarkable. Everything else on this list can be borrowed, rented or improvised. Feet cannot.
Buying locally
Moshi and Arusha have plenty of outdoor shops. Prices for basics — socks, buffs, cheap fleeces, poles — are reasonable. Technical items are a mixed bag, and counterfeit branded goods are common. If you need something specific and technical, bring it.
What do you need to bring?
Tell us what you already own and we will tell you exactly what is worth renting rather than buying.
More on before you arrive