Gear selection for newbie — going from tropical to arctic.

I would not sleep in those temperatures in just the thermal sheet. I would look into a warmer quilt.

I have heard to climb Kilimanjaro you have to hire local guides. If so is it possible the rent everything you will need to climb the moutain from a guide service? That would save the weigth of the specific mountain gear for all of the trip except the mountaineering portions.

Guide services online are calling for a 10F rated bag. Here is their gear list, compair what you want to take to this list.

http://www.alpineascents.com/pdf/kilimanjaro-gear.pdf

This list is brilliant! Thank you, I would have been grossly under-prepared. So far I am resisting the rental idea but it might be the best option.

I don't know which route you intend for Kilimanjaro. Most of them start down in the forest where it is wet and there are lots of bugs. By the time you are most of the way up the mountain, you are camping on ground up lava rock, and it tends to puncture anything fragile.

–B.G.–

I cannot emphasize strongly enough that due to the altitude and weather conditions, climbing Kilimanjaro IS serious mountaineering. Although weather conditions on Kilimanjaro are milder than on 5000+ m peaks elsewhere in the world, there is still a good chance you will encounter severe storms, significant snow, and temperatures cold enough to make normally routine tasks difficult. Although Kilimanjaro does not require rock-climbing or glacier-travel skills, it DOES require that you know how to acclimatize your body to high altitude, and how to recognize the warning signs of frostbite, altitude sickness, high altitude pulmonary edema, and high altitude cerebral edema in yourself and your teammates. It requires that you know how to recognize the signs of impending mountain storms, and have practice camping, cooking, and hiking in temperatures well below freezing.

As this article points out, about 10 people die attempting to climb Kilimanjaro every year, and 60% of those who attempt the climb fail to reach the summit:

http://www.alpineascents.com/kili-article.htm

One of the main reasons for this is that people are too easily seduced by tourist promotions assuring them that climbing Kilimanjaro is an easy hike.

Especially since you have no experience with temperatures colder than -5°C, (and therefore presumably little experience at even moderately high altitude), and little experience camping, you should PRACTICE climbing smaller mountains and other cold-weather hiking and camping before attempting Kilimanjaro. You need experience coping with thin air and cold weather, and experience using the gear you will need in these conditions. If you need to postpone your climb while you get this experience, do it. It could save your life.

Now, about the gear:

A lightweight 3-season tent is not adequate for high-altitude expeditions. You need a 4-season tent that can handle significant snowfall and extreme winds, preferably one specifically intended for mountaineering.

The Montbell Thermal Sheet is not even remotely adequate, even combined with a blanket. You need a sleeping bag or quilt rated for winter use. Especially since you aren't used to cold weather, I'd say the minimum 10° F rating specified in the list Jeremy cited doesn't go far enough. Something rated to -10°F (-20°C) or better would be more appropriate. This means a sleeping bag with at least 26 cm of loft, or a quilt with at least 13 cm of loft when spread flat.

You need a heavyweight fleece jacket (equivalent to 300-weight PolarTec) AND a down jacket or vest of at least medium weight. If you go with a minimal sleeping bag, take a heavy down jacket, and make sure the sleeping bag is big enough that you can wear it inside without compressing the down.

You need insulated pants heavier than the Smartwool tights, at least equivalent to 200-weight PolarTec. Make sure your shell clothing is big enough to wear comfortably over the fleece jacket and insulated pants.

You need heavyweight fleece or wool mittens in addition to all of the other handwear you mentioned. Something like the Outdoor Research Meteor Mitts are a good way to get both the insulated mittens and overmitts at the same time. Liner gloves, which could be polyester, wool, or silk, are essential, as they allow you to take your mittens off long enough do things requiring dexterity before you get frostbite.

You need boots or hiking shoes that are warm and waterproof, or nearly so. They need to have enough room to wear heavyweight socks without restricting the circulation in your feet, and aggressive treads for walking through snow. They need to be durable and supportive enough for walking long distances over sharp volcanic rock. Think of running shoes as a luxury for mild weather at low altitude and for wearing in camp, not as your primary hiking shoes.

As the list Jeremy cited points out, you need multiple pairs of heavyweight socks. You need to be able to change into dry socks frequently. I recommend the thickest wool hiking socks you can find.

You absolutely should bring a balaclava, of at least medium weight. A neck gaiter is lighter, warmer, and less troublesome than a scarf.

As mentioned on Jeremy's list, you need mountaineering glasses with side protection. There's more ultraviolet radiation in the sunlight at high altitude, and as it reflects off the snow it can cause snow blindness. You also need sunscreen.

Wrapping a tarp around your sleeping bag will add a bit of warmth, but it will cause more moisture to condense in your bag. Think of things like this (and the emergency blanket) as things you would do in an emergency, not as part of the sleeping system you actually intend to use.

I take it you would climb Kilimanjaro in a guided group, and meals would be provided. However, I would still take a stove, pot, spoon, and cup. In cold weather, the ability to make hot drinks and melt snow for water are critical to your survival. What if you get separated from whoever has the cooking gear? Liquid-fuel stoves work best at high altitude, with the MSR XGK being the mountaineering standard for its simplicity and reliability.

Don't even think about skimping on the gear you need for the climb because it will make your bike tour more convenient. If you have to, arrange to store your high-altitude gear near the mountain until you get there.

I can't comment on the bike gear, hopefully some of the experienced cyclists can chime in but I did want to comment on the kili part. It is required to climb with a licensed guide. All guides should be able to arrange rental gear. I have had several friends go this route with bags and warm down coats and they have been happy. To me, it would. Seem best to plan your cycling gear and then rent all high altitude items from the guiding company you choose. Best of luck with the planning.

Francis,

I think you need to take everything that was stated in Fog Mountains post and digest it to an extent. There is some excellent advice in that post, but there are some things that I don't completely agree with. I have only been "mountaineering" for a year now, but I have been playing in the snow resort and backcountry for many years so I am going to throw out some guidelines to also chew on. Feel free to disregard anything you don't agree with.

First Mountaineering requires 3 basic things, a level of fitness suitable for the climb (most the time that means just be in the best shape you can be in) I don't think this is an issue for you looking at the rest of your trip. A level of climbing preparedness (skill and technique) suitable for the difficulty of the climb. IE climbing in the Adirondacks vs cascade volcanoes vs Denali in Alaska all require a different level of climbing skill, technique, and commitment. It is up to the individual climber to know if they are ready for the climb. This is where I think you are lacking a bit. The third thing is luck, luck with weather, luck with timeline, luck with everyone else in your group. That goes back to the I would rather be lucky than skilled any day of the week and twice on summit day (I added the last part about summit day, fits the topic at hand).

My recommendation for you to determine the second requirement for mountaineering, would be to call some of the guide services. Not the tourist traps as Fog Mountain pointed out, they won't get you on and off the mountain safely. When I did that google search for Climb Kilimanjaro the first half dozen links were all tourist companies. Do a search for climb Denali or climb Everest and then find the real mountaineering guide companies that also service Kilimanjaro. Then call some of them and discuss your trip, skill level, equipment needs, group dynamics, and logistics of fitting into your overall trip schedule… Then do a gut check, you may have heard that this is one of the easiest of the 7 summits to climb but it is still one of the tallest places on earth. I would rent as much of the gear as you can and get creative with some of the other mountaineering specific gear. If you aren't a mountaineer you will end up spending thousands of dollars on mountaineering gear just to have nothing to use most of it on at the end of the trip. An example creative solution would be glacier glasses, they normally cost $150-$300 depending on what features you want. You can also go to home depot and buy the $15 dark tinted safety glasses and with some creative duct tape placement have glacier glasses that will work just fine for an 8-10 day climb of Kilimanjaro.

Also take notice to no one mentioning summiting. That is possible the most important thing to align with, mountaineering is fun, challenging, rewarding, and that is all before you reach the summit. The most important thing is getting back off the mountain safely, it will always be there to try again, you will not. I would highly recommend coming up with a way to attempt the climb, it could spark a passion for climbing that many have caught including me.

Soap box rant done.

As others have said, you will need to climb Kili with a licensed company. With that info, they will be able to provide most any gear needed for rent. And they will probably provide shelter and cooking in the price of the guided climb. Btw, you don't need to pay for some high priced guide service. I would choose one of the less expensive recommended companies. I would recommend a comfortable and sturdy pair of hiking boots and good socks for the climb. You will be hiking for many hours a day. I would also recommend renting trekking poles, mostly needed for the decent. Those were a godsend for me.

While others have offered some great mountaineering advice I would offer another side of Kili. Imo, it's not hard at all for any fit person. I wouldn't be worried about the dificulty if you fall into the 'fit' spectrum. I would be prepared for altitude sickness.

As far as gear goes for the rest of your trip you'll want to decide what is needed for YOU to be comfortable in the given environment. Good luck and have a great time!

:D

Best real experience on the mountain advice right there^^^