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Despite Kilimanjaro being only 3 degress south of the equator, temperatures high on the mountain can drop to minus 25 degrees Centigrade. This is because every 100m of ascent will reduce the air temperature by about half a degree C.
Being prepared for this does not necessarily mean spending a lot, though if you intend to buy everything new and at the highest specification then your equipment bill can easily match your expedition costs. Having survived British weather while training you may already possess much of what’s required. However, unless you have already been on an expedition to high altitude it is likely that you’ll need to obtain at least a 4 season sleeping bag and a high specification insulated jacket to cope with the very low temperatures you’ll experience high on Kilimanjaro.
We have been receiving feedback from many new climbers that these two items are found to be very expensive, especially if obtaining them for an expedition that is expected to be a ‘one-off’. To address this we have teamed up with Trek Hire UK who can send the equipment you require to your address (if resident in the UK). Kit is borrowed for four weeks, after which you post it back to their Kent address. Costs are quite reasonable. To see what they have to offer click here.
Kit hire is also an option when on the ground in Arusha, but equipment quality is not consistent and is sometimes poor, and hire costs there are relatively high.
For those who want to own the very highest specification 5 season sleeping bag and insulated jacket because they anticipate the possibility of their Kilimanjaro expedition being a springboard to even higher altitudes we expect to release two new products early in 2006. The Team Kilimanjaro down jacket is being developed in a collaboration between our Everest expeditions equipment supplier in Kathmandu, Nepal and our expedition leaders and will incorporate unique design features not elsewhere available.
Specific clothing combinations on the mountain are largely a matter of personal choice, but the following items would suffice ideally:
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