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INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN GUIDES
HIGH ALTITUDE TREKKING PERSONAL EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST
The equipment list is meant to help you compile your personal gear for a high altitude trekking trip likeKilimanjaro or Everest Base Camp. Most items are required, while a few are optional. Please considereach item carefully and be sure you understand the function of each piece of equipment before yousubstitute or delete items from your duffle. Keep in mind that this list has been carefully compiled byPhil Ershler and Eric Simonson, the expedition organizers. Don’t cut corners on the quality of yourgear. Please contact IMG or Mountain Gear at 800-829-2009 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 andwill be carried by the porters. Expect for it to get wet and muddy, so a rugged, waterproof duffle isgood. You will store the other bag at the hotel with your clothes for travel and safari so it does notneed to be as robust. Bags with wheels are nice for the airport, but the porters don’t like to carrythem, 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 doingthe duffle shuffle or handling travel documents while going through passport control and customsat 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 plasticzip 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 walletthat you can hang around your neck and place inside your shirt, or around your waist tuckedunder your shirt or trousers.
Trekking Gear
Trekking Poles: Poles come in handy for balance and easing impact to your knees. Get collapsiblepoles that can attach to your backpack.
Backpack: Medium size backpack. This must get packed into one of the duffle bags for the flights.
You need a pack big enough for your clothes, water, camera, food, etc during the day.
Pack Cover: Waterproof rain cover for your pack.
Sleeping Bag: Rated to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Synthetic is better in case of rain.
Sleeping Pad: (e.g. ThermaRest, or good closed-cell foam pad, e.g. Deluxe Ridge Rest.) 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, thatcan be worn in conjunction to the other layers).
Shell Jacket: Waterproof/breathable jacket with hood.
Shell Pants: Waterproof/breathable pants (full side zips are best).
¤ Climbing Pants: Look for construction that provides freedom of movement and/or stretch materials. Fabric should be a breathable synthetic that preferably holds up to abrasion.
¤ Parka: REQUIRED (it gets COLD on summit morning!). Down or synthetic. This should be big Rain Poncho: Nice for hiking in the forest if it rains; a cheap plastic one is fine.
Trekking Clothes: Light hiking pants and / or hiking shorts - NOT cotton. Shirts for hiking on nicedays (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 towear 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: Light gloves for hiking and around camp, warm ski gloves or similar, and down or warminsulated mittens for summit day.
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 Gaiters: To keep snow, mud, and scree out of your hiking boots.
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 bootswill make your feet cold.
Camp Accessories
Headlamp: With several sets of extra batteries and bulbs. The small LED headlamps are great forreading in the tent, but for climbing you might appreciate something a bit brighter. The Petzl Myo3 and the Black Diamond Gemini lamps are good options that use AA batteries.
Water Bottles: 2 water bottles with foam insulation shells.
Water Treatment: Iodine tablets (Potable Aqua or similar) or iodine crystals (Polar Pure) for waterpurification.
Camera: With spare batteries, and film or memory cards.
Lighters: Several disposable lighters.
Personal Accessories
Wrist Watch: With alarm. We like the Suunto ones.
Eyewear: Bring good sunglasses. For contact lens wearers, ski goggles with light color lenses (foruse 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!) ¤ First Aid: Hand sanitizer (Purell), moleskin, tape, aspirin / ibuprofen / acetaminophen, Imodium for diarrhea, Band-Aids, small towel, antacid, insect repellant, ear plugs, and several rolls of toiletpaper.
¤ Prescription Medications: 1) Antibiotic such as Ciprofloxacin; 2) Diamox for acclimatization, 125mg tabs recommended, enough for one week; 3) Sleeping pills for jet lag (one week); 4)Tylenol 3 or similar for severe headaches; 5) Malaria Chemophrophylaxis, if needed based on travelplans; 6) Asthma medication, if any history.
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.

Source: http://classic.mountaingear.com/pages/gearlist/pdfs/altitude_trek_checklist.pdf