The climbing kit list

More trips are ruined here than anywhere else on the list.

• Hiking boots Waterproof, above the ankle, good grip — and broken in over at least three long walks before you fly. New boots on day one is the most common reason a climb ends early.
• Gaiters Keep scree, mud, snow and the Chogoria bog out of the top of your boots.
• Warm socks — 4 pairs Wool or synthetic. Cotton holds sweat, freezes, and takes the skin off your heels.
• Liner socks — 2 pairs optional Worn under the warm pair; the two layers rub against each other instead of against you.
• Camp shoes optional Crocs, sandals or trainers. Getting out of boots at camp is the best ten minutes of the day.

Tents and sleeping mats are ours — see what we carry, below.

• Sleeping bag Rated to 0°C comfort or lower for Mount Kenya. For Kilimanjaro summit nights bring -10°C or colder. Four-season bags are the safe choice on either mountain.
• Sleeping bag liner optional Adds a few degrees and keeps a hired bag clean.
• Hot water bottle or flask optional Fill it at dinner and put it in the bag with you. It is the oldest trick on the mountain and it still works.

Plan for -10°C at night and +15°C in the afternoon sun — on the same day.

• Thermal base layer — top and bottom Merino or synthetic. One set to walk in, one dry set kept for sleeping only.
• Warm jersey or sweater Wool. Your mid-layer for cold mornings and camp.
• Fleece or down vest / jacket The insulating layer that comes off first when the sun hits.
• Light loose trousers For the forest and moorland sections where it is warm and humid.
• Warm trousers or tracksuit bottoms Pulled on over the base layer once you stop walking.
• Trekking shirts — 2 or 3 Long-sleeved, quick-drying. Sun cover as much as warmth.

Non-negotiable in every month. Mount Kenya makes its own weather.

• Waterproof jacket with a hood Properly waterproof, not shower-resistant, and roomy enough to go over your insulation.
• Waterproof over-trousers Wind protection on the summit ridge as much as rain protection lower down.

At 4,000m the sun burns through cloud, and it burns upward off the snow.

• Wool hat or beanie Covering your ears.
• Balaclava or neck gaiter For summit night, when the wind finds every gap.
• Warm scarf optional
• Sun hat Wide brim. The moorland has no shade at all.
• Heavy gloves or mittens Mittens are warmer than gloves. Add thin liner gloves so you can work a zip without bare hands.
• Sunglasses Category 3 or 4. On snow, proper mountaineering glasses — snow blindness is a real risk above 4,500m and it arrives hours after the damage is done.
• Sunscreen SPF 50+ and lip balm with SPF Reapply at every break, including under your chin and nose.

• Two 2-litre water bottles Or a hydration bladder plus one bottle. Bladder hoses freeze solid on summit night, so never carry only a bladder. We purify and supply the water itself.
• Headlamp, with spare batteries and bulb Summit pushes start between midnight and 3am. Cold flattens batteries fast — keep the spares in an inside pocket.
• Walking poles A pair, adjustable. They take a large share of the load off your knees on the long descent, which is where most knee injuries happen.
• Daypack — 30 to 35 litres What you carry yourself: water, shell, snacks, camera, warm layer.
• Porter's bag or duffel Everything the porters carry. Soft bag, not a hard suitcase — see the 10kg rule below.
• Dry bags or heavy bin liners Line both bags. Nothing on this mountain is reliably waterproof from the outside.
• Light travel towel optional

• Personal medication In your daypack, not in the porter's bag — you and your bag are not always in the same place.
• Small personal first-aid kit Blister plasters, painkillers, rehydration salts, any altitude medication your doctor has prescribed. We carry a full kit and emergency oxygen; this is for the small things.
• High-energy snacks Whatever you will actually eat when you have no appetite — appetite is the first thing altitude takes.
• Hand sanitiser and wet wipes
• Toiletries Small. Everything you pack, somebody carries.
• Power bank optional There is no charging above the gate. Cold drains phone batteries; sleep with the phone in your bag.
• Camera optional