Packing your Kilimanjaro kit is one of the most important steps on the way to a successful climb. The Web is full of travel recommendations, however, most of them inevitably fail to explain why a certain piece of equipment is a must-have while others may be left at home. We have compiled our packing guide so that even a complete novice could use it as a reference, though some recommendations might be obvious to seasoned mountain climbers.

On Kilimanjaro you will be trekking through four different climate zones (rainforest, moorland, alpine meadows, and Arctic desert). At the lower altitude of tropical rainforest, the weather is mostly humid and hot, while in the summit zone it is snowy, windy and frosty. In addition, while the temperature is usually high during the day, it can drop to the freezing point at night.

You should be properly prepared for all of these conditions.