The ultimate Tanzania packing list - The most important things for your luggage.

You want to go to Tanzania travel and climb Mount Kilimanjaro? We have put together the perfect packing list for your Tanzania trip.

Extra info for Kilimanjaro climb

Kilimanjaro Luggage: The most important facts

Pack a large backpack or duffel bag that the porters will carry for you up Kilimanjaro. It is very important that you do not take a hard shell suitcase up the mountain. 

The porters usually carry your luggage on their heads. Your backpack or duffel bag is carried by the porters from one base camp to the next base camp and it is always waiting for you when we arrive.

The weight of your luggage is limited to a maximum of 15 kg per carrier. If the weight is exceeded, an extra carrier must be paid. But seriously, who has packed 10 kg or more, has definitely too much luggage. However, you can store some of your luggage in our hotel at the foot of Kilimanjaro until our return free of charge. 

The perfect Kilimanjaro packing list for every climate zone

In the course of a few days you will cross five climate zones, from equatorial rainforests surrounded by banana and coffee plantations to near-arctic conditions. This makes packing the right clothes and layers essential. 

You will need different clothes for hiking during the day, relaxing in the evening and sleeping. Multiple layers are important as the temperature differences are very high. Kilimanjaro is close to the equator, but it gets cold up there! 

Your inner layer should be moisture-managing, so no cotton. The next layer should be insulating and warm and the top layer should be waterproof but breathable.

Checklist travel documents

1. Valid passport (check the validity and renew it if necessary)
2. Copy of passport (save digitally or keep separately from the original)
3. Visa (not required with German or European passport)
4. Insurance policy Health insurance abroad (online)
5. Vaccination card (check if you need to refresh your vaccinations)
6. Flight ticket (printout or e-ticket)
7. Travel credit card
8. Cash
9. List of emergency contacts and allergies, if applicable.

We recommend the following individual equipment list for your climbing expedition. Your equipment will be checked by our guides before departure. If necessary, you can also rent some of your equipment on site from our partner.

Equipment checklist

1. Sleeping bag (warm, recommended down to -25 °C)
2. Extendable trekking poles
3. Backpack/Duffel Bag 50-90 liters (max. 15 kg | for the carrier)
4. Backpack 30-35 liters (for you and what you need during the day)
5. 3 litre water pack (type: Camelbak)
6. Optional: Backpack cover (water and dust protection)
7. Optional: Dry bags or pouches to keep the equipment dry

Checklist Electronics

1. Headlamp USB rechargeable or with spare batteries
2. Flashlight USB rechargeable or with spare batteries
3. Strong powerbank or solar charger (no power on the mountain)
4. Headlamp with red light so as not to disturb animals (preferably USB rechargeable)
5. Binoculars
6. Mobile phone with charger
7. Headphones
8. Travel plug adapter type D + G
9. Optional: Camera with charger
10. Optional: Laptop/Tablet/E-Reader/Kindle with charger
11. Optional: Multiple socket

Checklist toilet bag

1. Toothbrush*
2. Toothpaste*
3. Dental floss*
4. Deodorant*
5. Hairbrush*
6. Sunscreen*
7. Face lotion
8. Shaver*
9. Shower gel/soap*
10. Shampoo*/Conditioner (is alternatively available in the hotel)
11. Nail care
12. Toilet paper
13. Wet wipes (compostable)
14. Lip protection with UV protection*
15. Tweezers*
16. Hygiene articles
17. Optional: Make up

Checklist first-aid kit

1. Hand disinfectant* or cloths
2. Anti-mosquito products (e.g. Nobite, Autan, with ingredient DEET* or similar)
3. Painkillers (e.g. ibuprofen, aspirin)
4. Tablets against altitude sickness (e.g. Diamox)
5. Diarrhoea medication (e.g. Imodium Akut, charcoal tablets)
6. Wound cream (e.g. Bepanthen)
7. Plasters and blister plasters
8. Water filter or iodine disinfection tablets
9. If necessary, electrolytes (powder or tablets)

Personal comfort checklist

1. Sunglasses
2. Earplugs*/Earplugs*
3. Books/Magazines
4. Headgear/Cap
5. Sleep mask*
6. Travel pillow* (for flight and longer trips)
7. Card games, board games, frisbee, ball, kite....
8. Microfiber towel* (light and quick drying)
9. Personal snacks (nuts, energy bars, dried fruits, isotonic drinks)
10. Optional: Chocolate or pencils for village children
11. Optional: Umbrella (can be bought on site for USD 2-3)

Checklist Environmentally Conscious Travel 

With these little things you can actively help to avoid plastic in Tanzania and simply make your contribution to environmental protection:

1. Reusable Silicone tubes* Filled with your shampoo, conditioner, shower gel.
2. garbage bag for your waste, as we do not leave any packaging or similar there
3. reusable bottle (preferably stainless steel for hot and cold)
4. Optional: reusable cup (preferably stainless steel for hot and cold).
5. Optional: Stainless steel Outdoor cutlery* (knife, spoon, fork, chopsticks, straw)

Tanzania Packing List: Shoes & Socks

1. 3-4x pair of inner socks
2. 4-5x pair of hiking socks/outdoor socks
3. 1x thermal socks for the summit
4. warm, waterproof and broken-in hiking boots
5. Sports shoes/sneakers (at camp)
6. Sansals/Flip Flops
7. Optional: gaiters (over the shoes)

Tanzania Packing List: Clothing

1. Underwear
2. 1x thermal underwear / ski underpants
3. 2x breathable T-shirt (not cotton)
4. 2x breathable longsleeve (no cotton)
5. 1x thermal longsleeve (e.g. made of merino wool)
6. 2x trekking pants
7. 1x cover rain pants
8. 1x Fleece jacket/Softshell jacket
9. 1x rain jacket (waterproof and windproof, Goretex)
10. 1x down jacket
11. 1x warm cap
12. 1x gloves thin
13. 1x gloves thick (summit day)
14. thin socks
15. T-Shirts
16. long sleeve airy shirts
17. Longsleeves (against the sun)
18. long, light pants
19. Shorts
20. Swimwear
21. Beach dress/beach outfit
22. Scarf/multi-functional scarf
23. Optional: Rain poncho

Recommended vaccinations

There are no compulsory vaccinations for direct entry from Germany. For trips under 4 weeks you should have a full vaccination against poliomyelitis (polio).

Be sure to get your standard immunizations according to the Vaccination calendar of the Robert Koch Institute are up to date.

Kilimanjaro Climb: Helpful Tips & Tricks

1. Drink at least 2-3 liters of water per day.
2. Use water filters and purification tablets to minimize stomach upset.
3. Take plenty of snacks such as energy bars and drink mixes with you.
4. Hike as light as possible, don't carry unnecessary weight.
5. All clothing in backpacks or duffle bags should be protected with burlap or bags to avoid getting wet, especially when hiking through the rainforest.
6. Lip balm with high factor and sunscreen is essential.
7. Nausea and headache tablets should be kept handy on summit night.
8. Symptoms of altitude sickness can be reduced with medication.
9. New shoes should definitely be broken in beforehand; this avoids blisters.
10. Use a thermos on summit night; other bottles will freeze.
11. Thermal gloves make it easier to handle the camera on the summit.
12. Only use new batteries for camera and headlamp on the summit.

Conclusion

Basically, less is more. Of course, the important documents such as passport and visa must not be missing. During your ascent to Kilimanjaro, it is simply easier to climb with light luggage. In addition, there will be more space for travel souvenirs after your mountain expedition. We hope that we could help you with this Tanzania packing list & expect you warmly on our Tanzania trip.

Download packing list PDF

Here you can download the Tanzania packing list conveniently as PDF.