“When preparing to climb a mountain – pack a light heart.”

(Dan May)

Packing for Africa was very time consuming.  I had to pack enough clothes for my nine day climb and my four day safari.  So the first thing I did was make a written list of the things I knew I needed to to wear and take on my trip.  I also knew that I would be packing three separate bags.  I would pack my day pack that I would carry with me on the plane and on my hike.  I would pack my red duffel bag with everything I would need during my safari, and I would pack my yellow duffel bag with everything I needed for my climb that my porter would carry for me.

I was not totally clueless when packing for my trip.  My common sense knew that I needed to pack light weight clothing for the first few days of my trip, but heavy clothes for the cold nights and for the colder weather once I climbed higher in elevation.

As an avid skier in the winter I had a pretty good idea what I needed to pack to keep warm in the freezing temperatures.  I knew never to wear any articles of clothing made of cotton.  Cotton can make your skin chafe when you sweat.  Cotton clothing can also get very heavy when you sweat or if it gets wet when it rains.  I always follow the NO COTTON rule when I go skiing or hiking.  So not packing cotton clothing for my hiking trip was a no-brainer.  (However, I did pack my everyday cotton socks to wear on my safari).  Also, I knew that during the freezing nights and cold hiking days I would have to wear layers of clothing.  So I organized my clothing in three main layers before I packed them in my bags.

The first layer is known by many skiers and hikers as the base layer which is the layer that we wear to cover our skin.  The second/middle layer is the layer used as insulation, and then the third layer is the outer layer that shields you from the elements of the weather.  Therefore, while packing my clothes I organized my clothing into these layers.

First layer/Base Layer: One clean pair of synthetic/microfiber briefs for each separate day, several pairs of long underwear tops and bottoms, dry-fit T-Shirts for the first few days of my climb, and to wear during the safari, a couple of pair of hiking shorts for the first few days of the hike, and also for the safari, and one pair of smart wool socks for each day of my trip, and sock liners to wear under my mountaineering socks on summit day and the cold nights.  I also packed a couple of pair of liner gloves to use under my heavier skiing gloves.

Second/Middle Layer: One North Face shell jacket, fleece pants, and a balaclava, and ski masks.

Third layer: One heavy duty waterproof ski jacket, waterproof shell pants, rain jacket, and rain pants, heavy ski gloves, mountaineering socks.

Footwear: One pair of Salmon hiking boots, camp shoes (old pair of Nike running shoes), Salmon hiking shoes, and gaiters (to keep mud and water out of your boots, and they help keep your ankles and lower legs dry and warm).

Technology/Electronics: Cell phone, headphones, Sony digital camera (with several extra batteries), Go Pro Hero 4 Black (with several extra batteries), memory cards for my cameras, Goal Zero Solar Panel (to recharge all my electronics), one headlamp, and my Garmin Fenix 3 HR watch.

Personal hygiene items: Toilet paper, wet wipes, camp towel, hand sanitizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant.

Medication: personal prescriptions, diamox (for altitude sickness), medication for malaria,  Motrin (for my sore legs), antibiotic, etc.

Miscellaneous items I packed: Inflatable sleeping pillow for the plane ride and for sleeping in tent, journal, pens, pencils, zip lock bags, pictures of my friends and family, two Gatorade water bottles, money belt (to keep my passport, money, and travel documents safe and dry), sunglasses, sunhat, ski-cap (toboggan-the hat, not the sled), gym shorts, sunscreen, hand warmers, sleeping bag liner, trash bags, snacks, Marshall University flag (for picture at top of Kili), chap stick, personal first aid kit, nail clippers, international plug adapter/power converter (for use at the hotel), 2-liter bladder for my daypack, and of course my Jurassic Park novel to read on the plane.

All packed and ready to go!!!