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17 work days to go ... 26 regular life days!! It is now getting both very exciting and quite overwhelming!
Physically, I think I'm just about there except for that march downhill. For that though I have started crossfit and MY GOODNESS I think the month will have a great impact!
Shopping ... hmmm, our shopping list is what is getting somewhat concerning ... there is so much left to get. And/or we can just rent everything we are missing from Team Kilimanjaro - this is probably what will end up happening.
Our shopping list looks like this:
Baggage and Sleeping
Large Rucksack or Holdall, 70-90 litres capacity (for kit carried by
porter)
Daysack, 25-35 litres (for personal use on mountain; ready-access
items)
Sleeping Bag (minus 10 degrees Centigrade rating or colder)
Sleeping Bag (minus 10 degrees Centigrade rating or colder)
Waterproof rucksack liner or heavy duty plastic sack
Elasticated waterproof rucksack cover
Clothing
Sweat-wicking T-shirts / vests
Fleece
Insulated down jacket or similar
Down mittens or similar
Thermal long-johns for summit night
Lightweight walking trousers
Underwear (briefs are usually better than boxer shorts which gather and
chafe)
Very good quality hiking socks and thin liner socks (socks should be at
least a size too small otherwise they stretch and bunch causing blisters)
Breathable lightweight waterproofs (jacket and trousers).
Waterproof walking boots, sturdy and worn-in (A Gore-Tex membrane or similar is advised. While Alpine or C3 boots are
not required for Kilimanjaro it is important that your boots have good ankle and arch support and good deep read pattern)
Calf gaiters
Balaclava
Sun hat
Hygiene
Toothbrush, toothpaste & deodorant
Flat packed Wet Ones, travel wipes, or similar for personal hygiene on
the mountain.
Kleenex tissues in plastic travel pouches or toilet paper
Hairbrush / comb
Lip salve with UV protection
Vaseline, to prevent chafing skin and heel friction blisters
Personal Small First Aid Kit
Pain killers (Ibuprofen)
Diamox (acetazolamide) if you choose to use this
Paracetamol
Zinc oxide tape and small scissors
Compeed blister pads (not corn pads)
Loperamide / Immodium diahorrea tablets
Any medication you normally use
Dioralyte sachets or similar rehydration packs
Health
Malaria Tablets (if you choose to
take these)
Factor 30+ sun cream
Sun barrier cream white / blue for nose and ears
Documents
Passport (with additional 6 months’ validity after proposed expedition return date)
Tanzanian Tourist Visa
Air Travel Documents
Cash in US dollars in denominations of $10 and $20 and $1
Credit Card
Travel Insurance Documents (Though not essential, most climbers choose to
insure as lost baggage is a frequent occurrence)
Vaccination certificates (Yellow Fever, if
visiting a ‘risk zone’ prior to entering Tanzania)
Other stuff
Camera and film or digital camera and spare memory cards
Sunglasses with UV-filter lenses
Optional high energy snacks for trekking (cereal bars, dried
fruit and nuts)
Spare contact lenses and saline fluid, if worn
Watch
Head torch with spare batteries and bulb
for summit night & tent admin
Water bottles & Camelbak (minimum total fluid
carrying capacity should be 3 litres)
Water purification tablets / iodine drops (most choose to
supplement purification achieved by boiling)
Ear plugs and blindfold (to aid sleep on
afternoon before summit night)
Plastic bags (for dirty washing, wrappings, etc.)
Telescopic walking poles (optional)
Optional evening entertainment (playing cards,
travel chess, book, etc)
Of which, as I was reading over this, we actually most of. Thanks to running I have all of the clothing I need for the climb. HOWEVER, unfortunately thanks to running, none of my clothes are safari-appropriate. Apparently, one should avoid blue, white, camouflage and bright coloured clothing on safari. That pretty much lets out all of my casual clothing.
So ... that is our current focus - safari clothes, figuring out how to keep me warm at night (I am perpetually frozen) and all of the other odds and ends on this list.
Speaking of lists, what is that <img> at the top you ask? Well, that's me finding html elements in the real world. I've got a <div> bucket to hold my pics, DQ <menu>s, a <span> of table settings, a <p>aragraph about exercising trees, a <li>st of lovely faces we met in Sepilok, a nightmare of elevator <nav>igation in Bangkok, the <time>, an ordered list <ol> of our wedding day events and ... last but not least a great <blockquote> from Mr. Hemingway about Kilimanjaro:
