If you’re anything like me, you’re probably pretty incredibly accident prone. I have fallen down stairs, had sprained wrists, and gotten surgery on my ankle. My most embarrassing moment in college was when I passed out in the dining hall at peak lunch hours after donating blood at the Carolina/Clemson blood drive. What was possibly more mortifying was being wheeled out of the dining hall with everyone staring as I drowned my sorrows in a glass of orange juice the nurse gave me (hey, anything for a freebie!).
With this in mind, I brought an emergency medical kit filled with basic supplies in case my clumsy self took a tumble on the way to the summit. My medical kit included nail clippers, Qtips, tissues, eye drops, hand sanitizer, tweezers, ace bandage wraps, an ankle compression brace, band aids of various sizes, gauze, Neosporin, medical tape, moleskin (for blisters), an IcyHot roller, scissors, and a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide.
You can purchase a pre-made Adventure Medical Kit to make sure you don't forget any essentials. This kit is good to have around your house or apartment in general in case of minor injury.
To ease aches and pains as well as headaches, I made sure to bring more than enough Tylenol and Ibuprofen. Also, Tylenol PM was a must have, especially for the long plane ride to and from Tanzania.
Because prescription medicine such as blood pressure medication, birth control, insulin, anti-histamines, and your Malaria pills are incredibly important, storing them where they won’t be exposed to water is crucial. Kilimanjaro weather can be unpredictable, so I stored my most important items like medications, water purification tablets, and my passport in an Otterbox waterproof case. They range from $20-$35 depending on the size you purchase, but if you find yourself in a torrential downpour, you will really thank yourself for spending that extra cash.
I also kept batteries, a digital clock, a Maglite, and my trusty head lamp in the watertight box. A headlamp is an absolute necessity for your Kilimanjaro or camping adventures. I wore my brother’s Petzl LED headlamp every night after dark when I ate dinner, rummaged around the tent, or wrote in my journal. Also, the day where you trek to the summit is done completely in the dark in the middle of the night (details to follow in later posts), so you must have a headlamp to make the nocturnal journey. Petzl headlamps come in fun colors so you can pick one to coordinate with your cute jacket.
With a quality headlamp to guide your steps and a medical kit in case you stumble, you will be well on your way to reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro.
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| Adventure Medical Kit |
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| Icy Hot will ease your aches and pains on your hike |
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| Otterbog watertight box to keep your valuables safe from rain |
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| Maglite flash light |
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| Cute colorful headlamps will be key to lighting your way |
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| Tylenol Extra Strength Rapid Release Capsules will help headaches you may experience from altitude |
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