Backpack, Backpack!

Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel. ~Yogi Berra

 

Here’s a riddle: What weights several pounds when empty, feels like a million pounds when full, has many compartments filled with valuable items, and is a necessity for hiking Kili? Your backpack! 

When trekking Kilimanjaro you will actually have two backpacks: one day pack that you carry filled with only necessities, and a backpacking pack filled with your supplies for the week to be carried by a porter. In future posts I will be sure to cover what items go in which pack.

I was fortunate that I didn’t have to shop for either of these items because my family already owned them. Because my brother is an Eagle Scout and my dad was incredibly involved with the scouts, they had many of the items I needed including both types of backpacks. Thank goodness a scout is always prepared!

For my day pack, I carried a blue, large-size Camelbak backpack. Though the Camelbak had a water pouch, I never used it on the trip because I didn’t know if there was an adequate way to clean it while also having to use purification tablets. I simply stuck to filling and refilling my pink Camelbak water bottle. Large Camelbak Backpacks for outdoors range from $65 to $125, so they can be pretty expensive. If you’re okay with using a water bottle as your hydration source, I would recommend just buying the Camelbak reusable water bottle and purchasing a general outdoors/daily backpack.

Because I didn’t use the water pouch inside the backpack, I probably could have used my trusty Northface Recon backpack that I use every day when going to class. The Northface Recon backpack is pricey at $90, however it’s great for daily use when going to class or work and it definitely is made to last. This backpack has survived almost four years of college with me! Other Northface backpacks are priced as low as $55 and come in some adorable colors as well.

Whatever backpack you decide to use as your day pack, make sure it has cushioned straps and cushion on the back. You are going to be carrying this for many hours each day every day for a week, therefore it's super important that it feels comfortable. 

For my hiking backpack, I used a Kelty external frame pack. Because a porter will be carrying this pack, almost all tour operators require you to use a backpacking pack or a frame backpack and absolutely no hard case luggage. 

One backpack accessory you can’t do without is a backpack rain cover. While $35 seems like a lot to spend just in case it rains, you will thank yourself for spending that money when your clothing and supplies aren’t sopping wet.

If you’re not an avid hiker and don’t necessarily want to spend the money on new backpacks, ask around to family, friends, and coworkers to see if you can borrow them from anyone. I’m sure they will trade you some delicious home-baked sweets for a week and a half of backpack use-this way everyone wins!

Side view of the day backpack I used for Kili-note the cute "A" luggage tag!

Back view of my day pack-lots of cushion is key.

My everyday backpack that would have also been great for Kili! Love this!

A Pill a Day Keeps Altitude Sickness Away

Medicine heals doubts as well as diseases.  ~Karl Marx

I thought that after I got my general Tanzania vaccinations I would be good to go for hiking Kilimanjaro. Wrong! There were still a few things I needed to do to prepare myself medically.

Attitude sickness can be a hiker’s worst nightmare. Altitude sickness is a major contributor to preventing 50% of hikers from reaching Gilman’s Point (18,600 feet) which is less than an hour from the summit. It’s also a reason why only roughly 40% of hikers make it to Uhuru Peak (19,334 feet). Because altitude sickness can prevent you from reaching your ultimate goal of the summit it needs to be taken seriously and prepared for.

Symptoms of AMS (acute mountain sickness) include headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, and general discomfort. Altitude sickness especially affects those who are pregnant, have cardiac or lung disease, or ocular or neurological conditions. Be extra careful if you qualify for one of these characteristics! Learn more about causes, symptoms, and treatments at U.S. National Library of Medicine's page on AMS.

Looking for a recommendation on a type of medication to lessen the symptoms of AMS? I wouldn’t be caught on Mount Kilimanjaro without Diamox (pharmacological name: Acetazolamide). Diamox is a diuretic, sulfa drug that accelerates acclimatization. While most people don’t start to experience symptoms of altitude sickness until they reach 10,000 feet, I took my doctor’s recommendation and started taking Diamox the first day of the hike so I could get it into my system and let my body could adjust to it.

To learn more about Diamox, visit U.S. National Library of Medicine and WebMD.

If you want to stay safe, one other medical necessity is ensuring that you’re drinking clean water. Because the water you drink on Kilimanjaro is mainly collected for the freshwater sources on the mountain, it’s absolutely necessary to purify the water. Hand powered purification pumps are on the expensive side, so I opted to use Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets which I purchased at REI. These tablets will destroy bacteria, viruses, as well as other impurities. 

Do you cringe when you accidentally swallow pool water? Because chlorine is the active ingredient in the purification tablets, the taste of the water is less than desirable. One of the best tricks I can offer you to covering up the chlorine taste is by adding Crystal Lite On-the-Go packets to give the water a delicious flavor. Fruit punch and lemonade were my flavors of choice, but Cranberry Apple and Strawberry Orange Banana sound tasty as well!

Want to know if I experienced symptoms of altitude sickness on my Kilimanjaro adventure? Read future posts to find out!

Diamox Tablets to treat symptoms of altitude sickness

Yummy Crystal Life On-the-Go Packets

My favorite water bottle that I carried all the way up Kili! It's cute & eco-friendly!