Mount Kilimanjaro Video

So I know this is overdue but I have been working on it for the past week to make it good. Drum roll please....



I'd love to know you thoughts and comments on this video! Any parts you loved? Anything you didn't?

Hot Off the Press!

One of the coolest things about having hiked Kilimanjaro is the recognition I have gotten on my campus. 

So far I have been interview by the University of South Carolina media relations office twice, once for the Summer Series articles, and once for Discovery Day. 

I was featured on the USC homepage at the beginning of fall semester. It was so awesome to open the University’s homepage and see a picture of myself there. I had so many people come up to me and tell me they read the article and their thoughts. The article can be found here.

 

Right now I’m waiting on the final draft of the article on Discovery Day before it goes onto the webpage.

I also was interviewed by a fellow University Ambassador, Katie Rudder. She is the writer of the blog Let’s Be Preppy and is a contributing writer to HerCampus, University of South Carolina page. Her article was fun and focused especially on the girly aspects of this climb. That article can be found here.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the articles and doing the interviews because it’s fun to share the experience. And let’s be honest, what girl doesn’t love a little attention now and then? I hope you enjoy reading the articles too!

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” ~Lin Yutang

The plane ride home was the longest ride of my life. My journey home consisted of two separate flights. The first flight left Arusha at 9 PM. Kind of. It was supposed to leave at 9 PM and because of delays with luggage we actually left at 10:30 PM or so. 

After an hour we landed in Dar es Salaam to load more passengers onto the plane before departing Tanzania. They quickly cleaned the plane out and began boarding more passengers. There were of course more delays and we didn’t get into the air until 1 AM.

They immediately served us dinner which was much appreciated. All of the extra time from delays had left me starving. I must say Royal Dutch KLM airlines serves really good food on their flights.

Though I was satisfied by the meal, I also realized I was starting to get sick. I guess all of the climate changes from trekking down the mountain so quickly, the minimal sleep, the physical exertion, the stress of repacking and flight delays, and the dry plane air had finally gotten the best of me. My throat was killing me.

On top of that I was experiencing the worst cramps of my whole life. I had insanely painful knots of cramps in my legs and abdomen. After such a high intensity level of physical exertion for a week straight, sitting still on a plane for an extended period of time was really not working for me.

One major point of advice I would give to people hiking Kilimanjaro is to not fly out the same day or day after getting off the mountain. Give yourself at least two days to recover physically and relax your body before subjecting yourself to hours-long plane rides.

Fortunately for me, I won the plane seat lottery by sitting next to an older lady who was a nurse on a medical mission trip. She stocked me up with Vitamin C packets to mix into my drinks, throat lozenges, and Tylenol. I befriended the flight attendants as well so that I would have continual drinks to sooth my throat. In total I would estimate I drink at least a gallon and a half of water and a gallon of orange juice on my flights home. 

The flight from Tanzania arrived in Amsterdam the next morning very early around 8 AM. I had a two hour layover in the airport so I took advantage of the opportunity to stretch my legs and walked around. I also connected to the internet to e-mail my mom and let her know my flight schedule. Skype and e-mail are such a godsend when traveling. I used it to call and update home all throughout my trip to Tanzania and while I was in route.

Eagerly, I got onto the plane as soon as they began boarding because by this point I was so excited to get home. Fortunately on this leg of the flight I was seated in a bulkhead row and was able to stretch out my legs. First rule of picking flights: always try for a bulkhead row or exit row.

On this final flight I was far too anxious and excited to get home to sleep. I watched Dear John and Alice in Wonderland, chatted with the woman next to me, and ate the in flight meal to pass the time.

By the time we landed I was so happy to be on the ground and almost home. By this point I had been traveling for twenty-five hours and I was exhausted and still feeling sick. I gathered my luggage from baggage claim and waited in line at customs. After being cleared, I took the train in the Atlanta airport to meet my family.

Words can’t begin to describe how excited I was when I found my mom and dad. After giving them a big hug and having my mom cry she was so happy I was home safe, we drove home. 

After a month away, I was finally back. My mom made a big dinner to celebrate and invited over my grandparents. It was so nice to see everyone and share with them my adventure.

Shortly after seeing everyone and telling them about my trip, I crashed. The bed was beyond comfy after a week of sleeping on the ground. I slept through the night and until at least 2 PM the next day. It felt so good to be home.

Hiking Kilimanjaro Day 5: Summit Day!

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. ~Jawaharial Nehru

Waking up at 11:30 PM was a complete whirlwind. Exhaustion and anxiety had crept in and decided to permanently reside with me.

I was so thankful for Rakhi because she did such a wonderful job of encouraging me by reminding me we had worked hard for this moment. Having another girl of this trip turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened. Not only was I checking something awesome off my bucket list, I made a new friend for life in the process.

Before leaving camp, we nibbled on a Cadbury chocolate bar that Arnold had given us which in retrospect was not even close to enough food for summit night. But the chocolate was a treat and at the time I didn’t have much of an appetite because of my nerves and the altitude.

Arnold and our porters warned us that the higher up the mountain we progressed, the more our appetites would decline. Their best advice was to force feed ourselves even if we didn’t feel hungry. Our goal was to drink at least three liters of water on the summit hike. After some fast conversion math, I found that three liters of water is almost 13 cups. And we were supposed to drink this in an eight to ten hour time frame. I felt like a camel taking in enough water to last me across the Sahara desert.

For the summit hike I bundled up in layers upon layers of clothing. I wore a spandex, moisture-wicking workout tank, a long sleeve base layer, my red University of South Carolina t-shirt, a fleece jacket, a windbreaker, and gloves on top. On bottom I wore long underwear, hiking pants, and two pairs of socks beneath my boots. I also wore a fuzzy turtle fur over my ears and my USC baseball cap. I am sure that I looked identical to Ralphie’s little brother Randy in my dad’s favorite movie “A Christmas Story” because all of my layers added 15 pounds to my figure.

Even though I was wearing many layers, stepping out of the tent into the frigid night air was like hopping into an ice cold shower. Miserable. I hate being cold and at home I am usually bundled up in a sweatshirt. I turn on my cars seat heaters in the summer for goodness sake. Arnold told us the temperature was in the mid-20s, however with the wind chill the temperature felt a lot colder.

At 12:15 we officially began our hike to the summit. It was pitch dark and looking up the mountain I could see a dotted line of tiny headlamps. I clicked my headlamp on and joined the line of lights leading to the summit.

Hiking Kilimanjaro Day 4

Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. ~Miriam Beard

Ridiculously difficult does not even begin to describe today. I feel silly for all of the times at home I’ve ever come home from class or from a series of meetings and thought to myself, “Wow, what a rough day.” 

Today began with about 650 feet of near vertical climbing. It wasn’t so steep that ropes and carabiners and harnesses were necessary, but it was upward climbing nonetheless and slipping backward and falling would have been debilitating if not fatal I’m guessing.

Although it was tiring, it was a really fun leg of the hike because I constantly had to think about where to place my feet, pulling myself up, and keeping balance. It was much more mentally engaging than walking along at a slight incline.

Little did I know, right after climbing up the cliff-side I had six more hours of hiking to do over a slight incline. Out of the seven and a half hours of hiking we did today, the last two hours were absolutely brutal because they seemed never ending. Boredom had officially kicked in and I had literally nothing else to think about. 

For the first time throughout the hike I used my iPod to listen to music for motivation. The first twenty to thirty minutes the music was incredibly motivating and did a great job putting me in an optimistic mood. But after that, even music didn’t rid me of boredom.

Arriving at Millennium Camp was like having a ice cold glass of lemonade on the hottest of summer days. We made it just before sunset at 6 PM and were immediately given a dinner of spaghetti and meat sauce. Carb-loading at its finest for sure. 

Because Arnold said we were only allowed to carry our water bottles in our packs, I had to almost completely unpack my backpack. Arnold carried my camera and the bottle of champagne and Coke for me and several small items for Rakhi and Aaron as well. 

We all went to sleep at 10 PM when we should have really been asleep by 7. The little sleep I did get was restless because I was overwhelmed with anxiety for the final leg of the hike that would bring us to the summit.

I could not believe in a few hours I would be hiking to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. 

The cliff we climbed first thing this morning. If you look really closely you can see dots of color up the side of the cliff which are the people climbing up.

Looking down the cliff side

Vertical climb

Vertical climb

Me with the summit-almost there!

At the top of the vertical climb with the summit in the back ground

This part of the hike seemed never ending

Hiking Kilimanjaro Day 1

Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it. ~Cesare Pavese

Today has been absolutely crazy so far. I barely slept last night because I was so nervous and anxious about starting the hike today. It definitely hit me last night as I was trying to fall asleep that everyone in my study abroad group had really left and I was actually staying to hike Kilimanjaro. I felt like the kid playing baseball in the outfield too distracted by picking flowers in the grass to notice the ball falling from the sky conveniently right on their head. 

Though Andrew and Robert had left, I was fortunate to have one guy, Aaron, from my study abroad trip staying. Because he’s a graduate student in the distance education program who lives in Charleston, I had never met him before meeting in Tanzania for the study abroad trip and I didn’t know him that well at all. Knowing I had at least an acquaintance slightly took the edge off but I still slept restlessly.

I woke up bright and early at 7:30 and re-packed my belongings and took a nice, hot shower. It was slightly unnerving to think that I wouldn’t have the luxury of a shower for the next six days. It was even more unnerving anticipating how bad I would smell.

After finishing packing, Aaron and I met for breakfast. Along with some eggs, toast, and juice, we also took our first Diamox tablet to help with the symptoms of altitude sickness. Shortly after we finished, our driver from SafariMakers, Ltd. came to pick us up from the hotel.

The day before beginning our hike, we went to pay SafariMakers for the cost of the hike. While in the office, Aaron and I were asked if we minded a third person hiking in our group. As it would lower our cost, we agreed despite not knowing the other person at all. 

After the driver picked us up, we went to pick up this mystery third person. The dork in me hoped it was someone famous because wouldn’t that be cool to say you hiked Kilimanjaro alongside Jessica Biel or Emile Hirsche (who hiked several months after I did). 

Although not famous, the final person of our trio Rakhi was pretty fabulous. She’s a British girl in her late 20’s who lives in West London-so posh! She has a lovely accent and a great sense of humor which I can tell immediately. After meeting her I was sure we would get on quite nicely.

In the hour and a half it took to drive from Arusha to the Machame base, Aaron, Rakhi and I chatted about our lives and how nervous and excited we were. We stopped at a little convenience store on the way and I purchased a Coca-Cola (I’m addicted) and a bottle of celebratory champagne to drink at the summit.

After arriving at the Machame base gate, which is roughly 6,230 feet in elevation, we registered with the national park service. In addition to myself, Aaron, and Rakhi in our group, we have a crew of nine porters, one cook, one assistant guide named Daniel who is extremely quiet, and a lead guide named Arnold.

Arnold is Kenyan by birth but grew up in the village in the foothills of Kilimanjaro. Although he’s only 29 years of age, he has summited Kilimanjaro about 40 times in the past three years. His first trip to the summit was with his father, who was also a guide, when he was a mere 15 years old. Interestingly, he’s also college educated and has a degree in civil engineering. He has a warm smile and I could tell we were going to become friends.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting because I was so anxious, we began hiking at 12:30. To find out how long the hike took us on day one, read tomorrow’s post!

Aaron, Rakhi and me at the Machame gate

Aaron went to Clemson for undergrad and as I am a Gamecock it was only natural that we would fight all the way up Kili about which school is the best. GO GAMECOCKS!!

Nom Nom Nom!

As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices:  take it or leave it.  ~Buddy Hackett

When traveling, the take it or leave it principle can be applied to food as well. While abroad, your options become limited mostly to whatever is put in front of you.

Over the years I have gotten better about being a picky eater. Now I will give almost any type of food a try (seafood is still difficult for me though).  I start to get nervous about my food options when traveling abroad especially because your options become pretty limited to whatever the local cuisine is.

Your options become severely limited when you’re hiking Mount Kilimanjaro and the only option to serve is whatever food your cook provides. This terrified me. In my hiking pack I brought so much food is looked like I was stocked a bomb shelter with snacks for the next year. 

Want to know what I was munching on? My favorite snack from the hike was chocolate chip Clif Bars. The peanut butter flavored Clif bars are good as well. Disclaimer though, I will not touch Cliff bars anymore after eating two a day for a week straight. Also Jif Peanut Butter packets To-Go were a life saver. I would add the peanut butter to bread the cook gave me to make little sandwiches and I would dip crackers in it. Welch’s strawberry fruit snacks were a sweet treat with my daily serving of 100% vitamin C. 

Although I had some great snack foods as extra energy boosters, I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food on Kili was. Our cook was awesome and made delicious food for every single meal.

A typical breakfast on the mountain consisted of an oatmeal porridge, sausage, eggs, toast, a banana, some melon, and hot chocolate or coffee. Lunch was usually eaten as we rested during the hike, so the cook packed us each a little lunch box with our food. The lunch box had a piece or baked chicken (usually a leg, breast or thigh), a hardboiled egg, a banana, a juice box, and a butter sandwich. No, I did not forget to type peanut, the sandwiches just had butter and bread. This is where my Jif To-Go packets were handy! For dinner, we always had some type of soup (leeks, carrot, zucchini, or squash), chicken or fish, rice, potatoes, and then a random side like peanuts or beans. There was always a banana for dessert also and instant hot chocolate or instant milk.

Something for you to look forward to are the fruit you get to eat, especially the bananas. Tanzanian bananas are much sweeter than those found in America. While I usually won’t eat bananas or melon, I loved them on my hike!

If you’re a picky eater like I used to be, I would definitely recommend packed some substantial snack foods like Cliff bars, FiberOne bars, or meal substitute bars in case your cook serves something you absolutely won’t try. That being said, this is a once in a lifetime trip and Tanzanian food is really good so even if you are a picky eater, give the food a chance because I’m sure you will love it!

Typical breakfast on Kilimanjaro

Typical breakfast on Kilimanjaro

Typical dinner on Kilimanjaro

Typical dinner on Kilimanjaro

Must Have Travel Accessories

There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.  ~Ansel Adams

Five fun accessories that I cannot travel without came with me on my hike to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. These items included two cameras, my journal, my coach sunglasses, and my iPod.

I am a camera addict. I love taking pictures, photo editing, printing pictures, and framing them. I brought two types of cameras on my trek up Mount Kilimanjaro: a small digital camera and a D-SLR camera. I brought two cameras because I knew I wouldn’t be able to charge the batteries while on the hike. If you love snapping photos on trips, I would highly suggest buying an extra battery for your camera.

I used a small digital camera during the hike to snap quick pictures when we didn’t have time to stop and get the D-SLR out of my back pack. Because you don’t want to carry the D-SLR around your neck for the majority of the hike, having a digital camera that slips into your pocket is key to documenting the whole experience. 

For the trek up Kilimanjaro I was using my four year old Sony Cybershot camera so the quality of picture wasn’t as good as I wish it had been. However, this Christmas I got a Nikon Coolpix S8100 and I love it! It’s perfect for on-the-go and although it’s compact, you don’t sacrifice the quality of the picture when it comes to this model.

Before my study abroad trip to Barcelona, I made a big time investment in a D-SLR camera. After browsing various models and asking around to friends and family, I decided that the Nikon D40 was perfect for me. While the price was incredibly steep at $700 after tax and warranty (you better believe I bought a warranty on it at that price!), I take incredibly good care of it. The unbelievable quality of pictures a D-SLR camera yields is worth every penny you pay.

Because I am not a dear diary kind of girl on an everyday basis, I wasn’t sure I would want to take the time to write in a journal on my Kilimanjaro hike. Each day though, I found myself more and more thankful I had my journal to record my experience in. It provided an outlet for my inner most thoughts and feelings on the most physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging experience of my life. I feel such a strong connection with my hike when I go back and read everything I wrote during that week. Even if you don’t find yourself having “Dear Journal” moments like Sue Sylvestor on Glee, you will be glad after your hike is over you forced yourself to write about your experience each day.

Really good sunglasses are a travel necessity, especially when it comes to hiking Mount Kilimanjaro. Because UVA/UVB rays are stronger at higher altitudes, protecting your peepers with sunglasses is essential. If you’re buying a new pair, consider polarized sunglasses to give you further protection. I wore black Coach sunglasses I already owned so I could stay cute while climbing. 

While I was unable to use my iPod Touch frequently because of the inability to charge the battery, my iPod served as a great pick-me-up when we were trekking a particularly long stretch and I started going crazy because I had run out of thoughts to entertain myself. The six most played songs on my Kilimanjaro hike were:

1) Time by Hootie & the Blowfish-my favorite band of all time (they met at the University of South Carolina too!) and one of my favorite songs. This song always puts me in a good mood when I hear it, as do all Hootie songs.

2) Two Step by DMB-another upbeat 90’s hit. I am a 90’s music junkie and in my opinion no music compares to that of the 90’s! This song is a great pick-me-up and has one of my favorite song lyrics of all time, “Celebrate we will for life is short but sweet for certain.” 

3) The Climb by Miley Cyrus-incredibly cheesy, I am aware, however this song truly spoke to what I was doing and it provided me the motivation I needed to get through the experience.

4) Babylon by David Grey-I love this song because of the lyrics “let go of your heart, let go of your head, and feel it now.” Sometimes all you can do is just let go in a situation and completely immerse yourself in everything you are feeling in that moment.

5) United States of Pop 2009 by DJ Earworm-a mash up of all the most popular songs from 2009. It’s upbeat and gives you a good pace to walk to or workout to. Definitely a pump up song!

6) My Wish by Rascal Flatts-this song always makes me think of my loved ones, especially my younger sister and brother. When I was missing my family and wished I could talk to them and tell them I was okay while on the mountain I played this song.

Nikon Coolpix S8100

Back side of the Nikon Coolpix S8100

Nikon D40 D-SLR camera-I LOVE this camera!

My travel journal from Tanzania

My black Coach sunglasses

My beloved iPod Touch 3rd generation

Playing Doctor

Be prepared. ~Girl Scout & Boy Scout Motto

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.

Adventure Medical Kit

Icy Hot will ease your aches and pains on your hike

Otterbog watertight box to keep your valuables safe from rain

Maglite flash light

Cute colorful headlamps will be key to lighting your way

Tylenol Extra Strength Rapid Release Capsules will help headaches you may experience from altitude

Less is More

I love the confidence that makeup gives me. ~Tyra Banks

I’m going to preface this post by confessing to you that I am a girly girl. I love fruity smelling Nollie PacSun perfume, my Dior bronzer so I have some color even in December, and shimmery purple MAC eye shadow that gives my green peepers a pop. I also never leave my apartment without at least mascara on (my roommates will testify to that!).

Because I’m the type of girl who could get lost in Sephora for hours on end and be perfectly content, I would be lying to you if I told you I didn’t wear any make up on this trip. Because of space and lack of a sink to wash my face nightly, I kept the make up to a minimum.

You won’t have time every morning before you begin hiking to get glammed up like you would for a big date, so save yourself the packing space and temptation and pick five must-have cosmetic items.

My five must-have items on Kilimanjaro were my beloved $6 Maybelline Colossal Volum’ Express waterproof mascara, MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Tealo, Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil, and two Victoria’s Secret eye shadows in Champagne and Provocateur. All of these products are great because they’re small, mess-free, and can easily be cleaned off by facial cleansing towelettes.

Don’t forget an eyelash curler so that your lashes look lovely in all your pictures. Lastly, skip the pre-hike pedicure and manicure because it will last about as long as your 8th grade relationship. Save the mani-pedi combo for when you return from your Kilimanjaro adventure and your tootsies really need some TLC!

Follow these tips to stay glamorous while trekking Kilimanjaro, hiking and camping, lounging on the beach, or traveling in general!

Where are you girls going for spring break? What would be your five must-have items?

Must have Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara-I don't leave home without it

MAC Power Point Eye Pencil in Tealo makes my green eyes shine

Victoria's Secret Eye Shadow Compact

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil will brighten under eye circles

An eye lash curler is essential to giving lashes length

 

So Fresh and So Clean

Take a bath, ya hippie! ~Up!

Packing toiletries for hiking Mount Kilimanjaro might have been just as hard as climbing Kili itself. While my tour operator sent me a basic packing list of equipment and clothes, the only toiletries on that list were sunscreen and lip balm. Because a good list is so hard to come across, I want to share what I packed with you because us girls have to stick together when it comes to looking good!

What was the very first thing in my cute Vera Bradley toiletry kit, you ask? A tooth brush and tooth paste, of course. That should be the first thing you pack any time you go on any trip! Other necessities that followed closely after were my brush and hair ties to tame what would become my crazy mane, my favorite Olay Regenerist SPF 15 face lotion, and one of my essentials, Burts Bees Pomegranate Oil Lip Balm. Sun safety is incredibly important so don’t forget you SPF of at least 50!

Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it’s pretty important that you know this: there are no restrooms on Mount Kilimanjaro. The only form of bathroom you will find are rickety wooden outhouses (the fact that these smell so bad you would rather go in the woods is another story for another post). 

No restrooms on Kilimanjaro means two things for you: no toilets and no showers. First, because you will be using out houses or the woods, you absolutely must bring your own roll of toilet paper. Trust me, if you forget anything do not let it be the TP. 

The other implication of no bathrooms on Kili is that there are no showers. Yes, you will not shower for a week. Yes, you will probably smell by the end. Yes, you will agree to never discuss your dirty state with anyone after leaving that mountain.

I wouldn’t have looked half as decent without my Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes which kept my face fresh and oil free. If you’re the type of girl that works up a sweat when doing physical activity, Neutrogena Deep Clean Sport On-the-Go Cleansing Wipes would be perfect for you. In addition to working well, both of these wipes come in a re-sealable, plastic package so they don’t dry out and can be easily packed. 

To keep your body clean and to fight off funky smells, Wet Ones wipes are essential. Because they’re made for children, these antibacterial wipes come in both regular and sensitive formula in case you have sensitive skin. Wet Ones will keep your skin clean without drying you out or making you smell like rubbing alcohol.

Dry shampoo like TREsemme Fresh Start is a necessity to keeping your hair clean. Dry shampoo is a powder that absorbs oil and neutralizes odors to keep your hair looking and, more importantly, feeling fresh. Dry shampoo will keep your tresses looking beautiful so that when you look back at pictures on Kili you look like a movie star.

To keep yourself smelling so fresh and so clean, D.O. for the B.O. is a must! Secret Clinical Strength Sport deodorant kept my sweating to a minimum during a highly athletic activity. Do yourself and your trekking group a favor by applying this at least once a day while on Kili.

All of these products will keep you looking beautiful while you conquer the world’s fourth tallest mountain.

My Vera Bradley Toiletry Case

Favorite Olay Regenerist SPF 15 face lotion

The essential Burts Bees Pomegranate Oil Lip Balm-I'm addicted!

Neutrogena Cleansing Face Towelettes to keep your skin clean and glowing

Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes To Go

Give love to your locks with TREsemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo

Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant will keep you smelling like roses while you rough it!