Know what to bring for Mt Rwenzori hiking in Uganda
Hiking and Climbing to the summit of Mount Rwenzori is one of the most difficult adventures in Kasese Uganda, hiking to the top of mount Rwenzori takes you through up and down train because it is a mountain range which is not the same case when hiking other regular mountains in Uganda were going up to the summits you only climbing which means is that hiking Mt Rwenzoris is harder even if it has the highest peak Margherita and Mount Stanley ranks third highest mountain in Africa so going for such adventure must be a very brave person and it is very important that you know all the essential to pack and all other things you will need. Below is a full list of What to bring for Mt Rwenzori hiking.
Highlights of what to bring for Mt Rwenzori hiking and other mountains in Uganda
- Waterproof Walking/hiking Boots
- 2 Pairs of Waterproof Garden Hand Gloves
- Waterproof Ankle Gaiters
- Insect Repellant
- Energy giving Snacks
- Few Packets of Wet Wipes
- Sunscreen
- Your own sleeping bag
- Large duffle bag for all your stuff
- Small backpack bag
- Carry some T-shirts
- Ski Jacket is recommended
- Body Belt
- Pair of Trekking Pants/trousers
- A Pair of Trekking Poles is recommended
- Few pairs of socks
- Waterproof Rain Poncho
- Travel Medium Towel
- Cleaning Essentials
- Lip Balm for ladies
- Tissue/Toilet Pepper
- Malaria Tablets
- Your Regular Medication and other Extra Medication
- Plasters / Adhesive Dressing
- Headlamp
- Ice Axe (if hiking to the top of the summit)
- Crampons (if hiking to the top of the summit)
- Scarf to warm your Neck (Neck warmer
Here is a complete detailed list of what to bring for Mt Rwenzori hiking and Climbing Packing list
1. Your own sleeping bag?
As you prepare for the Mt Rwenzori hike you must take note that nights in the Rwenzori mountains are very cold so it is worth buying yourself a quality sleeping bag to keep you warm at night because of the high altitude, if you are hiking to the top of Mt Rwenzori mountains we would recommend that you bring a sleeping bag with a minimum rating of -10 degrees Celsius (15 degrees Fahrenheit) for you to enjoy this amazing hike.
2. Large duffle bag for all your stuff?
We really recommend this large duffle bag because it helps you to carry all put your stuff in one big duffle bag, this makes to work of porters is easy who carry yours, the duffle bag must be big enough but again not exceeding 20kgs to carry all your thing which includes sleeping bags, clothing, and other personal items you might need while up in the mountain.
3. Small backpack bag?
It is also nice to have a small or medium backpack bag for carrying your important personal items like cameras, phones, laptops, travel documents, and other personal items. This backpack must be lightweight backpack because any extra weight is a huge deal on long hikes like Mt Rwenzori, please also remember to bring a rain cover, and also a side mesh for your water bottle is highly recommended because it reduces the weight strain.
4. Carry some T-shirts?
When traveling T-shirts are always recommended because they take little space and are also easy to dry off when you need them, this is one of the reasons why carrying some T-shirts to use during your safari in Africa.
5. Ski Jacket is recommended?
In the case of Mt Rwenzori, If you planning to hike up to mount baker, or Stanley we recommend that you bring a ski jacket for the snow and ice, the ski jacket must be water resistant in the order to do the job well.
6. Body Belt
A body belt is good to keep your valuables like money, travel documents, and other small personal items as much as it isn’t very comfortable but it is a very safe and easy way of keeping your most valuable items on you.
7. Pair of Trekking Pants/trousers?
1 or 2 pairs of trekking trousers to use during your hike will be a nice thing to bring with you, for those who love wearing shorts, you can bring some zip-off pants/trousers which you can easily convert into shorts to make you comfortable. For those who love jeans, it is not recommended because jeans can easily soak up a lot of water during the hike and also takes a long time to dry which you may not like if rains as you hike up to Rwenzori.
8. A Pair of Trekking Poles are recommended?
Trekking pol will help you to support your joints as you hike up and down the Rwenzori mountain ranges, these trekking poles help you to reduce strain on your joints by some good percentage which is a nice thing to have on the hike to Rwenzori, it is recommended that you choose a lightweight pole that can easily be adjusted in height in order to help.
9. Few pairs of socks?
Hiking to the summit of the Rwenzori mountains requires a daily hike with a minimum of about 4 to 5 hours so you need to pack a few pairs of socks because you may need to change a pair of socks each day during the hike but also some times during cold nights as you reach farther up in the mountain as you approach the summits you will surely need a pair of clean sock to keep you warm.
10. Waterproof Rain Poncho?
A rain poncho is very handy because it will provide the best rain cover for both you and your backpacker bag. Rain Poncho works well because it is also lightweight, waterproof, and easy to be folded into a tiny package without the need first wait for it dry.
11. Waterproof Walking/hiking Boots?
If you are really a hiker the first thing to tick on your list of what to bring for Mt Rwenzori hiking/climbing is done on foot so a good hiking boot is worth investing in because a good hiking boot is the only way of getting up in the mount Rwenzori.
12. Waterproof Ankle Gaiters?
Rwenzori hiking takes you through the muddy areas as you also cross rivers and streams which is part of the experience of hiking mount Rwenzori so a pair of good waterproof ankle gaiters to keep the mud and the water away from your shoes will be really a nice thing to have on your packing list.
13. 2 Pairs of Waterproof Garden Hand Gloves?
Garden hand gloves are very good it will protect your hands and fingers from the very cold weather up in the mountain.
14. Cleaning Essentials.
It is also recommended to bring your own cleaning Essentials like Toothbrush and Toothpaste, Soap, and deodorant among others, these cleaning essentials you can bring from your home or buy them here in Uganda before you start hiking.
15. Travel Medium Towel?
This kind of towel is really good because it can easily dry fast and you can as well use it to dry your face and hands after rain.
16. Few Packets of Wet Wipes?
We recommend that you bring wipes or buy them here before you start hiking because once you start you will sweat a lot so in this case, wipes will be helpful.
17. Tissue/Toilet Pepper?
Before you start hiking toilet tissue is always provided but some people have, their own choice of tissue and toilet paper so if you are one of those people please remember to bring extra because it’s better to have extra than run out while up in the mountain.
18. Lip Balm for ladies?
For ladies and some men who may need this lip balm, it is recommended because once you start hiking up higher and higher in the Rwenzori mountains some people get dehydrated which can cause chapped lips so lip balm will help moisturize the chapped or dry lips, this can work for both women and men.
19. Insect Repellant?
For all our clients we recommend that you bring insect repellant and if you forget it will have to buy it here before you start the trip, This is because mosquito bites are not nice at all but also there are other insects as you reach up in the mountain so the insect repellant will keep the insects away as you enjoy the hike.
20. Sunscreen?
This will help to protect your skin from direct sun during the hike but it is advisable to try and bring sunscreen that is sweat resistant because the hike makes you sweat all the time.
21. Malaria Tablets?
Malaria is a common disease in Africa, as you plan your African trip it is recommended to first visit your personal doctor to advise you on the possible way of not getting it while you are on your African trip.
22. Your Regular Medication and other Extra Medication?
Some people do have other regular medication so we remind them not to forget it because some of them it is very hard to get the same medicine once you have started the hike so it is advisable to always first visit your doctor for advice.
23. Plasters / Adhesive Dressing?
Hiking to the summit of Mt Rwenzori requires you to climb for a few hours each day which can sometimes lead to blisters that need to be properly treated with good quality plasters and bandages just in case you need it.
24. Energy giving Snacks?
The good hiker needs good energy giving snacks to give you that extra bit of energy to push harder at that point when your body starts to get tired, Hiking a mountain like Mt Rwenzori is not an easy thing to do for most people especially those who are not experienced hikers.
25. Headlamp?
As you plan to hike mount Rwenzori, it’s to keep in mind that there is no electricity on Mountain so a torch or headlamp is the main source of light at night, we recommend a headlamp because leaves your hand free compared to a torch which you have to keep holding in your hands.
26. Ice Axe (if hiking to the top of the summit)?
For those who are hiking to the top of summit Mount Stanley and baker depending on which trail you use to the peaks, all go through the snow for you to reach the top so an ice axe is the perfect snow tool to help as you hike up and down. You may not have to bring it from your country because you can easily hire one from here before the start of the hike.
27. Crampons (if hiking to the top of the summit)?
For stability when in the snow we recommend that you wear crampons on your hiking shoes, this crampon are very good as you hike in the snow-capped areas towards the peak of mount Baker or Stanely, the best Crampons when hiking Mt Rwenzori are marked as C2 and C3 so when buying them please remember that.
28. Scarf to warm your Neck (Neck warmer)?
It is always nice to keep yourself warm while you are up there in the mountain so carrying a scarf or neck warmer for your neck is one of the small things that you need to add to your packing list.
In conclusion what to bring for Mt Rwenzori hiking
This is our proposed packing list for hiking mount Rwenzori which is meant to help you prepare well for your hiking trip to Uganda East Africa but you can always reach out to us for any further information you may need or if you have any questions about hiking mount Rwenzori, gorilla tracking and other wildlife safaris in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya DR-Congo, Kenya and Tanzania we are always at your disposal
You can as well reach us at info@kisorotoursuganda.com or call us at +256785790925 and also on WhatsApp for a free quote or any other enquires you may need to make.
