Kilimanjaro Machame Route Guide – Day 0 Preparation Tips & Packing List
🌄 Background: Climbing a high mountain was my mom’s wish. Although neither of us had any mountaineering experience or proper gear, we decided to go while we’re still young!
🗺 The Machame Route, also known as the “Whiskey Route,” was our choice because of its diverse landscapes and scenic views 🏞—suitable even for beginners with no climbing experience. We opted for a 7-day itinerary with a private group of two for safety reasons, given our zero experience tackling a world-class peak. The key was to go “polé polé” (meaning “slowly” in Swahili). I’m sharing this series of posts in hopes of helping others who want to make the trip 🌈🌈.
**Travel Tips/Reminders:** (Will add more as I think of them)
🍵 **Water:** Not very convenient, but washing your face and wiping off sweat is manageable. After Day 1, drinking water comes from filtered spring water.
📶 **Signal:** Spotty on the mountain—usually available at camp checkpoints. Bring a physical book, download e-books/games, or jot down thoughts like I did.
Don’t forget power banks 🔋—20,000mAh is fine for airport security.
💪🏼 **Muscle Relief:** A massage ball helps relax legs and hips before sleep.
😮💨 **Breathing:** Practice diaphragmatic breathing—it helps.
🧗🏻♂️ **Trekking Poles:** Very useful; rentable locally.
💝 **Fitness Tracker:** A sports watch/band to monitor blood oxygen and heart rate is handy (though guides have finger-clip monitors too).
🌡 **Temperature:** No thermometer—relied on guides or personal feel, so not precise.
🎒 **Team Setup:** Our team had 2 guides and 8 porters (including 1 cook, 1 server, and 1 toilet attendant). Guides led and trailed, while porters left later (packing up) and arrived earlier (setting up camp + meals)—hard work!
🥪 **Food:** Meals were prepared by the cook. We’re open to all cuisines, but the cook followed a Western menu with East African twists. Limited fresh veggies meant some dishes used canned/pre-made ingredients. Highly recommend bringing instant noodles and pickled veggies (by Day 3, we craved soup noodles).
Even bagged noodles can be torn open and steeped in hot water!
🚾 **Toilet:** A crucial topic. Porters carry portable toilets and set them up at camp (hygiene can be an issue for larger groups). Public camp toilets exist but aren’t clean (though you might not care by then). Porters clean the toilet daily after we leave—tough job.
On the trail? Guides suggest drinking 3L of water daily, so you’ll need to pee—learn to embrace nature, regardless of gender (holding it for hours isn’t an option).
🧑🏿👩🏿 **Safety:** Stay cautious, but Tanzanians are generally friendly. Street vendors may approach, but a firm “no” works.
🎁 **Souvenirs:** For crafts, check Yiwu/Taobao.
Postcards are cheaper at the post office (near a roundabout). Tanzanian honey, coffee, and handmade soap can be bought at the airport duty-free before departure.
