Advice on gear

jamfer

I'm off to climb Kilimanjaro soon and I'm struggling on what to wear on summit night.

I have a Gore Tex jacket which I guess I could wear 2 or 3 fleeces under - would that do?

For my bottom half I have a pair of Nike Ski pants that are Gore Tex - I also have a pair of fleece pants which I was intending to wear under them. Again would that do?

I'm told that the it'll be between 6 and 8 hours of a climb in -20 temperatures to get from the last camp to the top.

If those options aren't on please advise what is thanks.

The Black Oil

I don't have experience in that part of the world, but I'm not sure about mostly relying on fleeces. What's your base layer, closest to your skin?

Whitehawk

jamfer wrote: »

I'm off to climb Kilimanjaro soon and I'm struggling on what to wear on summit night.

I have a Gore Tex jacket which I guess I could wear 2 or 3 fleeces under - would that do?

For my bottom half I have a pair of Nike Ski pants that are Gore Tex - I also have a pair of fleece pants which I was intending to wear under them. Again would that do?

I'm told that the it'll be between 6 and 8 hours of a climb in -20 temperatures to get from the last camp to the top.

If those options aren't on please advise what is thanks.

ive only been a few times down to temps of -15 to -20

top half - i would say from my exp, this is what id go with,
working from layer close to body out
base layer that is fleece (hally hancen) do a very good one
then my personl choice is a power strech t-shirt very nice to deal with sweet and cold and even warm weather at time not that matters here
then year 2 fleeces - id go with a micro fiber one and a thicker one,
then you jacket!
so that you dont feel "fat" and i mean by fat as in bulky you need to keep your layers warm but thin materal, id even look to swap out the think fleece for something as warm but thinner, if you want some more info on options here let me know and ill look though all my kit and giveyou some names etc as i have alot of this stuff

on to bottom
same as top (sort of long jons i think they sue to be called) base layer that is fleece (hally hancen)have same make in this
then my choice is a power strech bottems next this seems to work well for me, but you could just use some sort of ther proformece one
i would layer my socks in between both of these layers to protect feet. then your water proof bottoms etc.

some hi end out door shops like in dublin i know great out doors will have some ppl that have been there and done lots of stuff like that id talk to them as well to get extra adive really you need to get lots of info and then find out what suits you best,
i have a m8 that dose same stuff with me in same temps but just waits a old wool jummper big hevy jacket etc and never seems to feel the cold!

Sev

I believe two fleeces should suffice. You should not get too cold on the climb to the summit because you will be constantly moving, so one fleece should probably suffice then. But you'll get cold if you reach the summit before the sun comes up and you stop moving.

A better (though more expensive option) is to carry a down jacket, or lightweight synthetic insulation belay jacket to whip out and throw over you when you stop moving and start getting cold.

See for example:

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16341&category_id=300

or

http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/das-parka-special?p=19035-1-984

(You can get this in the patagonia shop in town, but it's expensive)

or

http://www.mountain-equipment.co.uk/the_gear/clothing/insulation/lightline_jacket---277/

(you should also find this on sale in outdoor shops in dublin, but it's also expensive)

Either way, gloves are important.

jamfer

Thanks for the advice and alternatives.

I bought a down jacket with a hood. I got it for €81 in Tog 24 in Kildare. It'll be snug round camp in the evenings and will pack small.

I got a lend of some softshell waterproof trousers.

I'll post back how they all worked out.

Sev

Cool, that's a good price for a down jacket, especially with a hood. You'll use it again and again when you go hiking or camping so it's a good investment. It's handy to have an item of clothing that's light, packs down very small, that you can simply throw over a t-shirt and then go walking around outside in winter.

http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/articles/view/feather_facts <-- a good article about down

Take care of it though. Don't store it in it's compressed state or the down will lose it's loft. Also, don't wear it in the rain, wet down loses it's loft and insulation value. It's really unlikely for it to be raining on summit morning, but if you have to wear it in the rain, wear it under your hard shell/rain jacket.

http://andy-kirkpatrick.com/articles/view/wet_down_how_to_cope

Soft-shell trousers are great. However soft-shell isn't waterproof. If it rains heavily they will still get soaked. They're marketed as "water resistant", whatever that means. But does it really matter if your legs get wet? These days I dispense with waterproof leggings and just wear soft-shell. They are a nice thickness for the kind of temperature/climate you will be in, I use them for winter climbing and the alps.

http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/articles/view/the_best_softshell_in_the_world <-- good article about soft shells

Sounds like you're all set. A wooly hat might be a good idea too and a pair of moderately thick gloves/mitts.

A pair of thin silk or power-stretch liner gloves like these

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/site/pl_base_gloves_m_s.html

are a good idea to wear under a thicker pair of gloves or mitts. It means your hands won't get cold if you need to take them out of your gloves/mitts to use your camera. Again, this is only a handy tip, not essential.

Coeus

Hey, I'm doing Kili early next year and I'll going be for layers. I have been upto to Everest Base Camp and did a few predawn hikes there where it started at -15 and I was fine without a down jacket...

For the under layers I had unders made from merino. I used 2 for uppers, 1 for lowers. I wore 2 fleeces (1 medium tog and 1 windbreaker) on top and I had a hiking pants for lowers. I wore 2 pairs of heavy hiking socks. A good hat is obligatory and a pair of gloves, I got on fine with the stuff I wear here in the winter. I'll bring my wets in my backpack and put them on if its colder than I expect...

Its always cold starting off but you'll warm up once you start walking, just make sure you eat breakfast if it be called that at midnight. Oh and drink plenty of water. I've already invested in an insulated camelbak and drinking tube...

jamfer

Well, I'm back. I made it all the way to Uhuru Peak in 2 base layers, 1 fleece and the down jacket on top and 3 layers + wind proofs on the bottom.

It was cold as hell for much of the ascent as we began at 2am local time.

Loved the whole experience and would readily and heartily recommend it as a great thing to do.