Kilamangaro

tilting tim

Hi all, my friend (female) is going climbing Kilamangaro. This may be the wrong place for this but was going to buy her an Xmas present for it and was looking for ideas. Budget of around 100. She's climbing in March if that makes a difference and it's her first big climb so doesn't own much gear I'd say.

SomeFool

Down gillet would be useful maybe, or a maybe a soft shell jacket if she dosen't have one. Just ideas of course, tk max is good from time to time but always have a look for a review online for anything you might buy.

Sev

A down jacket,

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16342&category_id=301

Would be a great thing to have on Kili, for summit day, and generally wearing around camp. If it doesn't exceed the budget.

Soft-shell pants are great for any hike/climb in the cold/wet. These are often good value in the Patagonia store in Dublin.

http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/womens-alpine-guide-pants?p=83710-0-155

If she's going on Safari while there, a pair of binoculars would be useful for animal spotting.

jamfer

I climbed Kilimanjaro in September and I concur with the advice given thusfar, a down jacket is the best bet. I got mine in TOG24 in Kildare Village for €91. It was great for the evenings in camp from night 1 onwards and was invaluable for summit night.

I wore it each evening in camp and used it in my tent each night to cover my shoulders and head as I slept cause I found the mummy sleeping bag too constrictive.

The other thing that was invaluable was a headlamp. I got a Petzl one for €70, it was way more than my companions paid but it was coveted cause you could see the ground ahead as you trekked. The €10 and €20 ones my friends had struggled to illuminate the way.