The tallest mountain in Africa can be easily found on the wish-list of every mountaineering enthusiast. Thousands of tourists come to Tanzania solely for the purpose of Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing. But to summit this mountain, one need industrious preparation, and part of that is carrying adequate items.
While electronics are in no way mandatory to carry, they are nevertheless very much essential. They mostly provide companionship to trekkers and act as a friend, rather than just a trekking tool. Here are some of the electronic items you should consider packing in your bag:
There’s no denying that since its invention in 1973 by Motorola Corporation, mobile phone has transformed from a mere flamboyant electronic item to a valuable commodity which each of us use every single day. It’s almost as if we cannot live without it. You’re going to need it at the extreme elevations of Kilimanjaro too. Not because the law states so, but because you’ll want to capture some of the fascinating sceneries you’ll be coming across over there.
Whether you have plans of texting your friends from up there or let your family know about your progress, your personal mobile phone is what you’ll need. When you wake up in the morning for the trekking (some part of the trek starts as early as 2 AM), you’d want to know what time it is. And as always, it’ll be your phone that’s going to inform you about that.
One thing to keep in mind is that the signal will be poor to say the least. The porters and guides will come in good who possess the knowledge of where the signals will be at their best. So always seek their wisdom regarding this.
Even though you’ll be having your mobile at your disposal, maybe equipped with the best lenses, but it’ll still trail behind cameras when it comes to taking high quality shots. For clicking pictures, DSLRs are considered the best. Than a mobile camera or a point and shoot one, it has a bigger sensors and focal range. That means, you won’t have to compromise on focusing on a single object when you can have it all. They also have better sensitivity to light and can capture crystal-clear images in even the dimmest lights.
Just bear in mind that most DSLRs are heavy as they have many expensive and intrinsic lenses in them. So you have to carry them in your day pack. Generally it’s the lenses that determine the overall weight of the DSLR. So decide whether you’re going to top with the basic ones or want extras. Also you should have a dust-free bag to carry your camera. As it is snowy all the time, dust and snow particles can easily pass through the gaps. Hazy pictures are the last thing you’d want when you’ve done all the hard work.
To make the electronics work, you need a constant supply of energy. Without them, electronic items are nothing but a hunk of plastic. Even though both the equipment, camera, and mobile, have in-built batteries in them, it’ll drain off rather quickly up there in lower temperatures than it would in a normal environment. Furthermore, constantly clicking pictures and using mobile phones will accelerate that process.
In such scenarios, power banks will charge them up and save the day. Their capabilities are judged by a meter called mAh or a milliampere-hour. The more the mAh, the better the power bank in terms of providing power to run the electronics. In the marketplace, power banks upward of 11000 mAh are available. So go for the best ones. If you’re considering solar power banks, even better. You can charge it throughout your Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing and use it when required.
A pocket-sized mp3 player can come really handy in the altitudes of Kilimanjaro. At times it can get quite boring and sometimes all you need is a bit of motivation. Listening to your favorite artist humming your favorite tune can do exactly that. Even though you’ll have your mobile with you with all the songs, you’d want it to last longer. So wasting its energy on songs won’t do you any good. Having an mp3 player with the size of a finger like the Sony NWZ series or iPod nano.
But while packing electronics, one thing to keep in mind that not to overpack as most unsuccessful climbers tend to do. You’ll be trekking for seven or eight or nine straight days and you wouldn’t want a heavy bag around your shoulder or neck all the time. So decide whether you really want the items or you can even fare well without them.
While Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, you need an experienced helping hand to guide you through to the top. At Big Expeditions & Safaris, we work exclusively with experienced Kilimanjaro guides and potters who’ve mastered the art of trekking. Contact Us today for booking Kilimanjaro tours.
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