Rehydration

In high-altitude trekking and mountaineering difficulty in adjusting clothing to weather conditions, levels of exertion and respiratory fluid loss from hyperventilation in dry cold air commonly causes dehydration.

Dehydration at high altitude increases the likelihood of altitude sickness, hypothermia and frostbite.  So you should drink at every opportunity and learn to gauge hydration by volume and colour of urine (it should be a light yellow straw colour).

Only clean water should be used for fluid replacement, so the use of water purification drops or a water filter should also be considered and keep a mental note of how much water you drink during the day.    

Fitting your backpack

Correct fitting is very important to the comfort and fit of a backpack, it’s not simply a matter of throwing the pack on your back and fastening all the straps.

Improper backpack fit can also lead to poor posture and can lead risk for backpack-related injuries and discomfort.

Also, backpacks with tight, narrow straps that dig into the shoulders can interfere with circulation and nerves.

These types of straps can contribute to tingling, numbness, and weakness in the arms and hands. Select a backpack designed for the activity you are undertaking and download our backpack fitting info sheet.

Packing your backpack

Even the best backpack available if packed badly can be uncomfortable and even lead to more serious problems. Here are the key points to making you backpack work for you;

Get Organised
Lay your kit out before you pack it, this will make you more aware of where items are packed. Pack your sleeping bag in the bottom of your pack along with any additional lightweight items you don’t need during the day. Cluster related small items together in colour coded or labeled bags, if you are carrying fuel make sure it is adequately sealed. Split the weight of large communal items, with others in your group, so spreading the load. Keep often used and emergency items where you can get to them (ideally in the lid pocket), this includes your map and compass, phone, emergency contact information and first aid kit.

Keeping Dry
Most backpacks are not waterproof even if they have a rain cover they still tend to get wet after a period in the rain, so you will need to use a waterproof liner with all your kit inside it or use individual dry-bags for different groups of kit. If you are using individual bags you may want to write on them what they contain i.e. WATERPROOFS so it makes it easy to find what you are looking for. Also remember that sleeping bag compression sacks are not normally waterproof either so you will need to place your sleeting bag inside a dry-bag or use a waterproof compression sac.

Hydration Options
Most packs today are hydration compatible, this means they will accommodate a water bladder and have an access point to feed a drinking tube through to the outside of your pack. If your going to a cold environment you may consider using a wide mouth drinking bottle with a tube conversion kit and insulated tube sleeve, which enables you to drink from the bottle if the tube freezes.

Sleeping Bag Ratings

Selecting the right sleeping bag for your trip can be very confusing and expensive if you make a mistake. Labelling by sleeping bag manufacturers can be unclear and the rating identification system can be confusing ‘COMFORT RATING’ ‘LOWER LIMIT’ and ‘EXTREME RATING’ what do they all mean?. Shop staff also seem to get confused when giving advice; so we have produced a short and simple guide to selecting the right sleeping bag for your trip. Feel free to download and print it, to help you in making the right decision.

Kilimanjaro Top Tips

Advice on Training, Kit Bags, Dry Bags, Clothing, Packing, Drinking, Medical and the Summit Day.

Training – Spending time on your feet will help you get through get through your Kilimanjaro experience. Do at least one 4 hour walk every week to supplement your training and then build it up to 5 or 6 hours and use the boots you’re going to wear on your trek. Ideally get two long hikes in per week for the last four weeks.

Exped Synmat

At Outdoorhire we favour the Exped Synmat 7 Pump insulated sleeping mat which offers warmth, comfort, low weight and compact packed size.

We have used these mats on trips to Kilimanjaro, Toubkal and Greenland and found them to be easy to use and pack, but more importantly really comfortable, helping to get a good nights sleep, an important factor when your at altitude.

Here is a short video from EXPED which shows you how to inflate and deflate the mats using their built in pump and also how to pack them away.

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