Spent a few hours at mec today trying on daypacks (amazing how they feel completely different when you shove some weighted bean bags into them!), hunting for insulated water bottles for summit night (no luck), trying on pants (no luck). I did buy a 55l waterproof stuff sack for the actual trek as another blogger had suggested. A duffle will do for the plane and to leave unneeded items at the hotel. I decided to wait until the winter clothing comes in for the fleeces I need and focus on the summer clothes (try to catch some sales).
My list for the trek is quite long. Some of the items I have from Peru: a headlamp, decent hiking boots, socks and a rain poncho, for example; some I have because I am Canadian: wooly underwear, hats and gloves. I'm renting a minus 20 sleeping bag, a down jacket and trekking poles so I don't have to lug them about on safari.
I am learning a lot along the way and that makes me happy. I met a cute young man at mec who looked at me differently when I explained I was going to Kilimanjaro. I find that interesting too, and in some ways gratifying. One minute, a middle-aged grey-haired woman and the next, an ageless bold adventurer who's climbing Africa's highest mountain, lol.
