The Essential Gear List: Backpack

There are severe weight restrictions on the mountain. For a full week, your weight allowance is 15kg. All things considered, that's not a huge amount. It becomes really important therefore that you pack your duffel with extreme care. Our tour company "Tribe Safari" has been exceptionally good at guiding us through exactly what we'll need for each stage of the journey and how to prioritise our packing. I've discovered that when people find out that the porters actually carry the bulk of our gear on the mountain (one porter can carry two duffel bags) and all we carry is a day-pack, they are considerably less impressed with us. Still, we haul around 7-10 kg every day, all day and in order to do that, you have to choose the right backpack. There is absolutely no space for extra luggage, only essentials are allowed; which actually when you think about it, is a pretty good life lesson.

The climb has received a fair amount of media attention and within our own communities there’s been hype and commentary from all quarters. For the most part, people have been overwhelmingly supportive. Conversations are marked with shared enthusiasm and excitement. The questions we are asked reflect genuine interest in both the climb itself as well as the ORT project which inspired the expedition in the first place. Yet, I’ve had a fair share of criticism directed my way too. I’ve been told that the trip is completely crazy and that my place as a wife and mother should actually be at home, with my family as my priority. I’ve been told that my participation is self-serving and that while it’s ok to have projects that fill my time, perhaps they should be less extreme, less selfish and more family oriented.

While I appreciate that mountaineering is not for everyone (shoot, I didn’t even know it was for me until three months ago), I can’t help but wonder if the disapproval has more to do with the critic’s own fears, uncertainties and regrets. If I had taken the censure to heart, I could possibly have felt angry, demotivated, doubtful. But when I look at our beautiful group of women, each one a bright, bold statement of how life can and should be lived, climbing for a cause that resonates so deeply, I  know that to let in the pessimism is to invite unwanted baggage on a trip where defeatism and negativity have no place. Just like overstuffing your back-pack, the extra weight will only burden you, causing you discomfort or pain and will serve no useful purpose whatsoever. I guess in life, when it comes to choosing what to take to heart and what to dismiss, the guidelines we follow when choosing and packing our backpacks hold firm. Carry the essentials; ditch the baggage.

Top tips for choosing and packing your back pack:

1)   Choose a pack that has the correct capacity. 35 litres is a good size for a Kili climb.

2)   Your pack should have a pocket that allows you to fit a hydration system (like a water bladder) with a tube that fits through the top of the bag for easy access to your drinking water.

3)   Padded hip straps are essential to shift the bulk of the weight away from your shoulders.

4)   Compression straps need to be adjustable to suit your torso length so that you have a snug fit.

5)   Airflow backing systems are fabulous for dispersing heat and providing added ventilation

6)   Removable splash covers allow you to keep your pack dry in case of rainy weather

7)   Pack light gear at the bottom, heavy gear at the top, to facilitate a good walking stance and take strain off the back

8)   Ditch the extra luggage, you won’t need it.

By Tali Frankel