SOCIAL MEDIA

Adventure: Kilimanjaro planning (part 2)

You might think I'm crazy after reading this post!

This has been a high activity week for Africa prep.

Click here to read a list of gear already purchased... $1200USD

You get what you pay for: we are paying for two opportunities to summit, staying one night in the arctic zone (18,500 ft) and our summit hike will take 3-4 hours.  If we are feeling good and the weather is favorable I'm told we can stay up there for a while.  

I'm shocked when I see adverts to reach the summit for $2,000 or less.  I read one blogger's experience were he climbed 4,000 feet to the summit in one day, twelve hours of hiking!  He only spent a few minutes at the top and mentioned how painful the hike was..   


Shots & medication: This week I sat down with a travel doctor.  It was really interesting and he provided a lot of knowledge. I'm not to eat ANY uncooked vegetables in Africa, I guess it's a normal to use 'human matter' for fertilizer.... message received!

Shots received this week... 12!
Yellow Fever
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Typhoid
Rabies
Cholera
Influenza
Tetanus
Measles/Mumps/Rubella
Pneumococcal
Polio
Varicella

I walked out with six prescriptions, traveling with four:
Malaria
Ambien
Diamox (acute mountain sickness)
Cipro
Jungle medical kit

After I recover from the Yellow Fever, I will take the 'live typhoid' over four days.  I go back to the doctor on June 14 for one more set of vaccines and Typhoid sign off so I have valid CDC paperwork.

Bug control isn't an issue on the mountain but is on day one while in Arusha, and when we come back down for the Safari part of our trip.  We will travel with Deet, and our doctor's secret... Permetherin (an insecticide spray that works on gear for one week). 


Shopping: This week we paid for our rental gear, $600USD

Arctic Zone gear:
- Gore-Tex jackets and pants
- Down jackets
- Mittens
- Windstopper fleece gloves
- Insultated Mountain Mittens

Other:
- gaiters
- rain poncho
- sleeping bags
- sleep pad
- trekking telescopic poles

Gear for two: $1,800 to date with about $500 to go.

Life, it's happening!