Kilimanjaro porters

Kilimanjaro Porters – the actual unacclaimed champions during a Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing Tour. This group of hard-working individuals will dash past you carrying 20 kg of luggage strapped to their backs while cracking you up with laughter along the way.

From the post to the summit, Kilimanjaro Porters go! While loaded with your goods, camping equipment, utensils, and food, ensure that you only have to carry your essential daypack to Uhuru Peak.

Nonetheless, it won't be wrong to say that the contribution of Porters is immense towards every climber. Let’s know about these unsung heroes in detail.

Role of Kilimanjaro Porters

The primary role of Mount Kilimanjaro Porters is to carry all the equipment that is required for Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. This not only includes personal pieces of equipment but also sleeping bags, tents, food, medical kits, portable toilets, and the trash that will be generated along the climbing routes.

• Once you reach the campsite, it’ll be time to set up. Porters will assist you in this aspect and set up tents, portable toilets, and sleeping bags/inflatable pads.
• Kilimanjaro Porters are also in charge of sanitizing all the water which is used for cleaning, cooking, and drinking.
• Moreover, they also the cooks prepare and serve food and clean the utensils afterward.
• As you climb higher up the mountain, the porters will encourage and cheer you on and offer positive support along the way.

Ace Suggestions – Passing through the high altitude zone is the course of action on Kilimanjaro Tours. And at some point, you will have to rely on porters for performing tasks that you may not be able to do, everything from tying your shoelaces to repairing your footwear. Thus, Climbing Kilimanjaro Without Porters is a virtually impossible task.

How Many Kilimanjaro Porters Does One Require?

The average number of porters that you will need for a Kilimanjaro Climb is 2 or 3 per climber. A typical rule of thumb in terms of Mount Kilimanjaro Porters is the more climbers – the less the number of porters.

• If you pick the 7 Days Marangu Route for your climbing voyage, then you won’t need many porters.
• The reason behind this is that the Marangu Route has huts so you won’t the assistance of porters for carrying tents.

Though, on other Kilimanjaro Climbing Routes where tents are essential, 2-3 porters per climber are general. This is because the porters will carry all the camping equipment up the mountain.

How Much Can Porters Carry on Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro Climbing Tours would certainly be very impractical if you had to drag all of the heavy luggage up the mountain by yourself. Thankfully, every tour up the mountain includes a dedicated team of pros – the Kilimanjaro Porters that will take all the weight of shoulders, literally!

• The weight of the bag of a climber should not exceed the weight limit of 15 kg (33 lbs.), to be fair to the porters.
• Since the porters carry bags on their heads and shoulders, you should only consider a soft bag with smooth sides with no metal frames.
• Remember that even if a porter is keen to carry more than the weight limit, ensure that they refrain from doing so.

Key Note – The total weight of all gear and supplies decreases as food supplies get used up, so responsible climbing operators will make sure to re-distribute the weight fairly among the crew of porters every morning.

How much do Kilimanjaro Porters get paid?

The minimum wage that’s recommended for Kilimanjaro Porters is 20,000 Tanzanian Shilling (Tsh) per day, i.e. about $8.54. When in search of a Kilimanjaro Climbing Package, if you come across one whose costs seem too good to be true, you can rest assured that Porter’s welfare is the first aspect that will suffer.

Tipping Kilimanjaro Porters And Guides doesn’t have a clear-cut answer as it’s a way of appreciation that doesn’t have a price tag. Though there’s a recommended amount.

Here is the standard procedure when it comes to Kilimanjaro Tipping Guide for porters and guides.

Pro Insight – For transparency among the members of the mountain crew, it’s suggested to collect all your tips and hand them out individually to the deserving members, rather than putting someone else in charge.

Some Words on the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project

The Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) is an organization that was established in 2003. It was registered as a Tanzanian non-profit organization whose chief goal is to improve the working conditions of the Kilimanjaro Porters.

Because porters will do everything they can to make your trek successful, you should keep some local currency with you. This will help in tipping them. This will leave them with great appreciation and joy. Or you could make the extra effort and make them a thank you card – which will go a long way! We recommend tipping porters around $5 (per day) for your Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing adventure.

The Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project intends to improve the working conditions of Kilimanjaro Porters by:

• Providing mountain-appropriate clothing for the porters (without charges)
• Making sure they get ethical conduct and fair wages
• Providing educational prospects

How can you contribute to Kilimanjaro Porters fair treatment?

To make sure that there remains no porter mistreatment on Mount Kilimanjaro, there are some things that you can do. The first one is making sure to book Kilimanjaro Climbing Packages that focus on ethical conduct. Even though it may be tempting, it’s never ethical to book a cheap trip that forgoes responsible practices.

Furthermore, when you’re conducting research for the best Kilimanjaro Tours, ask questions to the climbing operator you plan to choose and let them know that you are concerned with the ethical treatment of porters. Plus, it never hurts to ask about how they address this and what certain policies they have in place.

Unsung heroes of your voyage to Uhuru – Kilimanjaro Porters!

Without the presence of Kilimanjaro Porters, climbing to the top of the otherworldly Uhuru Peak would have certainly been a distant dream. But these unsung heroes have made the prospect of climbing the highest free-standing mountain in the world a possibility for climbing enthusiasts from every corner of our planet.

Thus, make sure you do your bit, and pick a responsible climbing operator and a Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing Package that emphasizes affirmative action in terms of porters’ welfare and put a bright smile on the faces of these freaks of nature!