You’re about to hike 45 miles up and down a 19,341-foot peak over about 7 days and 7 nights. How important would you consider the tents where you’ll spend your nights?
The short answer – they’re critically important. Comfortable, dry, secure shelters are essential because any lapse in quality is just another obstacle between you and Uhuru peak.
So, we challenge ourselves to provide the BEST tents on our treks – equipment on the cutting edge that gives you every advantage.
Reviewing the latest shelter options was a big project for us this year. The folks in the US office and Kili’s guides, staff and managers shopped, compared, assessed and fiddled for weeks to find something newer, sleeker and better, and we’ve finally made our choice.
Big Agnes is the next big thing on Kili
Big Agnes tent on right with more space. (Cots are a feature on the Grand Traverse trek, or, upgrade your tent on any trek).
Big is a key word here. Our previous tent was 48 square feet, while the new Big Agnes tent is a roomy 61 square feet. That’s a 27% increase in space – the difference between a 3-person and a 4-person setup. Yet we’re continuing to assign just two trekkers per shelter – no rubbing elbows with other trekkers while you’re resting for a summit bid!
Those space gains come at almost no weight or packing expense either. We don’t sacrifice efficiency. That means porters transporting equipment are in for a seamless transition from the old shelters to the new.
And how reliable are these new shelters? The Big Agnes Flying Diamond (our tent choice) has an ironclad reputation at Everest Base Camp. It has proven itself in the mountaineering world’s greatest extremes.
Greater space, stellar packing efficiency and a glowing track record will make this shelter the new gold standard on Kili.
A Note about Big Agnes
We’d like call attention to our tent’s makers, too! Big Agnes helped us design a unique shelter in the past – our upgraded Grand Traverse tents – and we’ll receive the same specialized support for this project.
We share many of the same interests as well. Focus on wildlife and environmental protection, design driven by sustainable and ethical considerations, a deep appreciation for the world’s different lands and cultures – it was important that we find a partner with those same views, and we did.
Here’s to providing the latest and greatest tents on Kili!
