Mt. Kilimanjaro Porters
Find out about the people who carry your luggage up the mountain.
Give Gifts As a Tip
Many trekkers on Kilmanjaro not only give money as tips, but many of them give their sleeping bags, jackets, hats, gloves, tents, watches, and just about anything else you can imagine. Is this a good thing? Some say yes, others say no.
Many of the porters were extremely tattered clothes while climbing Kilimanjaro. You will feel bad for them, dont’ get me wrong. Occasionally you find some with out shoes, many with out jackets, and many without the basics for climbing the mountain. When tourists leave, it’s not uncommon to leave a jacket you paid $150 for in the United States, thinking that the porter will use it in the future - and always be warm going up the mountain. You did your good deed.
Date: August 29th, 2006 |
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Be kind to your porters
This is a photo of our porter Haji. He carried all the “rescue/safety” equipment on the Tusker Trail & Safari trek my son and I took in 04’. This included oxygen, stretcher, artificial pressure chamber and first aid supplies. I was 53 when we reached the roof of Africa and for whatever reason; Haji was my wingman, always 15 feet behind me, not my 17 year old son. Hmmm, maybe it was the graying hair…
I couldn’t speak Swahili to Haji other than, Jambo (hello), asante sana (thank you) and karibu (your welcome). Over …
Date: August 17th, 2006 |
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Who Gives the Best Tips?
As expected, Americans usually give the best tips, and are most concerned about it, while climbing Kilimanjaro. The other “good tippers” are the Canadians, English, Australians, Kiwis, and perhaps the odd South African.
Conversly, known to be the worst tippers are the Germans, Russians, French and Tanzanians. Most likely, it’s just a cultural norm.
I once had an assistant guide tell me that he carried a German’s bag for 7 days up the mountain, and afterwards, he gave him $5. He was pretty upset, as many of them rely on the tip, more than what they are getting paid from the …
Date: May 19th, 2006 |
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Kilimanjaro Porters Singing
At usually the first camp on Kilimanjaro, and even the last day when you are about to tip, the porters get together and sing a song for the tourists. Here is some amateur video that recorded the porters singing.
Listen and Watch the Porters
Date: March 15th, 2006 |
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How Many Porters?
Quite often, people want to know how many porters will be on their climb. A going average is about 2.5 porters per client on the mountain. That means, if you have a group of 5, you will have about 13 porters. This is really good to know when you start factoring tips on the mountain. If you have a big group, you have quite a few porters to tip out.
Don’t forget - you will also have a lead guide, an assistant guide, and a cook or two. Sometimes porters double-up as cooks.
Date: December 1st, 2005 |
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Tipping Your Crew - Another Lesson on Tipping on Kilimanjaro
It always seems like people are more worried about tipping on the mountain, than actually the experience of climbing Mount Klimanjaro. Let’s not worry about our gear, or the weather, or our tents, but let’s worry about how much to tip. I think it’s just an American concern.
Since I have covered this question on another tipping post, I thought I would remind everyone how much you can spend on a tip - the total amount with everyone included.
Date: August 23rd, 2006 |
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Kilimanjaro Guides Scam
There is a certain weight limit for porters going up the mountain. In order to pass through the gate, they must weigh the bags being carried up the mountain. This ensures that the tourists see the porters are getting treated fairly, with companies not putting way too much weight on the them - and not skimping on their labor costs.
But for those of you savy enough, on both the Marangu and the Machame route, within a few miles of the trailhead, you can actually sometimes see porters taking off their gear, giving it to one of the other porters, and …
Date: June 21st, 2006 |
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Porter Safety on Kilimanjaro
In November of 2002, 3 porters died on Kilimanjaro because of lack of communication and inadequate clothing, all things which could have been prevented. Each year, a number of porters die (and tourists) - falling on the mountain, hypothermia, High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, and a myriad of other reasons.
This article, although a few years old, “Deaths on Kilmanjaro Raise Concern About Porter Safety,” really paints a picture on how and why porters end up in trouble. Ken Stober quote really sums it up, “If we can get everyone educated, then people will be policing themselves—like making sure your …
Date: March 18th, 2006 |
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The Poor Porter
It’s kind of a tough mental debate when you are climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. You just bought your fancy new $150 jacket, an expensive sleeping bag, and paid a bunch of money to climb the mountain. Here is your porter, carrying your gear to the top of the mountain, for minimal wages. He is usually not dressed in mountain clothes, but more or less just regular cotton clothes, not made for the mountain . Sometimes he might be wearing just sandles and have no jacket.
After your climb, being a thoughtful person, you decide that you want to help out a …
Date: December 2nd, 2005 |
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Carrying Bags
At each of the park entrances, right as you start the ascent of the mountain, you will usually see a long line of porters with all the random gear they are carrying for the next week. Each bag is weighted before the porters starts to walk up the mountain. Porters are suppose to carry gear that is less than 25kg/55pounds - excluding their food and clothing. This is awful lot of weight and there is definitely some porters who are carrying more. If you have a porter pass you with a lot of weight, say “Pole” which also …
Date: October 21st, 2005 |
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