Gorilla Trekking Clothing & Gear
Gorilla Trekking Clothing & Gear: Knowing the right kind of clothing to bring/wear for you gorilla trekking experience better prepares you for a successful Gorilla Trek. Bringing inappropriate gorilla trekking clothing can ruin your entire bucket list experience of trekking to see the amazing mountain gorillas. This page is an Essential for all persons intending to plan, book and go gorilla trekking. The tips & Advice mentioned herein on this page apply for both Uganda & Rwanda.
Generally speaking, gorilla trekking in Uganda & Rwanda involves trekking into high elevations of ± 1000 meters Above Sea level. The treks are not on maintained trails but rather involve cutting through tangled vegetation and enduring the slippery terrain to get to your day’s reward of coming face-to-face with the Mountain Gorillas. To do this, trekkers are advised to bring with them and wear the appropriate gorilla trekking clothing & gear we are about to mention below.
Bring & wear a set of breathable fast-dry trousers and long-sleeved shirt/blouse.
Any extra unnecessary weight while on the trek might ruin your entire gorilla trekking experience. Its why we emphasise “Lightweight”. The Pair of trousers and long-sleeved shirt/blouse will provide leg to arm protection of your body from thorny branches, vines and stinging nettles. Keep the colours of your clothing very mild (grey, brown and beige are recommended). See samples of recommended breathable fast-dry shirt and trouser.
Bring and wear lightweight waterproof hiking boots.
All Mountain gorillas reside in a tropical environment characterised by an unpredictable rain pattern. Because of this, the hiking trails are often wet and can be very slippery and soggy especially when it rains. It is for this reason that we like to advise travellers to bring and wear a pair of lightweight waterproof hiking boots so as to keep your feet dry through the hike. The hiking boots should be lightweight for much easier hiking, and comfortable to endure the long treks you might be involved in while trekking to see the mountain gorillas. For extra stability, we recommend bringing boots that go beyond your Ankles. These will protect you from spraining your ankle(s). You could alternatively consider getting a pair of ankle braces for extra protection. We recommend adding a thick-layered pair of long socks for extra comfort. It is also important to remember tucking your trousers into your socks, this sounds and may look unfashionable but it will protect you against fire ants. The bites from these ants will surely explain to you why we call them “fire Ants”.
Bring & wear a pair of gloves.
While many have written that their luxury golfing gloves were perfect for the job, we like to emphasise that you need thick-layer gloves. Remember this is not a fashion show, and the tips and advice given here to ensure you come out safe and unhurt. Bring your old pair (or buy a new one locally) of gardening gloves to protect your hands from the thorny branches, vines, and the stinging nettles of the forest.
Bring a rainjacket.
Because you are trekking Gorillas ina tropical rainforest where the weather can change from sunny to rainy anytime, we recommend packing and carrying a rain jacket on the trekking day. Ensure you bring a light-weight rain jacket (not your bulky Snow jacket) that can easily be packed and tucked away in your backpack. **A poncho too can be can serve the purpose.
Bring & wear a Hat on your trek (optional).
A hat is not essential on the trek, but if you have it ( or have the budget to buy one), we recommend bringing a wide-brimmed Aussie-style safari hat like this one. This will protect you from the scorching sun while on Safari or the falling bugs while on your gorilla trek.
**For travellers keen to travel whilst making a difference in the lives of locals, we recommend buying a hat from a local store.
Bring & wear Repellent
Wearing repellent might be your only saviour to getting bitten by bugs, and flying insects including malaria spreading mosquitoes. We recommend carrying repellent in your daypack. (See: Best Repellent for Gorilla trekking).
Besides Gorilla Trekking Clothing & gear, there is a vital list of Gorilla Trekking Gadgets we recommend bringing on your Gorilla safari to Uganda or Rwanda. We have listed these below. Feel free to make suggestions in case we have missed out on the list.
Top must-bring gorilla trekking gadgets
- Camera an all relevant accessories (Extra batteries, memory chips, chargers etc): Cameras a necessity for any once-in-a-lifetime experience like gorilla trekking. From our experience, we have learned that bringing the right camera plus accessories will give the right output – a good photograph. For persons who know a bit about cameras, we recommend having your telephoto lens on as it will allow more light in, and hence gives better photo out. For your general photographic needs, keep your phone (especially if iPhone) handy, cellphone camera does capture impressive shots.
- Bring a pair of Binoculars: Wondering if you will need binoculars to view a gorilla? I am certain not. But the binos are for viewing birds while you trek to the gorillas. Bwindi, Mgahinga, and volcanoes National parks have a varying list of bird species you might find amazing when viewed through your binos.
- Hard-drive: With a hard drive, you will be sure to have enough storage for your photographs.
- Tablet Computer: Tablet computers come in sizes, we recommend bring a small-comfortably sized tablet for you to download, view and sort your safari photos.
Packing Tips:
Depending on where you are coming from, your journey getting to Uganda might involve quite a number of flight connections which are often associated with lost, misplaced or delayed luggage. We recommend packing all your gorilla trekking Clothing & gear in your carry-on. This will enable your carry-on with your gorilla safari even when your luggage is delayed, misplaced or completely lost.