This short little section for women ONLY was written by a woman who has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro because let’s face it, for us women, things are a little different. So here are a few helpful things to think about while planning your Kili climb :)

A pee bottle for middle of the night calls of nature

You might want to bring along a pee bottle that you can use should you need to urinate during the night. When you're high up on the mountain, the very last thing you want to do is leave your cosy sleeping bag to make your way to the toilet tent in the frigid night air!

And if you have a pee cloth, you can keep the endeavor even cleaner.

Here is a couple of links to help you:

How can I keep clean during the climb?

Keeping clean on a Kilimanjaro climb is an interesting exercise. At no point on the mountain are showers available, unless you're hiking the Marangu route, which does offer cold showers. For the rest of us hiking one of the other seven Kilimanjaro routes, there'll be no showering during the trek. And that means we'll all be getting a bit smellier than normal.

We suggest that you embrace a slightly more lax hygiene regimen. You will get hot water and soap in the mornings to wash your face and hands before breakfast and in the evening before bed. This is known as 'washy washy'. We suggest you bring along a face cloth for some extra scrubbing power. Maybe even a small nailbrush if dirt under your fingernails will upset you.

If you have sensitive facial skin, you might like to bring some cleansing face wipes too.

Also don't forget a quick-drying, small microfibre towel for drying off. If this has a loop or hook attached, that's useful, as you can then more easily hang it up in your tent or hut to dry.

In addition, we recommend you bring some biodegradable wet wipes and feminine wipes for further strategic cleaning when in camp. You'll be able to dispose of these in the camp trash bin.

How do I deal with my period, if it comes on the climb?

According to the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, a woman's menstrual cycle can be affected by changes in altitude, particularly a great increase in altitude. This means climbing up Mt Kilimanjaro could well result in 'surprises', from causing your period to stop before usual to causing it to be early, irregular or longer than the norm. Basically, your period should be thought of as a wildcard on a high-altitude trek. And this means that every lady with a period should prepare to deal with it on the climb, even if you're trekking at a time that you know you shouldn't get it.

It might be a good idea to pack the following.. just in case:

• Tampons

• Pads/Panty Liners

• Small, disposable, biodegradable bags for wrappers & used tampons/pads/liners

• Feminine Wipes