EQUIPMENT FOR GORILLA AND CHIMPANZEE TRACKING
We recommend the following clothing and equipment for tracking the gorillas and the chimpanzees:
- Warm ‘moisture-wicking’ clothes, including a fleece or light wool sweater, lightweight wool socks and a long-sleeved shirt
- Strong waterproof walking boots (comfortable for going up and down steep hills)
- Sturdy walking trousers
- A breathable lightweight rain poncho or ‘parka’ with a rain hat
- Gloves to grip vegetation (inexpensive gardening gloves work well)
- Sunglasses, sunscreen and sun hat
- Torch
- A good supply of rechargeable camera batteries and/or fast film
- Binoculars
- A small backpack to carry water and a packed lunch
- Walking stick
- Tips or gratuities for the guides and porters
It is best to wear layers of clothing as temperatures fluctuate. Early mornings in the mountains can be cold, although as the sun rises in the sky, and you climb, you will start to feel the heat. It rains often, generally in the afternoons.
The ranger guides will make you a walking stick if needed, or you can borrow one from your lodge. You will find the walking sticks come in very useful when climbing up and down slippery slopes.
