This gorilla trekking gear guide helps you in choosing what to wear while on your gorilla trekking safari in Uganda. You should consider good quality walking boots – if trying any hikes or even climbs, warm layers of clothes – for the cold evenings. Thick clothing is good for wet weather in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which becomes cold and wet at high altitude.
Put on your sturdiest walking shoes, and thick trousers and a long-sleeved top as protection against vicious stinging nettles. It’s often cold when you set out, so start off with a sweatshirt or jersey, which also help protect against nettles.
Mountain gorillas are trained to get used to people, so it makes little difference whether you wear bright or muted colors. But because of the forest setting, muted colors are more appropriate.
Whichever clothes you wear, they’re likely to get very dirty as you slip and slither in the mud, so if you have pre-muddied clothes, you might as well wear them. Please note that you might find your hands grabbing loads of thorny vegetation, so, a pair of gardening gloves are helpful. If you feel safer with a walking-stick, you will be offered a wooden one at the start of the ascent.
More on gorilla trekking gear guide
Carry as little as possible, ideally in a waterproof bag of some sort. During the rainy season, a poncho or raincoat might be worth an addition to your daypack, while sunglasses and a hat are a good idea at any time of the year.
You may as well feel like munching a snack during the long hike, though eating is prohibited at the time of interaction with the gorillas. However, you should certainly carry enough drinking water – at least one liter or more, to take you through the trek.
During the rainy season, you should also make sure that your camera gear is well protected. If your bag isn’t waterproof, kindly seal your camera gear in a plastic bag.
Binoculars are not necessary when tracking mountain gorillas, but birdwatchers usually carry them in order to spot some bird species along the way. However, the trek up to the gorillas is normally very directed, and walking up the steep slopes and through the thick vegetation tends to occupy one’s eyes and mind. To ensure the safety of the trekkers, you will be accompanied by guides and an armed park ranger as you move through the dense forest on a gorilla tracking activity.
If you are carrying much gorilla trekking gear, including food or water, it is advisable to hire one of the available park porters. This is another direct way of supporting the nearby community providing them with an income in order to entice them conserve wildlife and the Park.