Gorilla trekking packing list

The four that matter most

Waterproof boots with ankle support. Not trail runners. The ground is steep and slippery and you will roll an ankle without support. Break them in well before you travel.

Gaiters. Keep mud, thorns and safari ants out of your boots. Cheap, light, and the single most-regretted omission among trekkers we take out.

Gardening-weight gloves. You will grab vegetation to steady yourself, and a good deal of it is thorny or stinging. Thin liner gloves are not enough.

A proper rain shell. Bwindi is rainforest. It rains in the dry season. A packable waterproof jacket lives in your daypack every day regardless of forecast.

Clothing

• Long trousers, lightweight but tough. Not shorts — the undergrowth settles that argument within ten minutes.
• Long-sleeved shirt, again lightweight. Sun, thorns and insects.
• A warm layer. Forest mornings above 2,000 metres are genuinely cold before the walking starts.
• Neutral colours. Not for the gorillas, who are indifferent, but bright colours look wrong in every photograph you take.
• A complete change of clothes at the lodge. You will come back wet, muddy or both.

In your daypack

• More water than seems necessary — two litres minimum. An eight-hour trek is possible on any day.
• Packed lunch and snacks, which your lodge provides.
• Insect repellent.
• A dry bag or heavy plastic bag for camera gear.
• Your permit and passport.
• Small notes in local currency for porter payment and tips.

Camera

Bwindi's canopy is dark. If you are shooting a camera rather than a phone, a fast lens and good high-ISO performance matter far more than reach — you will be within seven metres, so a long telephoto is the wrong tool. A mid-range zoom is usually right.

No flash. This is a park rule, not a suggestion, and it is enforced.

Bring more battery than you think. Cold mornings drain them, and lodge power in the Bwindi sectors is often generator-based with limited hours.

Light aircraft baggage

If you are taking the charter from Entebbe to Kihihi or Kisoro, baggage allowances are tight and bags usually need to be soft-sided. A hard suitcase can genuinely fail to load. We confirm the specific allowance with your itinerary — check it before you pack rather than at the airstrip.

Most lodges offer laundry, which is the practical answer to a small allowance.

What you do not need

• Walking poles — opinions differ, but on Bwindi's steep, tangled ground most trekkers find a hand free for grabbing branches more useful. Porters are the better support.
• A long telephoto lens, for the reason above.
• Camouflage clothing, which is restricted in Uganda as it is associated with military use.

Health and documents

Yellow fever vaccination requirements apply in the region and are checked at borders. Anyone showing symptoms of a cold or flu may be refused permission to trek, because gorillas are vulnerable to human respiratory infections — a rule that protects the animals and is applied seriously.

We confirm current health and entry requirements for your nationality in writing with your quotation rather than leaving you to piece it together from forums.