Depending on your tour operator, group size, and quantity of equipment included in your package, a typical ethical Kilimanjaro climb will include 3 to 5 porters per climber. When climbing in groups of 20 or more, the porter-to-climber ratio can drop to 2.5 porters per climber. If you’re traveling alone, though, don’t be shocked if you have all six porters to yourself. You may have up to 8 porters per climber in extremely high-end packages that include a lot of luxury equipment. Even for similar products, routes, and group sizes, it’s conceivable that the number of porters differs between firms.
This is because some Kilimanjaro climbing companies provide all of the necessary supplies from the start, while others use “re-supply porters” to deliver new meals and cut down on porterage costs.
