I did not use these during my earlier trip up the mountain, as I was really fit and did not have knee injuries. However, after I sustained meniscus tear of my right knee (thanks to Sundays football @ Yayasan Sabah field) a year ago, I had to use a hiking pole for my last trip up April this year. And the pole has helped me a lot on bearing my weight while going up and down the mountain, relieving some of the burden to my right knee.

Flashlight (or some call it torchlight) is an essential equipment that you should have for your climbing trip up Mount Kinabalu. Flashlight will be use during your second phase of the climb, from Laban Rata (or Pendant Hut if you are staying with Mountaintorq) to the peak in the dark. The journey will start around 2 am, in which it will be pitch dark if it is not full moon.

Ordinary flashlight or headlight?
I received a question from one of fellow climber who asked whether he should have an ordinary flashlight or headlight (or headlamp) for him. From my personal experiences, having a headlamp while climbing Kinabalu will give you more advantage than ordinary flashlight.

Backpack is an essential items for travelers cum climbers like you. I just received an email from USOUTDOOR.com about their sale on a lot of their items. If you are planning to find the suitable backpack for your trip, you should check out their sale now, as most of the promotions will end on 31st August 2008.

I have written a blog post about how to choose your backpack on your Mount Kinabalu climbing trip here. You may want to read it first before you go to USOUTDOOR.com to shop. It will give you an idea what type of backpack is suitable for you and your trip. You may not want to buy a small backpack for your South East Asian 3 months tour…

I thought it was a small matter to most of us. But the truth is, it’s not. I received an email from Miss M (not her real name) asking me on what type of gloves that she could use to climb Mount Kinabalu.

• Can an ordinary gardening gloves would do?
• Do I need a water proof gloves, in case the climbing gets too wet and I don’t want my hands to be freezing?

I received another email this morning. Patrick asked me about climbing Mount Kinabalu with his children. If you have climbed Kinabalu with your children before, please share with us your opinion. Here is his email:

Hi Ruhaizad

Thanks for the Kinabalu newsletter that I have just received, it was very helpful. I am climbing Mount Kinabalu at the end of July with 3 children aged 10 and 11, I wonder if you could help me avoid any serious mistakes and help me improve our chances of reaching the summit, please? A little about ourselves…

Medical preparations for your trip up to Kinabalu is one of the important thing to do before you start your climb. While novice climbers think that the medication in the first aid kit is enough, some of experience climbers think that it is better to have some extra medications in hand, in case of unexpected requirements. These would be my personal list of medication (based on my medical background), that I would bring up on my trip. These are the medications that I brought during my past climbing trip.

Not necessary, but it is better if you have one. I use to have my own multi-tool while I was in the university. Mostly used for daily usage, this handy multi-tool are also lightweight when I go for any outdoor trip.

But when I came to Sabah and fell in love with Mount Kinabalu, I know that I need to upgrade my multi-tool to become more suitable for my climb. I bought a Victorinox Swiss Army Multi-tool just before my first trip up on Kinabalu in 2002. It was a bit expensive then, but it was really worth it.

These are the most common incidents that can make climbers injured during the trip up the Summit of Borneo.

Muscular aches

Blisters can add a heavy load to your climbing trip. Just as with bites and stings, the best defense is a good offense.

Prevention

• Be sure shoes or boots fit properly. Tight shoes cause pressure sores; loose shoes cause friction blisters.
• Break in new boots gradually before any long hikes.
• Wear a thin liner sock under a heavier sock. Friction will occur between the socks instead of between the boot and the foot.

I received another email from one of our members, who managed to climb Mount Kinabalu on the 4th of July. Alison went to climb the summit with her family - her husband and two children. She did asked me about Rhodiola Rosea, few weeks before she climbed Mount Kinabalu, but I could not give her a good answer.

She went up to the peak - and prepared herself with Rhodiola Rosea one week before the climb - after Googling about the herb from the net. And the result was stunning. This is her email: