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After visiting the numerous blogs on advice regarding Kilimanjaro. I will also plug a company I founded to help traveller and tourists visiting the most popular areas in East Africa from Zanzibar, Serengeti to the Kilimanjaro. www.yellowmasai.com - we offer numerous affordable Kilimanjaro packages that cut out the middlemen (expensive overseas travel agents)- our team is based out Arusha, only 30 miles away from all the tour operators for that region and can connect to other tours after- not to mention local flights and transfers.I will also offer some tips based on my experience climbing the mountain 3 times in the last decade- this will form the foundation of a longer blog post on www.yellowmasai.com/blog :Pick a route for success and enjoyment balanced with your budgetWith budget on Kilimanjaro of about $300 a day per person (minimum group size of 4)- a group any smaller that 4 and the cost shoots up- use economies of scale if you can to get a good group size and cost.Marangu and Machame routes are increasingly the busiest on the mountain. Machame is 6 days and more scenic, 1 day longer than Marangu route but the extra day boosts your chances of success significantly. In fact any extra day boosts your chance in acclimatizing to altitude- Lemosho (7-8 days) is an even longer. Rongai (5 days) is probably the cheapest route of all of them due less popularity. All the routes can add an extra camping days should you wish so it doesn't mean you have to take a route with the standard number of days I mention. So one could do 7 days on Rongai, should you wish.Bring your own [personal] equipment- Make sure you bring anything that touches your body directly. Do not rely on traveling so light that you rely on renting personal equipment and belongings such as sleeping bags, hiking boots, gloves and jackets. Given the terrain, you want to bring your own tested gear that you feel comfortable using over a period of 6-8 days on the mountain. Tents, sleeping mats, other camping gear and walking sticks can be rented from tour operators.Ascend slowly- save your strength for the final Push.There is a saying "Pole Pole"- "Slowly" in swahili- this is great advice to increase your odds of success. The first few days should be enjoyed with a leisurely pace- if you leave early at 8am every morning- you should arrive at 4pm at the latest. At a faster pace, you could easily do each of the beginning days of the hike in 4-5 hours (arrive at the camp by lunch)- DON'T DO THIS! The final ascent is such a hard day, you'll need all the strength not to mention a good acclimization from ascending slowly.Drink plenty of waterSounds obvious for any expedition- applies doubly so for hiking to almosy 20,000ft. Dehydration is definitely a leading for sickness on the mountain. Atleast 3- 4 liters per day per person is about the right amount. You can purchase bottled water to reduce any risks of bad water or can get mountain spring water with he right water tablets.Tip Guides, Cooks and Porters Generously- But be transparent.Your expedition team is extremely important to your enjoyment and contribute to chances of success- your trip is also a key source of income for 1000s of guides, porters and cooks who are generally underpaid by tour operators. Be sure to come across that you value their help and that you eventually tip them well. Guides from around $100 each, porters and cooks from $20-50 each.