Essential Equipment for travel/trekking in Nepal
The clothing you bring will need to allow for both the warmth of the days and the chill of the nights. While trekking during the day at lower altitudes, lightweight trekking trousers and T-shirts are recommended. It’s always a good idea to carry a waterproof jacket and some warmer clothing with you though as mountain weather is notoriously unpredictable. For the cold nights, thermal underwear, a warm fleece jacket and even a down jacket will help to keep you warm.
Main Hold all / Rucksack – This main pack would be carried by the porter. You’ll probably not see the sack during the day, but it will arrive at your lodge / campsite. A rain cover for the sack might be useful. A zipped hold-all is probably more convenient than a rucksack: your porter won’t use the rucksack straps (he’ll probably tie your sack to another to make up his load), and a hold-all with a full-length zip makes things more accessible than a rucksack. This is normally the bag that has travelled to Nepal in the hold of the aircraft
- Daypack – This is the sack you’ll be carrying yourself. A 20 / 30 litre pack is sufficient. this is to carry your important personal stuff and small equipment for the day, water, fleece / waterproof jacket, gloves, hat, First Aid kit etc: again a rain cover would be useful. This is normally the bag that’s been Cabin Luggage on the flight
- Shoes – a good pair of trekking shoes / lightweight boots. Waterproof footwear is preferable as you may be walking through some streams, sometimes it rains and sometimes it snows. Its horrible to walk in soaked shoes in the cold for hours – its worst when you have to put on wet shoes in the morning
- A pair of spare laces
- Flip flops or sandals for wear around your lodge / campsite
- Bring a bottle of body/foot powder and squeeze a generous amount into your socks before you wear them to keep dry and comfy.
- Fleece Jacket: although during the day temperatures will (hopefully) be very pleasant the mornings and evenings can be chilly. Down Jacket if you are going +3500m treks. Every evening, ask your guide about the type of temperature and terrain for the next day so to prepare the required clothes to wear and carry in your day-sack: remember the porters will most of the time NOT be walking beside you and so your other clothes will not be accessible during the day.
- A sweater or sweat-shirt
- Waterproof / windproof jacket
- Long johns or thermal underwear
- Underwear
- T shirts – preferably long sleeve ones
- Trousers: Lightweight trousers for lower altitudes, a heavier pair for higher altitudes. Trousers with cargo pockets at the sides and extra pockets are an advantage
- Waterproof overtrousers
- Gloves – waterproof, thermal (thickness depending on your trek)
- Warm hat, and sun hat / cap
- Lip Balm
- Sunglasses- UV resistant, better if covered at the sides(extension from the rims of the specs to the face), if possible, get a case that you can easily hang on your daypack or body.
- Head-torch – LED are longer lasting and more white, and spare batteries. Electricity is erratic in Nepal and you may have to use a torch when you’re at the tea houses – lighting is not always guaranteed in bedrooms.
- Sunscreen – factor 50
- Water Bottle – mineral water can be bought along the trails but ideally to cut down plastic waste get a 1 litre water bottle: boiled water can be topped up at tea houses.
- Basic First Aid kit – plasters, wound dressings, diarrhoea pills (‘Immodium’, ‘Arret’ or similar) if you can persuade your doctor to prescribe a course of Cyproxin do so – it’s a broad-spectrum antibiotic, particularly effective for stomach upsets that have not succumbed to other remedies, painkillers, crepe bandage (for sprains and strains), ‘Deep Heat’ or similar muscle-relaxant cream, scissors, tweezers, safety pins, water purification pills
- A small plastic bottle of antiseptic hand-wash: careful personal hygiene will avoid most stomach disorders.
- Sewing kit – fixes your clothes but will be invaluable if your haversack or daypack tears.
- Toiletries – usual, and wet-wipes. Toilet paper can be bought at all tea houses.
- Towel – medium size
- All the equipment mentioned can be bought in Kathmandu, (copied, non-originals) at a cheap price.There are quality differences as compared to the originals but most will do their intended purposes. It is not recommend to leave your boot/shoe purchase until you arrive in Nepal for two reasons; properly broken in footware will be much more comfortable, and footwear in Kathmandu isn’t particularly cheap
Additional equipment that you might want to consider
- Sleeping bags-can also be rented, all the tea houses will provide blankets for the cold but the additional warmth of a sleeping bag is much preferable.
- Walking poles – helps with long climbs and descents, a good tool if you meet a wild or crazed animal too close !
- Waist Pouch – good for cameras and extras that you can access while walking. Must-have if your trousers don’t have pockets.
- Scarf – good to have when the weather is cool, windy but too hot for a fleece jacket.
- Map – there are specialized trekking maps that show the trails, get those that have some sort of description about the people, terrain and culture. reading it or discussing with your guide and fellow trekkers in the evenings will enhance the experience.
- Guide book
- Note book and pens / pencils
- A pack of cards
