On a lodge trek in Nepal, you do not need a tent or a stove. But you sleep in unheated rooms, you walk in the sun in the morning and in the cold in the evening, and there are no shops along the way. Here is the list we send to all our trekkers, with what is really useful and what is not.
The principle: three layers
In the mountains, you dress in layers that you take off and put back on depending on the effort and the time of day. Three are enough:
- The base layer, next to the skin, which wicks away sweat: technical T-shirts and underwear, in merino wool or synthetic fabric. No cotton: it stays wet and chills you.
- The warm layer: a fleece and a down jacket. The down jacket is for evenings at the lodge and the morning of the pass.
- The protective layer: a waterproof, windproof jacket with a hood, and overtrousers if you are going in spring or winter.
The complete list
Feet
- Waterproof, ankle-high trekking boots, already worn in for at least 50 km before you leave. This is the most important item on the whole list.
- 3 to 4 pairs of wool hiking socks.
- Sandals or light trainers for the evening at the lodge.
- Gaiters if you are going in winter or crossing a snowy pass.
Clothing
- 2 to 3 technical T-shirts, 1 long-sleeved T-shirt.
- 1 set of thermal base layers (top and bottoms) for the night and cold mornings.
- 1 fleece, 1 down jacket (down or synthetic fill).
- 1 waterproof jacket with a hood.
- 1 pair of trekking trousers, 1 pair of light trousers or shorts for the low valleys, 1 pair of waterproof overtrousers.
- Woolly hat, neck gaiter, cap or sun hat, thin gloves and warm gloves.
- Underwear for 4 to 5 days: you wash things along the way.
Sleeping
- Sleeping bag with a comfort rating of -10 °C for treks above 4,000 m, comfort 0 °C for low treks. Lodges provide a blanket, not always clean or warm enough. We can rent you one in Kathmandu.
- Silk sleeping bag liner: better hygiene and a few extra degrees.
Bags
- A 30 to 35 litre daypack: water, jacket, down jacket, sun cream, camera, snacks.
- A large soft duffel bag of 60 to 80 litres for everything else, carried by the porter. Maximum 12 to 15 kg: this is the limit we set to protect our porters.
- A rain cover or plastic bags to keep everything dry.
Health and hygiene
- SPF 50 sun cream and lip balm: the sun at altitude burns you in an hour.
- Category 3 or 4 sunglasses.
- Tablets or a filter to purify water. This saves buying plastic bottles, which end up in the mountains.
- Small first-aid kit: blister plasters, painkillers, anti-diarrhoea tablets, antiseptic, your usual medicines, and altitude sickness medication if your doctor has prescribed it. Read our article on altitude sickness.
- Toilet paper, hand sanitiser, wet wipes, a small quick-dry towel.
Other items
- Head torch and spare batteries: electricity is scarce or charged for at altitude.
- Power bank. Charging a phone costs €2 to €5 in high-altitude lodges.
- Water bottles or a hydration bladder, 2 litres in total.
- Trekking poles: they really ease your knees on the way down.
- Cash in rupees for personal spending: drinks, hot showers, charging, tips. There are no cash machines in the mountains.
- Photocopy of your passport, two passport photos, insurance certificate.
What you can buy or rent in Kathmandu
The Thamel district is full of gear shops. You will find down jackets, sleeping bags, poles and hats at very low prices, often copies of big brands. The quality is fine for one trek, less so for ten years of use. What you should not buy there: boots. They need to be worn in to your feet before you leave.
What is not worth bringing
- Jeans: heavy, slow to dry, cold.
- Too many clothes “just in case”: you wear the same ones three days in a row, like everyone else.
- A tent, a stove, food: the lodges provide meals and beds.
- A big camera with three lenses, unless photography is the point of the trip.
Not sure about an item? Send your list to Mohan before you pack, and he will tell you what is missing or what you do not need for your trek and your season.
