Trekking Equipment Checklist

How much should I pack?

Sometimes packing too much or too little can spoil your trip. Thus you should backpack wisely. Normally for high altitude trekking and trekking in the winter season requires more trekking gears than low-altitude trekking and trekking in summer. For specimens, Everest Base Camp trek requires more gear than trekking to poon hill. Keep in mind, the duration of the trip also decides the size of the trekking essentials list.

Packing too much or too little can spoil the entire trekking.

Take this equipment as references

In this article, we are going to highlight the following things.

• What are the essentials things to bring in hiking and trekking?

The following trekking essential list(equipment) list is a general idea to prepare a packing list for trekking. We all know, personal items are individual choice and interest. It’s no need to be the same. Thus use the following checklist as a reference guide. You can modify this list item according to personal preferences, duration of trek, season of trek and other specific needs.

Below the checklist is essential equipment which are wise to bring most of the treks in Himalayas.

Rucksack Bag or Duffel

We will provide you complimentary Duffel bags, but one extra big duffel bag or Suitcase(Lockable Suitcase is best) is needed for non-trek items in order to leave at the hotel in Kathmandu or Pokhara(depending on Trekking Region). Most hotels provide short-term storage for free.

Your Backpack or Duffel bag should be 55 to 70 liters capacity.

Day pack(Approx 20-22 Liter):

Mostly, Trekkers and Porter’s walking pace will be different as they have to carry heavy bags. So while trekking, a small Day Pack is needed to carry Drinking water and your valuables things such as money, passport, medicine, sunscreen, and so on valuable things.

Down Jacket

Trekkers should have a good Down Jacket.

Sleeping bag

4 seasons Sleeping bag. For a more than 3500m trek we should have a sleeping bag with -15-degree capacity but less than 3500m -10-degree sleeping bag is enough.

• Daypack (25-30 liters)
• Backpack Cover (against rain and dust)

Head

• Sunglasses with UV protection
• Lightweight balaclava or FleeceHat
• Sun hat or scarf
• Winter Hat or Synthetic Hat that covers ears.
• Baseball cap(optional)
• A neck warmer (optional)
• Ear Muffs (optional)

Hands

• Gloves (It is good to have lightweight and heavyweight both.)
• Woolen Gloves or waterproof Mittens

Upper body

• Warm jacket – down jacket, if possible
• Water and windproof jacket
• T-shirts
• Light and expedition weight thermal tops
• Waterproof (preferably breathable fabric) shell jacket

Lower Body

• Hiking shorts
• Trekking Pants (2)
• Lightweight cotton long pants
• Lightweight underwear
• Light and expedition weight thermal bottoms
• Fleece or wool pants (seasonal)
• Waterproof (preferably breathable fabric) shell pants

Feet

• Thin lightweight inner socks
• Thick Woolen trekking Socks
• Hiking boots with spare laces
• Camp shoes (Sneakers and/or Sandals)
• Gaiters for Hiking in winter
• Proper Hiking Boots: Your boots need to be comfortable for walking. So test before the flight to Nepal.

Trekking Gears

• 1 pair of Trekking poles.
• Trekking Area Map
• Head torch, or small torch with spare batteries
• 2 x water bottles(Hot water is essential for mountain trekking. So please make sure water 1 Thermos Water Bottle to keep water hot for some hours.)
• Binoculars
• Reading book
• Pocket knife
• Diary or notebook plus pencil/pen

Toiletries and Personal Hygiene

• A small lightweight and quick-drying Towel
• Sanitizers
• Quick-drying towel (medium-sized)
• Toothbrush/paste
• Nail clippers
• Multipurpose soap/hand wash
• Deodorants
• Face and body moisturizer
• Small size mirror
• Ear Plug
• Water purification tablets or the Water filter
• Sunscreen (SPF +20)
• Hand sanitizer (small bottle)
• Sunblock face/body high UV protection
• Lip block with UV protection

Essential gears for low altitude(lowland)/easy trekking

Normally lowland trekking represents at a maximum altitude of 4000m. For Example, Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, Langtang Valley Trek, Mardi Himal Trek, Khopra Trek, and so on. There are many high-demand trekkers which are graded as lowland. If you are preparing for those types of trekking, here you will get an essential packing list.

Here is the list for easy/lowland trekking.

Camp shoes/sandals:It is required to have camp shoes and sandals while we make a trip in the mountains. Sandals are required at the time of showers as well as for a short toilet at night. You can buy these types of Sandals in Kathmandu or Pokhara at a cheap price.

Thermal shirts/underwear:To be safe from the cold weather of himalayas, it is required to have

Clothing

Hiking PantsBe sure to have comfort hiking pants. And pack the pants according to your trekking days. For example, for 7 days of trekking, 1 pair of hiking pants is enough.

Lightweight ShortsSome pairs of shirts needed to be worn as sleeping custom.

T-shirts Hiking for such long hours will increase your perspiration. So, carry multiple pairs of t-shirts, one for each day.Prepare around 2-3 pairs of T-shirts.

HatTo protect from sunlight , we should have hats.

Fleece JacketAt least 1 fleece Jacket is good for trekking to lowland.

Wind JacketA windcheater jacket is very necessary to protect from strong winds, strom, and rainfall.

Hiking ShoesA good hiking shoe is required for hiking in the himalayas.

Your shoes must match the environment of your trek. Hiking shoes are the best option because they’re durable in any weather or location. Water Bottle : A bottle capacity bottle is required for trekking in the mountians.In order to stay hydrated, we should drink water frequently . Thus Water bottle is required while hike.

Small BackpackIf you have a porter to carry your main backpack, a smallback is also needed. A small backpack is needed for packing very important things , breakable items and frequently needed items. For example, if you trek with your laptop and camera, please put it in your small bag.

GlovesExcept in summer, we can do lowland trekking with thin Gloves. But it required thick Globes for winter trekking.

Towell: It is required to have personal towels.

Slippers Whenever you’re taking a rest, you might want to wear lightweight slippers. So, make sure you carry a pair because wearing hiking shoes for a long time can cause blisters. ToiletriesToothbrush, Toothpaste, sunscreen cream, soap, shampoo, lotion, toilet papers, etc.

First Aid KitA small first aid kit that includes medicines and some medical items in case of emergencies