Trekking Equipment Checklist
Home »
What is Equipment/gear in trekking?
Trekking Equipment. Generally, trekking refers to multi-day walking in the Himalayas. To make a journey into the Himalayas, we should have proper trekking equipment. And that is called trekking gears or trekking essential list or even backpacking list.
Indeed, having the proper trekking equipment(gears) is vital for safety as well as comfort. We must have the right trekking gear for trekking in Nepal (Himalayas), Peru, Tanzania, and so forth.
hiking gear list for beginners
There are no different gears for beginners and for experienced hikers. All these backpacking essential list are for both beginners as well as experienced hikers.
The trekking equipment(backpacking list) necessary depends on several factors. Mainly, type of trek, time of year, and altitude of trek are major factors to concern to prepare trekking essential list.
According to trekking grades, we should manage equipment. Normally high altitude trek, Climbing, or Expedition needs high-quality trekking equipment stuff.
If you want to buy quality gear then maybe your own country might be the right place. But if you don’t have time to buy things in your country and you want to buy things at a cheaper price then buy things in Nepal.
If you are on a tight budget, lot’s of trekking gear you can hire at a reasonable price in Thamel, Kathmandu.
Things to consider while backpacking
We should manage our Backpack duration of trekking and grading. Make your luggage as light as possible because a Porter can carry a maximum 25 kg.
Please, bring sufficiently warm clothes for winter trekking in the Himalayas.
Is it possible to buy or hire trekking gears in Kathmandu?
All this gears, probably you will find in our hometown. In case, you couldn’t get any of the following listed items in your hometown to purchase or don’t have enough time to buy before the flight to Kathmandu, don’t be panic! All this equipment/gears you’ll get in Thamel, Kathmandu at reasonable prices. In terms of quality of trekking gears that are available in Kathmandu are varies in price. You will get high-quality gears at High price, likewise you’ll get low-quality Equipment at a cheap price. Most of the gears are imported from China and some of them are manufactured in Nepal too.
We should consider keeping our luggage as light as possible for trekking in the Himalayas. Because a porter can carry only two people’s stuff (maximum 25 kg).
Trekking Equipment and Clothing in Video
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 )
- 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
Off

Everest Base Camp Trek
- Get Everest Base Camp Trekking 12 days with BASE CAMP HIKE PVT LTD at a minimal price.
- Price From$1215
Off

Annapurna Base Camp Trek
- Get Annapurna Base Camp Trekking with BASE CAMP HIKE PVT LTD at a minimal price.
- Price From$598
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
Off

Annapurna Circuit Trek
- Duration : 12 Days
- Price From$778
Off

Manaslu Circuit Trek
- Duration : 13 Days
- Price From$976