10 essential things… and more!
How do you pack for your trek?
Depending on whether you’re trekking in Nepal for a few days or a few weeks, the question obviously arises:
how do you pack your bag?
All our trek departures –ICI-
Try not to pack too much and weigh your trek bag before you leave. Yes, it’s a bit hard to tour with 3 T-shirts for 15 days, but we’re all in that situation. In the lodges in Nepal, it’s far from being a fashion show. Your best friend will be your fleece and down jacket, which you’ll rarely leave for dinner. You’ll also learn to do a bit of washing every day so you don’t run out of anything.
It’s important to remember that you’ll be carrying your rucksack for hours on end, in conditions that vary in difficulty depending on the trek. 1 kilo more or less in your rucksack and you’ll feel it all day long. The main concerns are weight and volume. You need to find the right balance between comfort and load (weight, volume).
On the other hand, taking the time to think about the contents of your rucksack is not a waste of time. It’s necessary to avoid problems during your hike. The contents of your rucksack will depend on the nature of your trek. For example, whether you have a porter, the duration of the ride, sleeping conditions, etc.
The heavier your rucksack, the more difficult the hike will be and the less you will enjoy nature. You should also remember to distribute the load evenly on your back. For example, the bag should not be heavier on the left than on the right.
What size should I choose?
For people going on a self-carry, depending on the region and the trek you’re planning (more help HERE – old camper), we recommend a 40/50 litre bag, which will give you plenty of room for the essentials. Don’t forget that you’ll need to pack water and possibly nutritious/energising food, so don’t think too big.
What about my duvet?
As for the duvet, unless you’re going to an isolated region or on a technical trek, we recommend: no duvet. You can always hire clean, efficient ones on site. A simple “potato sack” will suffice, as there is always enough blanket in the lodge. Bear in mind, however, that in the higher altitudes and in the sometimes overcrowded lodges, you will have porters/guides who will only have this to keep warm, so please share…
Finally, if you’re going with a porter, then you’ll have your own little rucksack for your day’s essentials, such as water, sun cream, energy bars, camera, etc.
This is the logic behind the need for layers:
- Technical T-shirts (first layer)
- Waistcoat / jumper / fleece (middle layer)
- A windbreaker / waterproof jacket (last layer)
List of bag components:
this is a non-exhaustive list, based on what we consider to be the essentials. It’s up to you to adapt according to your comfort, health etc.
- 1 long technical T-shirt + 2 short technical T-shirts
- 1 fleece (sometimes the Gore Tex jacket can suffice)
- Thermal underwear for the evening in the lodges or to sleep in
3 pairs of socks - 1 down jacket +/ 1 warm Gore Tex jacket
- 1 pair of water-repellent or Gore tex trousers, you never know, +/ shorts
- 1 pair of leggings for the evening in the lodges
- 1 down jacket +/ 1 warm Gore tex jacket
- 1 pair of fleece gloves + under-gloves for the high altitude or cold season
- 1 fleece scarf + 1 beanie/cap
- A good pair of UV protection glasses
- A pair of trainers for the evenings in the lodges and a pair of flip-flops for the showers
- Washing-up wipes/micro-absorbent towel
- 1 shower gel that doubles as shampoo or soap
- 1 -10° duvet + or 0° duvet +/1 silk sheet (potato sack)
- 1 roll of toilet paper + 2 packs of tissues
- Moisturiser and sun cream (which can sometimes be shared in a group) + lip balm
- Aspirin, Doliprane, Ibuprofen …
- Arnica homeopathy and bandages / Compeel
- Broad-spectrum antiseptic and immodium/loperamide, even though I didn’t fall ill
- Diamox and coca homeopathy for altitude and altitude sickness; more info – HERE-.
- Mosquito repellent depending on the season and destination
- 1 water bottle + micropur tablets (which are now fairly easy to find in the big cities here, (bottled water is expensive at altitude, 40 nrp in Kathmandu and up to 400 nrp at 4000m).
- Essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus and ravinsara (useful for bedbugs and flu).
- A rain cover is also essential, as it’s important to protect your rucksack as well.
- A headlamp
- Walking sticks
- For those who are connected, an external battery can sometimes help, depending on the route, as charging can be complicated.
- A book, a set of maps, a notebook to take notes… Useful for keeping yourself busy at the lodge for 2 or 3 hours each evening.
- The holy grail: Kies earplugs will save you from noisy nights! and a plastic pocket to keep your papers dry…
