Phone reachable without taking the pack off
Quad Lock MAG Phone Case
A phone in a hip-belt pocket gets photographed with; a phone in the pack lid does not — the mount system only works if you buy the matching case, which locks you in.
Skip it ifAnyone happy with a zip pocket. This solves a convenience problem, not a safety one.
About the links on this page.Some go to Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend: every card here also says who the item is not for, and a few things we think you should simply rent in Kathmandu or Pokhara instead, which earns us nothing.
The rest of the shelf
Cheapest useful insuranceFor monsoon walking and river crossings
Waterproof phone pouch (IPX8)
Costs almost nothing and saves the single most expensive item most trekkers carry — the touchscreen window works, but the camera through it does not, so you take it out for photographs anyway.
Skip it ifAutumn Khumbu trekking, where it will not rain on you once.