Packing List
The kit that actually matters on this route — what to buy, what to rent in Kathmandu for a fraction of the price, and what to leave at home.
By Laxman Rawal ·
Best overall
Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket
Light enough that you actually carry it, which is the only property that matters in a shell — the trade is a thin fabric that will not survive being dragged across rock.
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Light enough that you actually carry it, which is the only property that matters in a shell — the trade is a thin fabric that will not survive being dragged across rock.
Not for: Monsoon-season trekking where you will be in rain for hours daily. Take a heavier three-layer shell with pit zips.
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Best overall
Merrell Moab 3 (low)
Wide enough for feet that swell over a fortnight and comfortable from day one — the sole is soft, so it is the wrong shoe the moment you carry your own heavy pack.
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Wide enough for feet that swell over a fortnight and comfortable from day one — the sole is soft, so it is the wrong shoe the moment you carry your own heavy pack.
Not for: You are carrying 15 kg yourself, or you have rolled an ankle before. Take the boot.
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Best overall
Osprey Talon 33
Thirty-three litres holds a day layer, water, snacks and a camera with room for the down jacket you take off at ten — it is a frameless-ish pack, so above about 9 kg it stops being…
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Thirty-three litres holds a day layer, water, snacks and a camera with room for the down jacket you take off at ten — it is a frameless-ish pack, so above about 9 kg it stops being comfortable.
Not for: Independent trekkers carrying everything themselves. You want 50-65 litres and a real frame.
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Best overall
Black Diamond Pursuit Adjustable Trekking Poles
Aluminium bends where carbon shatters, and a bent pole still walks you down; you carry about 100 g more per pair than carbon for that insurance, and cork grips beat foam once your hands…
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Aluminium bends where carbon shatters, and a bent pole still walks you down; you carry about 100 g more per pair than carbon for that insurance, and cork grips beat foam once your hands sweat.
Not for: Gram-counters. Take carbon and accept that a fall on rock can end the pole.
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Best overall
Rab Cirrus Insulated Jacket
Synthetic keeps insulating when it gets damp, which in a Himalayan spring matters more than the extra warmth-per-gram of down — it is noticeably less warm than a down jacket of the same…
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Synthetic keeps insulating when it gets damp, which in a Himalayan spring matters more than the extra warmth-per-gram of down — it is noticeably less warm than a down jacket of the same weight, and that is the deal.
Not for: Sub-zero evenings at 5,000 m as your only warm layer. This is the mid-layer under a down jacket, not a replacement for one.
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Cheapest useful insurance
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…
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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.
Not for: Autumn Khumbu trekking, where it will not rain on you once.
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Kindest out of the box
Lowa Renegade GTX Mid
The most forgiving first week of any boot we see on the trail; the trade is a softer sole that flexes more than it should under a heavy load.
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The most forgiving first week of any boot we see on the trail; the trade is a softer sole that flexes more than it should under a heavy load.
Not for: You have wide feet. Try them on, or buy a boot with a wide fitting; no amount of lacing fixes a narrow last.
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Better than a rain cover
Osprey Ultralight Pack Liner
A rain cover fails the moment wind gets under it or water runs down your back; a liner does not — the cost is that you unpack through a roll-top every time you want anything.
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A rain cover fails the moment wind gets under it or water runs down your back; a liner does not — the cost is that you unpack through a roll-top every time you want anything.
Not for: Dry-season Khumbu trekking, where it may never rain on you.
Check price on Amazon Read the full reviewIf you buy through that link we earn a commission. It costs you nothing and it does not change what we recommend — the rental and advice-only entries in our gear guide earn us nothing at all.
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