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 ·
What most people should do
Four-season down bag (−15 °C), rented
A bag you would buy costs several hundred dollars and you need it for perhaps five cold nights. Kathmandu and Pokhara rent good ones for a couple of dollars a day, and we make nothing from…
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A bag you would buy costs several hundred dollars and you need it for perhaps five cold nights. Kathmandu and Pokhara rent good ones for a couple of dollars a day, and we make nothing from telling you that — take your own silk liner and the hygiene question answers itself.
Not for: People who camp at home, or anyone doing three Himalayan trips. Then buy once, properly.
Rental shops in Kathmandu and Pokhara carry this — about USD 1-2 per day in Thamel or Pokhara Lakeside. We take nothing from that.
Read the full reviewRead this before you buy anything else
Insurance that actually covers a Himalayan trek
Standard travel policies exclude trekking above 3,000 m and almost all exclude helicopter evacuation — a rescue from the Khumbu can run to five figures in USD, and the insurer decides…
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Standard travel policies exclude trekking above 3,000 m and almost all exclude helicopter evacuation — a rescue from the Khumbu can run to five figures in USD, and the insurer decides afterwards, not at the time. Read the altitude clause before you read anything else.
Not for: Nobody. Three things to confirm in writing: your itinerary’s maximum altitude is covered, helicopter evacuation is covered, and repatriation is covered. If an insurer will not confirm all three, use a different insurer.
We take no commission from any insurer and recommend no brand. This is a checklist.
Read the full reviewBest overall
Black Diamond Spot 400
Bright enough for a pre-dawn pass and simple enough to fix in the dark with cold hands — it runs on AAAs, which is heavier than a rechargeable and is exactly why we recommend it.
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Bright enough for a pre-dawn pass and simple enough to fix in the dark with cold hands — it runs on AAAs, which is heavier than a rechargeable and is exactly why we recommend it.
Not for: Weight-counting fastpackers. Take the rechargeable and accept that a flat battery at 4,800 m is your problem.
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.
Best overall
Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter
Effectively unlimited water for the cost of a couple of bottled waters, and it threads straight onto a standard bottle — it does NOT remove viruses, so pair it with chemical drops on trails…
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Effectively unlimited water for the cost of a couple of bottled waters, and it threads straight onto a standard bottle — it does NOT remove viruses, so pair it with chemical drops on trails below villages.
Not for: Anyone treating it as complete protection. Below the last village, add drops or a UV pen.
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.
Best overall
Nitecore NB10000 Gen 3
The best capacity-per-gram you can buy and it clears every airline limit without a conversation — 10,000 mAh is about two phone charges, so on a fortnight above the solar line you will…
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The best capacity-per-gram you can buy and it clears every airline limit without a conversation — 10,000 mAh is about two phone charges, so on a fortnight above the solar line you will still be paying a lodge occasionally.
Not for: A camera-heavy trip or a group sharing one bank. Take the 20,000 mAh instead.
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.
Best compact
Sony ZV-1 II
A one-inch sensor is a genuine step past a phone in low light, and the wide end handles a valley that a phone flattens — battery life is poor, and in the cold it is worse than poor.
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A one-inch sensor is a genuine step past a phone in low light, and the wide end handles a valley that a phone flattens — battery life is poor, and in the cold it is worse than poor.
Not for: Wildlife in Chitwan or Bardia. You want reach there, not width.
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.
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.
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.
Best overall
Julbo Shield M
The one pair that works from Lukla to the Cho La — shields on for snow, off for the walk-in. You pay roughly double a normal sports sunglass for that flexibility.
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The one pair that works from Lukla to the Cho La — shields on for snow, off for the walk-in. You pay roughly double a normal sports sunglass for that flexibility.
Not for: A short trek that never touches snow. A decent Category 3 wraparound at a fifth of the price does that job.
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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