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 ·
Read 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 reviewWhat 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 reviewRent, do not buy
Expedition down jacket (−20 °C)
You need this for perhaps three evenings of an Everest Base Camp trek. Buying one costs several hundred dollars; renting one in Kathmandu costs a few, and the shops keep them in good…
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You need this for perhaps three evenings of an Everest Base Camp trek. Buying one costs several hundred dollars; renting one in Kathmandu costs a few, and the shops keep them in good condition because their business depends on it.
Not for: Anyone who trekks or climbs regularly. If this is your third Himalayan trip, buy your own.
Rental shops in Kathmandu and Pokhara carry this — about USD 1-2 per day in Thamel or Lakeside. We take nothing from that.
Read the full reviewBest overall
Icebreaker Merino 200 Oasis Long Sleeve Crew
Merino at 200-weight is the one true trekking base layer — warm damp, warm dry, and it does not smell; it is also three times the price of synthetic and it will eventually hole at the…
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Merino at 200-weight is the one true trekking base layer — warm damp, warm dry, and it does not smell; it is also three times the price of synthetic and it will eventually hole at the shoulder where the pack rubs.
Not for: A four-day trek where you can wash and change. Synthetic is cheaper, tougher and dries faster; merino earns its price on long trips without laundry.
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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
Nalgene Wide Mouth 1 L
Fill it with boiling water at dinner and it is a hot water bottle all night, then drinking water in the morning — that second job is why we recommend hard plastic over any soft flask above…
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Fill it with boiling water at dinner and it is a hot water bottle all night, then drinking water in the morning — that second job is why we recommend hard plastic over any soft flask above 4,000 m.
Not for: Nobody on a cold trek. The hot-water-bottle trick alone justifies it.
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.
Useful with caveats
Fingertip pulse oximeter
Useful for spotting a trend across several mornings, and actively dangerous if you treat a single reading as a verdict — cold fingers alone can drop a reading by several points, and…
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Useful for spotting a trend across several mornings, and actively dangerous if you treat a single reading as a verdict — cold fingers alone can drop a reading by several points, and consumer devices are not calibrated for 5,000 m.
Not for: Anyone who would use it to overrule how they feel or what a guide says. Symptoms decide; the number does not.
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
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.
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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