It’s usually advised to test the waters. But I tend to dive right in instead.
The next adventure is to a country that has been on my bucket list for years: Nepal.
Jeremy and I are spending just under a month in Nepal, and the first 15 days are a group tour with G Adventures. The bulk of the tour is a 10 days trek in the Annapurna region. I’ve never been on a 2 day trek, let alone a 10 day one. Let alone one in the mountains with a max altitude of 13,550′…. Hey, I dive right in after all!
But I did two things to set myself up for success. I built myself a 4 month strength and endurance training program. And I acquired the right gear.
Now, we could have paid 1/3 the cost for everything had we waited to get our gear in Kathmandu. But given our work schedule and the tour start date, we won’t be getting into Kathmandu until a day before the tour begins.
After scouring through blogs, I think I acquired all the gear I need. So I wanted to share what I got and how much it costs, and when it’s all said and done I’ll let you know what my Nepal trekking gear list was missing.
Note that literally none of these links are sponsored or lead to pay out for me.
My Nepal Trekking Gear List:
Clothes
The general consensus is that merino wool is the holy grail for trekking. It wicks sweat, can keep you warm or cool, is antimicrobial, and odor resistant. It’s also very expensive. I picked a few merino pieces to invest in, and I’ll let you know if it was worth it in the end.
- 2 Merino T-shirts. I got one Smart Wool T-shirt ($80) and one REI t-shirt ($69.95).
- 1 merino long sleeve shirt. Jeremy procured one from Kathmandu, an outdoors store in Australia, on a 2 for $150 AUD deal
- 1 loose tank top that I already owned
- 1 merino 3/4 zip up. I snagged the 200 Oasis Long-Sleeve Half-Zip because it was 30% off and I had a $30 off coupon, making this bad boy $50.
- pairs of pants for hiking. I bought 1 pair of Columbia Nylon pants because they were on sale for $32.50, and I’m bringing a pair of Lululemon joggers I’ve owned for 6 or so years. I dropped the ball here because I should have just spent the money to get a pair of hiking pants with loads of pockets. But alas….
- 1 pair of fleece lined thermal leggings. I couldn’t bring myself to spend $100+ for merino leggings. So I went with THESE from Amazon for $36.99.
- joggers and a t-shirt for sleeping..
- 2 hats: 1 wool beanie and 1 fleece cap.
Undergarments
- 7 pairs of underwear. Note that 3 of these need to go in the garbage, but I figured I could get one last wear and pitch them along the way. I couldn’t bring myself to pay $36 for the Branwyn merino underwear that were sitting in my online cart for weeks. But I did get two pair of quick travel travel underwear from Ex Officio.
- 6 pairs of socks: 1 pair of proper merino hiking socks from Darn Tough for $25. 2 pairs of merino socks from Costco for $8. 3 pairs of normal athletic socks I already owned
- 3 sports bras: 2 normal sports bra and 1 sports bra/tank top scenario
Outer Layers and Shoes
- Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody: My mom gifted Jeremy and I both one of these for Christmas, and so far I’ve been overwhelmed with how much I love it. It’s super light and can fit into a very small bag. But it provides an insane amount of warmth.
- Patagonia Torrent Shell Rain Jacket: I’ve never owned a proper rain jacket. And this was an overdue staple my wardrobe needed.
- Hiking Shoes: The lady at the local outdoors store sold me on THESE from Teva. For a purchase like this I’d usually do a bunch of research. But the decision was spontaneous, and hopefully one I won’t regret.
- Sneakers: I’m also bringing along another pair of sneakers for around the tea houses and for incase the Tevas destroy my feet.
Gear
- Kyte 38 L Osprey Backpack: I scoured blogs on hut to hut trekking, and most seemed to recommend sticking under 40L. A couple suggested this bag specifically. I went into REI and someone helped me looks through a few options, and this one felt the best. I got it for $200, but it looks like I could have gotten it cheaper on line.
- Water Bladder: I went with the Camelback 3L Water Reservoir because the guy at REI recommended it. It was $39.
- Microfiber towel: I went cheap and got THIS one. I already know I hate it.
- A portable charger with numerous types of charging cables. Jeremy has had one of these for awhile, and it’s a game changer minimizing cables
Toiletries and Personal Hygiene Products
- Laundry detergent: I MEANT to get laundry soap sheets like THIS. But instead I got little packets of liquid detergent
- Hand Soap Sheets: I picked THESE
- Rinse Free Shower Wipes: I went with the ones from Sea to Summit for nights where the tea houses don’t have showers.
- Body and Face Soap Bar
- Shampoo/Conditioner 2 in 1
- SPF Moisturizer
- Mini lotion because my skin cracks and bleeds.
- Contact Solution
- Neosporin and Bandaids
- Water Filter Systems: my cousins gave me a Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter and I bought water purification tablets. I heavily debated getting a Steripen, but decided it was an unnecessary expense.
- Electrolyte Tablets: Liquid IV packs are amazing, but they are also very pricey. I got THESE tablets from Nuun because they get the job done.
- Period Products
- Multi-Vitamin
Other Odds and Ends
- Carabiners
- Power Converters
- A note book and pen
- A mini set of yahtzee
What’s really amazing is the fact that all these Nepal trekking gear fit into my 38 L backpack!
Cheers to another adventure. Stay tuned to see how it goes!
