Since I’ve finished the trekking part of my Nepal series, I thought it would be interesting to discuss about the equipment we used.

Backpacks:

I used a Lowe Alpine Crag Attack. It’s very light, at only 800 g for a volume of 42 l. The downside of having such a light backpack is that it has very little back support – no metal of plastic frame. So it’s up to its user to pack it carefully. Still, I had no issues or back problems. Great backpack!

Andreea went for a Deuter ACT Lite 35+10 SL. 35 l volume, with an extendable lid that can add an additional 10 l. Shaped for a female body. A traditional backpack, with an aluminum frame and generous padding on its straps – for the highest possible back comfort. The downside is a weight of 1500 g.  Andreea, having a sensitive back, was very happy with it.

We didn’t have any rain covers for the backpacks. Instead, we used heavy duty garbage bags for everything inside. While packing took a little more, having everything nice and organized saved us some time overall.

Also had a small drawstring backpack, for travelling within the city, when a big backpack is overkill.

Shoes:

I don’t think the actual model matters that much here. For the record though, I used a pair of Trezeta Alder Low, while Andreea used her Quechua Forclaz 600. What’s important is that the shoes are well broken in. Andreea had hers for over a year, so we knew they were good. Zero blisters on her side after the trek. I wore mine on a couple hiking trips this summer and I felt good in them. One small blister that I barely noticed.

Before the trek, I considered the option of going in trail running shoes. I opted against it and it was a good call. Running shoes don’t provide the same level of protection in case of bad weather. They’re also not as tough. If you’re only taking one pair of shoes, go for the mini-tanks.

We also had a pair of flip flops each. Good to wear in the evening or when showering.

Clothes:

We packed light. No cotton, only technical clothes. I had two merino t-shirts and one merino long sleeve shirt. Love merino! If I need technical shirts for one or two days, then I’m OK with synthetic. OK with surviving the stink, that is. But 30 days.. unbearable. Meanwhile, merino wool was great. I could wear a shirt for 5 days and then wash it – not because it was stinky, but because it felt weird having the same shirt for so long.

For colder weather, I had two fleeces – a thin one and a medium one. Also had a biking rain jacket, one of those thin plastic thingies. Together with a fleece, it’s enough to keep me warm in zero degrees weather while active.

Also had a pair of summer hiking pants, a pair of shorts and a pair of skiing trousers (as base layer in case of cold).  I didn’t have any rain gear for my legs – a calculated risk I took.

Had a bunch of other smaller items: three pairs of hiking socks, merino underwear, two buffs, one cap and one fleece hat.

Andreea packed a few more things, as she’s more sensitive to the cold: winter (rainproof) pants, a down jacked (awesome!) and gloves.

Sleeping bags:

Put a lot of pondering into this. Sleeping bags didn’t seem mandatory for this type of trek, but they can provide comfort. On the downside, they’re heavy and bulky. In the end, opted for the lighter option. Andreea used a Millet Baikal 750, very compact and lightweight. She also had a small fleece blanket – because it’s fluffy! I brought a Quechua Silk Liner. Planned on using it in case we had to sleep in dirty beds or when blankets were not enough for the cold. Barely used it.

Electronics:

Photo stuff: my trusty old DSLR with 18-135 mm lens. Charger and spare battery. Memory cards. Small camera bag, for protection and easy access.

Garmin Etrex 20 GPS with three sets of rechargeable batteries, along with a battery charger. A Nexus 7 tablet for me, a Kindle for Andreea and an USB charger. A pair of headphones (we had a few movies on the tablet). One small headlamp. A mobile phone which we didn’t use at all in Nepal. Andreea insisted on a hairdryer, so we carried a small one.

Other stuff:

Altitude sickness pills (Nifedipin, Dexamethasone). Band aids. Anti malaria pills (Malarone, Lariam). Water treating drops. Electrolyte pills. Sunscreen (SPF 50 FTW!).

Soap. Toothbrushes and toothpaste. Floss. Hiking towels. Hand sanitizer. Wet tissues.TP. Nail clipper. Ear plugs. Small umbrella (barely used). Sunglasses (barely used).

This is pretty much it. Didn’t mention the trekking poles, as.. ehm.. I lost them on the first day of trekking. Our backpacks weighed almost 13 kg together. Had them as carry on during flights. When returning, we bought a duffel bag to check in the things we were bringing back home.