What to Pack for a Nepal Trek: The Complete Gear List

What you need depends more on altitude and season than on which specific trail you're walking — a teahouse trek to Annapurna Base Camp and one to Everest Base Camp pack almost identically. Here's a list organised the way you'll actually use it: on your body, in your daypack, and in the duffel your porter carries.

The layering system

• Base layer — one or two moisture-wicking thermal tops and bottoms. Merino wool resists odour better than synthetic on a multi-day trek without laundry.
• Mid layer — a fleece or light insulated jacket for villages and evenings below 3,500 m.
• Insulating layer — a proper down jacket for anywhere above 3,500 m; teahouse dining rooms are heated only by a single stove and cool fast once it's out.
• Shell layer — a waterproof, windproof jacket and trousers. Even in the dry autumn season, afternoon weather at altitude turns quickly.

Footwear

• Trekking boots — broken in well before you fly, not on day one of the trek.
• Camp shoes or sandals to let your feet breathe (and your boots dry) at teahouses each evening.
• Wool trekking socks, plus liner socks if you're prone to blisters.
• Gaiters, useful in early spring or late autumn if there's fresh snow on higher passes.

Head, hands, and eyes

• Sun hat with a brim, plus a warm insulated hat for altitude.
• Glove liners and a warm outer glove or mitten shell for above 4,000 m.
• A buff or neck gaiter — doubles as sun protection and a cold-morning face cover.
• Sunglasses rated UV400 / category 3–4 — snow glare at altitude is intense even on an overcast day.

Documents (keep these on you, not in the duffel)

• Passport, valid at least 6 months beyond your travel dates, plus two photocopies stored separately.
• Visa, trekking permits, and your TIMS card or park permit — see our Visa & Permits guide for what your region needs.
• Proof of travel insurance and its emergency contact number.
• Passport-sized photos — several permits and, occasionally, teahouses ask for one.

Electronics

• Headlamp with spare batteries — mandatory, not optional, for pre-dawn viewpoint walks and unlit teahouse corridors.
• A power bank; charging costs extra at altitude and outlets are shared.
• A universal adapter — Nepal uses types C, D, and M sockets at 230V.
• A basic phone with an offline map of your route downloaded in advance.

Health and hygiene

• A compact first-aid kit: blister plasters, antiseptic, any personal medication, and rehydration salts.
• Water purification — tablets, a UV steriliser pen, or a filter bottle; see our Health & Safety guide for why this matters more than bottled water.
• Hand sanitiser and biodegradable soap.
• High-SPF sunscreen and a lip balm with SPF — UV exposure increases roughly 10% per 1,000 m of altitude.

Sleep system

Most teahouses provide a blanket, but not always enough for nights well below freezing above 4,000 m. Bring a sleeping bag rated to at least −15°C for high routes (Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit's Thorong La), or a warm 3-season bag plus a liner for lower, milder routes like Poon Hill or Langtang's lower valley. Camping-based treks need a full sleep system regardless of altitude, since there's no teahouse blanket to fall back on.

Everything else

• A duffel bag for your porter (most operators cap porter loads around 12–15 kg) and a separate daypack for what you carry yourself.
• Trekking poles — genuinely reduce knee strain on long descents.
• Dry bags or liners inside your duffel; weather at altitude is unpredictable even in the dry season.
• A lightweight travel towel and earplugs (teahouse walls are thin).
• Snacks you actually like — appetite drops at altitude, and having a familiar bar or sweet on hand helps you keep eating.

Your specific trip's confirmation page lists exactly what your package includes and excludes, so treat this as the general shape of a kit list — then check your own itinerary for anything region-specific before you finish packing.