Packing for Nepal is not an easy task. I started months in advance and was determined to be as cost efficient as possible. I borrowed some pieces from my auntie, trawled through summer sales and took advantage of having Amazon Prime.
After camping for 14 days and trekking across completely different terrain there are a few items I really couldn’t have enjoyed the trip without.
⁃ Merino wool layers – I’m so impressed with how well suited merino wool is for hiking. It wicks away sweat to keep you warm and the more layers the better as Everest base camp approaches!
⁃ Trekking trousers – the ones with the ability to un-zip into shorts! It can be surprisingly warm at times, especially once you reach mid-morning so it’s great to quickly change them into shorts. Within the team they were quite an enviable part of my wardrobe.
⁃ Buff Neck Warmer – the dust is quite intolerable at times, and it’s important to try to avoid the infamous ‘Khumba cough’. If I could do it again I’d buy a patterned one as I noticed lots along the way that were much nicer than my plain one!
⁃ Hats – there seemed to be a constant need for different hats. Whether it’s hot, whether it’s cold or whether you just want to cover up unwashed hair. Bring a few for all weather conditions! I bought a cheap baseball cap at the Thamel market in Kathmandu.
⁃ Sunglasses – the sun combined with the thing air calls for sunglasses! Think of skiing and keep sun lotion on to avoid sunburn!
⁃ Hand Sanitiser – the most useful item. A necessity in this region! There’s rarely any running water for washing.
⁃ Lip balm – my lips were very dry along the trip. And dare I say it so was my nose when we reached the colder parts. I’d probably take one with SPF and some Vaseline or tea tree products for that too!
⁃ Bpa free water bottle – our tour provider gave us boiled water each day and it’s essential the bottles are BPA free when you use the warmer water. I bought one out there but I’d argue if it was BPA free even though there was a label on it.
⁃ Battery pack – it gets very expensive to charge your phones in the remote regions. And they limit the usage to an hour. They didn’t always allow camera chargers either so it’s great to have extra battery packs!
And also some home comforts I really wish I brought with me..
Herbal Tea Bags – although plenty of coffee and tea on offer we wanted to avoid caffeine at high altitudes. A camomile tea would have been perfect!
Granola Energy Bars – as much as were so incredibly grateful for the chef’s cooking on our trek it would have been so nice to have a fruit and nut granola bar to replace the odd out-of-date date snickers bar in between meals!
Mini Face Cream – it’s fantastic to be make up free and give the skin a much needed break from city living. Vitamin D and no alcohol really gave my skin a glow but the high UV levels and dusty paths took their toll too. I really wanted to have a decent eye cream to hydrate!
I’ve handpicked some particular brands that I think would be ideal. I’ll have this with you all next week.
CityGirl Xx
