Recommended Gear List

Clothing

• Gore-Tex or other breathable, waterproof Jacket.
• Long underwear top (2 – 1 synthetic for day, 1 for night (can be cotton for comfort)
• T-shirts (2 or up to you)
• Long sleeved shirt ( 1 or 2, wool or synthetic material like polyester or polypropylene)
• Long underwear bottom (synthetic)
• Durable wool or synthetic long pants suitable for use as an outer layer (1 pair)
• Gore-Tex or equivalent breathable waterproof rain pants (1 pair)

Outdoor Wear

• Fleece/pile/wool sweater or pullover
• Down Jacket or equivalent – must be very warm and puffy, for night, camp, and rests
• Shorts (2 pairs - nylon or cotton)
• Underwear (2 pairs or up to you)
• Wool/fleece stocking hat
• Wool/fleece mittens or warm wool/fleece gloves (mittens are preferred)
• Gaiters (1 pair)
• Sun Hat (baseball cap, beach hat, something to keep the sun off)
• Small Daypack

Outdoor Gear

• Sleeping Bag, preferably down (20° or warmer is a must – it’s cold up high at night!)
• Sunglasses (adequate for snow travel, either wrap—around or with side-visors that block ~100%UV)
• Headlamp (the little LED models are best with spare battery)
• Notebook and pen (2-3 pens)
• X-large Heavy Duty Trash Bags (3)
• SUNSCREEN: waterproof, SPF 30 or higher
• Water bottle (1 quart Nalgene bottles are best)
• Water-proof matches or lighter
• Pocket knife (e.g., a Swiss Army Knife – very handy! Can be purchased in Katmandu before trip)
• Optional Compass, Star-chart, or Binoculars
• Optional Still Camera (film, if necessary; remember that batteries and a charger are not going to be readily available)

Personal Items

• Toiletries:
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Small Soap (1- 2ounces) plastic bottle of something like Dr. Bronner’s soap,
• Toilet paper (1 roll as we provide toilet paper)
• Shower Towel
• Shampoo (can be purchased in Katmandu before trip starts)
• Glasses or contacts as needed
• 3 Zip-loc bags (1 large for notebook, 2 any size for miscellaneous use)
• Any munchies you can’t get along without (e.g., chocolate)
• Lip balm with sunscreen
• Any necessary medication

Footwear

• Light to Medium Weight Hiking Boots (most tennis shoes will NOT work)
• Sport Sandals (wich as Tevas or Chacos)
• Liner socks (2 pairs of thin wool, polypro, Thermax, or similar – not cotton!)
• Wool socks, thick (3 pairs)
• Optional Teva-style sandals or lightweight tennis shoes for being at camp

The best boots for this trip are light to medium weight with leather uppers and lug soles, which are able to handle snow, provide enough protection and support, and have lasting value. They will need to be waterproofed. High top tennis shoes are not acceptable.

New boots MUST be broken in prior to coming to the trip.
Breaking in a new pair of leather boots can involve several weeks so make sure you do it before you arrive!

A second pair of footwear should be brought on the trip as well. Sport sandals, such as Tevas or Chacos, work very well for this and can be used for stream crossings in the backcountry. Running shoes also work well but do not dry as quickly. Every person should have two pairs of footwear so you can switch when in case you get your feet wet.