Footwear:

• Running or tennis shoes. 1 pair for casual wear on lighter walking days.
• Light hiking boots. 1 pair of sturdy hiking boots in which you should wear a light synthetic sock under a warm heavy sock comfortably, either wool or synthetic. Boots should be very water repellent.
• Hiking Gaiters (Optional). 1 pair keeps rocks out of shoes and boots dry in case of precipitation. Optional if trekking pants are worn.
• Wool or Synthetic Socks. 3 pair heavyweight wool or synthetic socks (wool is warmer) to be worn over the liner socks. When layering socks, check fit over feet and inside boots. Remember to keep one fresh, dry pair of socks available at all times. It is very important to buy new socks regularly as they lose their cushioning over time. Socks with padded shins are especially nice with boots.
• Liner Socks. 3 pair of smooth thin wool, nylon or Capilene to be worn next to the skin. This reduces the incidence of blisters and hot- spots and makes the outer sock last longer before needing to be changed. They should fit well with your heavyweight socks.

Clothing:

• Lightweight base layer. 2 pair, tops & bottoms, Merino wool is best. No Cotton. Lightweight is preferable as it is more versatile (worn single in warmer conditions and double layer for colder).
• Zip-T-neck tops allow more ventilation options. Light colours for intense sunny days and one pair of dark for faster drying gives the most versatility.
• Light trekking pants.
• T-shirts.
• Bandana/Buff. Bring 2 or more. Great to use as face masks, head cover, neck cover.
• Synthetic/Soft Shell jacket. A full-zip version is easier to put on and has better ventilation than a pullover.
• Insulated Synthetic Pants. Optional Full separating side zippers (This is very important for ventilation. Full side zips also allow pants to be taken off without having to remove boots).
• Insulated Down jacket. Medium weight with hood.
• Hard Shell jacket w/ hood. We recommend a waterproof breathable shell material with full front zipper, underarm zips, and no insulation. This outer layer protects against wind and rain.
• Hard Shell Pants. Waterproof, breathable. Any side zipper length is fine as long as you can get them over your boots.
• Fleece sweatshirt for cool evenings.
• Underwear - merino wool is preferable.
• Athletic bras.
• Clothing to wear while en route to Nepal. Clothing to wear before and after trek.

Handwear:

• Fleece/Soft Shell gloves. 1 pair. A heavier fleece will do a better job of keeping hands warmer when wet.
• Liner gloves.
• Shell Gloves w/insulation. 1 pair. Insulation does not need to be removable. A good quality ski glove is sufficient.

Headwear:

• Headlamp, spare bulbs and batteries. A good quality climbers headlamp. For use at night in tents. Bring extra batteries!
• Sun hat. The sun can be intense at high altitude. A hat with a good visor provides protection for the nose and eyes. Baseball hats work well. A Buff is recommended to reduce the amount of dust inhaled while trekking and reduces the chance of infection.
• Wool/synthetic ski hat. 1 lightweight.
• Neck Gaiter or Buff. Buff is preferred for covering the face and preventing sickness.
• Glacier/sun glasses. 100% UV. High quality optical lenses designed for mountain use (side covers, leashes, and a nose guard is particularly helpful). No more than 8% light transmission. If you wear contact lenses we recommend packing a spare pair of glasses—it is a good idea to have these with “photo-gray” or equivalent light-sensitive material so they can double as emergency sunglasses. If you wear glasses we recommend prescription glacier glasses (gray or amber). Talk to your eye care professional to find out where prescription glacier glasses are available. Regular sunglasses are not dark enough and do not provide any side protection from the sun.

Personal Equipment:

• Sleeping bag. High quality with hood. Down is lighter and less bulky, but more expensive than synthetics. Purchase waterproof compression bag.
• Self Inflating pad. 1, 3/4 or full length w/repair kit.
• Backpack. A day pack big enough to carry water bottles, camera, lunch and extra clothing. 3,000 cu.in. max. Osprey is a great brand.
• Adjustable 3 section Ski/Trekking Poles. Optional.
• Water Bottles: 2 to 3 Wide mouth bottles with minimum 1 Litre capacity per bottle. Optional: water bag or bladder systems.
• Pee Bottle. Optional, but very useful.
• Pee Funnel for women. Optional
• Sunscreen. SPF 30 or better, 2 small tubes. Make sure that the sun screen is not older than 6 months. Sunscreen older than six months loses half of its SPF rating.
• Hand/Foot Warmers. Optional Recommended if you easily get cold hands and feet 1- 3 pairs.
• Lipbalm. SPF 30 or better, at least 2-3 sticks. Not older than 6 months.
• iPod/MP3 Player. Optional but a great form of entertainment.
• Flash memory only players since hard drive players do not work at high altitude (above 13,000ft).
• Charger: Chargers can be used at several lodges along the way.
• Camera with extra battery. Camera charger.
• Journal, pen, pencil (Keeping a daily journal is a great way to record your adventure).
• Pen knife.
• Whistle.
• Book or e-book.
• A picture of your loved ones so you can “see” them every day.

Traveling Necessities:

• Passport
• Travel Visa
• Personal/Travel health insurance information
• Large duffle bag w/ travel locks. 1 or 2 for transporting and storing gear. These bags are are needed to transport your clothing. If all your gear will fit into one bag then you will need only one. A second small duffel can be nice for storing things during the trek.
• Plastic/waterproof bags (5 minimum). For lining stuff sacks & pack to keep gear dry.
• Compression bags. For sleeping bag, clothing etc. Great way to make more room in your duffle/trekking bag.
• Travel clothes. You will need street/casual clothing for air travel days and time spent in Kathmandu. Make sure you bring comfortable clean clothing for your airplane trip back to Canada.

Toiletries:

• Toilet paper (lots!)
• Soap/hand soap/camp soap
• Camp towel/facecloth
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Dental Floss
• Q-tips
• Babywipes, 2-3 packs
• Hand sanitizer
• Hand moisturizer
• Facial moisturizer
• Body moisturizer
• Feminine products
• Shaving kit
• Deodorant
• Brush/comb
• Hair accessories
• Shampoo
• Baby powder. Small bottle - great for keeping your feet dry
• Tweezers, nail clippers, nail file
• Conditioner
• Vitamins
• Ear plugs (to block outside noises or in case your roommate snores)
• Other personal Items: ________________________________________________

First Aid:

• Personal first aid kit: Moleskin, Adhesive tape, Band-Aids, gauze, alcohol pads, polysporin
• Drugs/Medications/Prescriptions. Climbers should bring
  • Mupirocin (Bactroban) cream, excellent topical antibiotic for scrapes and cuts.
  • Cirprofloxin (Cipro) 500mg tablets for traveler’s diarrhea and for urinary tract infections.
  • Loperamide (Lomotil) or Immodium for diarrhea.
  • See your Doctor if you wish to take Acetazolamide (Diamox) 125 or 250mg tablets for altitude sickness.
  • Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) 200mg tablets for altitude headaches, sprains, aches, etc.
  • Excedrin for headaches.
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol) 325mg tablets for stomach sensitivity.
• Electrolytes (essential for staying hydrated). You can purchase electrolyte tablets at camping/trekking stores.

Gadgets and Snacks:

• Ziplock baggies (various sizes). Great for storing your snacks, keeping batteries, toilet paper etc. dry.
• Favorite Snack Item Ideas:
  • Individual packets of oatmeal
  • Protein Bars
  • Granola Bars
  • Trail Mix
  • Electroytes (essential for staying hydrated)
  • Energy chews/shots. Can be purchased at camping/trekking stores.
  • Chocolate
  • Gum
  • Cliff bars
  • Individual packets of peanut butter
  • Tea bags (your favourite flavours)
  • Starbucks via (for coffee lovers)
• Other: __________________________________________________

Note: Trekkers should bring all gear in one large duffel bag and a small backpack.