Clothing
- Down or fibre-filled jacket
- Fleece jacket or sweater
- Rain jacket or poncho
- Hiking pants - light, quick drying fabric in dark colours are best
- Zip-off shorts for men - women are advised against wearing shorts
- Skirts for women - are very practical on the trail
- T-shirts, preferably quick drying, possibly thermal tops for colder treks
- Thermal underwear for colder treks
- Underwear
- Socks, preferably cotton-mix sports socks rather than heavy wool which dries slower
- Sun hat
- Warm hat
- Gloves/ mittens
- Swimsuit, if you want to try out a hot spring along the way
- Boots
- Flip-flops
Ideally, you should budget, say, one item of clothing on your body, one in reserve, and one drying - so, say, three T-shirts should be enough. However, everyone's individual needs are different, and while you won't need as much underwear as you usually do, extra socks can be a lifesaver.
Gear
- Daypack (to fit the 8-12 kg you will carry on your person)
- Large rucksack or duffel bag to be carried by porters (you must ensure that any bags being carried by porters or anyone other than you are locked securely with a padlock)
- Pack cover
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping bag liner
- Insulating pad or self-inflating mattress, if on camping trek
- Money belt
- Small-medium towel
- Umbrella
- Water bottle
- Torch or headlamp, with batteries and spare bulbs
- Sunglasses
- Trekking poles, useful on descents
- Camera
- Film
- Plastic bags
- Padlocks
- Scissors
- Small pocketknife
- Sewing kit
- Lighter
- Optional: Book, diary, binoculars, GPS/ altimeter/ thermometer unit
Toiletries
- Sunscreen
- Lip balm with sunscreen
- Toothpaste, small will do
- Toothbrush
- Soap, small will do
- Shampoo, small will do
- Antibacterial gel
- Laundry soap
- Toilet paper
- Deodorant
- Moisturiser
- Water-purification tablets
- Contact lens solution, if you wear them
Medical kit
- Antiseptic antibacterial cream or solution
- Lozenges/ pastilles
- Antibiotic eye-drops
- Moleskin
- Cotton bandages and band-aids
- Elastic bandages
- Tweezers
- Lancing needle
- Thermometer
- Sling
- Aspirin
- Paracetamol
- Painkillers
- Anti-emetic for nausea (not at high altitude)
- Anti-histamine tablets and cream for allergies
- Loperamide to control diarrhoea
- Diamox (acetezolamide)
- Norfloxacin or cipro to cure diarrhoea, other infections
- Tinidazole for giardiasis
- Oral re-hydration salts
- Other medication that you take regularly or for conditions you know you suffer from. Diabetics should ensure they have adequate supplies of insulin, the delivery gun, portable blood sugar monitor, and enough snacks.
