Essential Things to Carry for The Himalayan Trek

“Uff”, I know the pain of deciding things to carry for the Himalayan Trek. Never worry, I will help you with this post. When it comes to the Himalayan trek, many go clueless on “what essential things one should carry for the trek?”. Well, the first thing one should define is “What is Essential?”, if this is answered, we tend to carry only the stuff that is really needed and leave the rest behind. Most of the travelers tend to carry many unwanted things as they pack with the “Just in Case” mindset rather than the “Must Have” mindset.

With almost experience of four treks in the Himalayan ranges, I am here to help you with all the essential things that one should carry for their upcoming Himalayan trek (Not a technical Mountaineering but a Normal Trek). Kindly note that the below suggestions are ample for 9 -11 days of the trek with an altitude of less than 20k ft. Before entering, I just wish to quote the following, which was said by my guide, when I weighed my rucksack before the first trek.

Are you here for your Trek or planning to Marry Someone at the Summit?

–The Guide

Now lets get back to the topic..Based on the importance, i have categorized the essential things and listed under each category. At the end of post you can find a PDF, but please read the article, which will have some suggestions thats not present in PDF.

Important Documents to Carry for your Himalayan Trek

The first and foremost thing one should carry for the trek will be documents related to your trek as well as travel. Few documents mentioned below might be taken care of by your trek organizer if you have opted one.

• Medical Certificate from Government Registered Doctor (Most of the organizers have their own format on their official website).
• Forest Entry Permission
• Booking Receipt and Membership Card
• Admit Card from the organizer or Forest Department.
• Passport Size Photographs.
• Copy of trek itinerary and route map.
• Air, Rail, and Bus tickets to reach the base camp.
• The rucksack should consist of One Document with the title “In case of Emergency” stating your emergency contact details and any health-related information that will help to diagnose you when you are really in an emergency. You can also have your name card with the emergency contact detail in the rucksack.

Most importantly, one should always carry their Identity document and Address proof document (Like Driving License, Passport, etc.,) during any trek or travel. I will be talking about this and the way to organize the important documents while traveling, in another post.

Medical Needs

Basically high altitude treks might be tiring and may cause illness depending on individual health. Considering common problems one might encounter, the following things should be carried for the Himalayan Trek.

Not everyone is recommended to take all the below medicine along with you. Sharing medicines among your group of friends during the trek will be a win-win for all.

• Each Individual should take their Personal Medicines and contact lens fluid.
• Tablets related to Fever, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Headache, Cold and Flu, Pain Killers.
• Oral Re-hydration Powders(Electral, Glucose, etc.,).
• Pain Relieving Sprays, Adhesive Bandage, Cream for wounds.
• Anti Fungal Powders or Cream.
• Portable Oxygen Cylinder, to be considered only if it’s a self-organized trek.

Consider taking all the above based on your need and as mentioned earlier share among the group.

Apparels to Carry for the Himalayan Trek

Before selecting any apparel, consider the technical specification of the product and the difficulty of your trek. Also, ensure that apparel colors are soft enough which might not disturb the fauna. Considering trek duration of 9 to 11 days, listing the below apparels which are to be packed in your rucksack.

• Sweat Resistant Socks -2 Pairs.
• Track Pants – 2.
• Thermal Lower -1.
• Woolen Socks -1 Pair (To be used only while Sleeping).
• Flip Flop Slippers – 1 Pair (To wander around Campsite).
• Light Weight Quick Dry T-Shirts – 3 (Preferably full-sleeved Polyester-Cotton Blended or Polyester only).
• Inner wears (Prefer new ones as this can help you when you sweat a lot).
• Wind Proof Fleece -1.
• Poncho -1 or Waterproof Jacket -1 (Poncho helps you to cover even your legs).
• Small Quick Dry Towel
• Water Proof Gloves -1 Pair.
• Hat.
• Multi-Position Head Band -Helps you to cover your ears and keep your neck region warm.
• Sunglass – Avoid Blue Lens. Prefer Yellow, Green, or Amber colored lens.
• Trekking Shoes.

Considering a predefined kitchen set up at each campsite, following might be the utensils needed

• Lunch Box
• Coffee Mug
• Water Bottle

Equipment and Gadgets

I have listed here minimal gadgets, which would be more than sufficient, when you are looking for complete peace and break from routine life. An increase in the number of electronic gadgets increases the weight of rucksack and that is not essential.

• Tents, Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Bag Liners, if it’s a self-organized Himalayan Trek.
• Trekking Pole.
• One thin lengthy rope for a group or tent.
• Head Torch or Normal Torch
• Mobile Phone (Always keep it warm, as the battery drains fast in cold conditions).

I don’t suggest to carry a DSLR for the Himalayan Trek unless you are trekking for professional photography. If you wish to carry Camera Bag along with you, please check this article to know the essentials things your camera bag should contain.

Toiletries, Cosmetics and Other Miscellaneous

This topic is the one where people prefer to carry a lot and increase their rucksack weight. Consider taking only the below, which should do the job and you can share the things that can be shared among your friends.

• Tooth Brush and Paste.
• 3 in 1 Shower Gel -Travel Size.
• Face wipes (The one with least quantity – less than 50).
• Tissues or Toilet Rolls (Prefer Tissues as it will be bit easy to carry).
• Hand Sanitizer.
• Lip Care and Sun Screen lotion.
• Extra Shoe Laces.
• Swiss Knife.
• Sewing needle and thread.

To conclude, one should understand that lighter the rucksack, the happier the trek. Among all the essentials mentioned, one should consider sharing things with each other, rather than each one carrying all the things which will be used rarely.

You are all set for the great Himalayan Trek! Yes, its time to pack the RUCKSACK with “THE ESSENTIAL” things. I repeat “ONLY THE ESSENTIAL”. From my experience, I might have considered a few things as really not essential and vice versa. If you have any thought of carrying other things apart from the above, do ask yourself “Am I Getting Ready For A Trek Or For A Wedding”. Ultimately this should help you to figure out the essential things.

Carry only the essential things to the Himalayan Trek and definitely, you will be carrying a lot of memories back home!

Did you find this article useful in figuring out Essential things for the Himalayan trek? Please feel free to comment below.