Annapurna Base Camp Packing List
Ah, what to pack for a trek. There are more opinions out there than there are tea houses in Nepal. I'm going to hit the basics, based on the Annapurna Base Camp trek with or without Poon Hill in the spring or fall for 7 to 10 days. If you are planning a shorter or longer trek, adjust accordingly. Keep in mind it gets very difficult to dry clothes at higher altitudes. I washed some clothes in Deurali but they never dried until I was on my way back down. It also depends on your tolerance for wearing dirty clothes.
All your gear can be bought in Thamel or Pokhara. Most of our gear is from Nepal because it's much cheaper than at home. The very important exception to this is shoes and boots. I'm sure there are some good ones there, especially at the North Face, Black Yak, Timberland and Marmot stores, but unless you have time before your trek to break them in, bring them from home.
Backpacks - We use a porter, so we get a 60L or 70L pack to put our gear in for them to carry. For this trek we can both get into one pack. Be kind to the porters, get them a comfortable backpack. They work very hard for the little money they make on a trek. I have seen them carrying suitcases on their backs. I wouldn't do that so I wouldn't want them to have to do it either. We also have a day pack each. Mine typically is a 45L, but I'm going smaller for the next trip. The bigger your pack is, the more stuff ends up in it. A 25L is more than enough.
Shoes and Boots - I was able to do 95% of base camp in running shoes. It did get painful the higher we got because it becomes more gravel and rock than dirt like at the lower levels, and also colder. Running shoes with their soft soles start to feel like you're barefoot and in the morning my toes got a little numb until they warmed up. Boots and shoes should be bought at home and broken in before your trek. The last thing you need is blisters from your boots because you didn't break them in properly. I personally don't use the traditional type boots, I use approach shoes. The Asolo Eldo Mid GV is the newer version of what I use. Whatever boot you choose, make sure it's waterproof. Even if it's not raining there is a lot of water you're going to encounter. These have a solid sole, but tend to be lighter than boots. The higher you get the heavier your boots feel. Since we're talking about feet, don't forget a pair of shower shoes which can just be flipflops to also wear around the tea house. Be careful of splinters though. The wood at the tea houses is rough and a splinter in the foot can really make trekking miserable. I like to stay with closed shoes to protect my feet because I tend to jam my feet into random objects.
Toiletries - The usual, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. that you typically need at home. Bring some toilet paper, you can buy some at most tea houses, but if they are out there's no 7-11 to go to. Also there's only leaves between tea houses, and I'm not about to pick a random leaf. I've never had to do this, and it is really frowned upon within the sanctuary, but I know folks that had food poisoning and had no choice to get down. I also recommend wet wipes and hand sanitizer, soap and clean water is not always around when you need it.
Clothing - I would suggest 4 pairs of socks, 4 underwear, 4 shirts, 3 pair trekking pants, 2 shorts, at least a light pair of gloves, a baseball cap or other hat for lower levels, and a wool cap or equivalent for higher elevations. If you get a wool cap without ear cover, you might want something to keep your ears warm. A light jacket is good for the lower levels and a puffy jacket or one with a Gore-Tex liner for the upper couple days. I always wear a thermal layer past Bamboo, so I have Underarmor Heatgear bottoms and tops. I usually end up being only in the base layer top by noon. This is just a suggested list as I have seen trekkers with 2 pairs of socks and underwear, and some with 2 sets for each day.
Medications - Bring plenty for a couple of extra days for anything you normally take. I stop by Lake Pharmacy to pick up the normal trekking pack of generic Cipro, Diamox, Imodium and some kind of pain medication. These are very inexpensive and if I don't use them, I leave it with the guide or porter for their families or other clients to use. Best to keep this in your day pack. I also take some Tums, you never know when something you eat doesn't sit well.
First Aid - Assorted size Band-Aids are a must, along with some Moleskin and Neosporin. I always carry some medical and athletic tape, small roll of gauze, small nonstick patches, superglue, along with a small pocketknife. I've used all of this (usually on other trekkers), so always good to have and it is all very light. Your guide will have a basic medical kit with them, but I like to have this with me in my day pack. It's not really medical, but I have tweezers, fingernail / toenail cutters, Emory board and a very small pair of scissors in our full pack.
Sunscreen - Just about everyone knows the higher you get the more intense the sun is, especially you skiiers out there. Do yourself a favor and bring a high SPF, I recommend 45 or above and sweatproof. Usually the sport sunscreens work well.
Water Bottle - This deserves its own bullet on the list. We both have Life Straw bottles with filters. This might be a little overkill since there are clean water stations at every tea house along this trek. I want to avoid stomach problems at any cost, so we filter our water anyway. Plastic bottles are not allowed to be sold in the sanctuary, so be sure to bring some sort of bottle for your water.
Misc. - a headlamp or flashlight is a must for bathroom runs at night and if you want to hike up to base camp for sunrise if you are staying at Deurali or Machhapuchhare Base Camp (MBC). Some cards to play in the evening, or any other game that is small and light to carry is fun, along with some of your favorite snacks to have in your day pack, like Gummy Bears.
Cash - Not any ATMs or credit card machines on a trek. Carry more cash than you think you need. We bring the equivalent of $100 USD per day, which is about twice as much as we typically go through. We averaged about the same on the Manaslu Circuit, but I have heard everything along the Everest Base Camp trek is more expensive. On average we spent somewhere around $40 -$50 per day for both of us. We drink a lot of coffee / milk tea, a light breakfast and lunch, and a bigger dinner. Keep your cash in your daypack, there have been instances of people's cash going missing from their room so keep your daypack with you. I trust my guides and porters from HappyTreks, but not everyone else. I hand Salik a wad of cash enough for a day or two to pay for our bills at the tea houses, he pays our bill and hands me back the cash and the receipt, same with Raj and Prem. I keep the main stash buried in my daypack.
As always, I'm happy to answer any questions you have. I am no expert, and have learned the hard way from our many treks in Nepal. I can be contacted here.