Three Passes Trek Nepal - Gear List (Packing List)
Three Weeks of Trekking in Nepal
Now comes the big question — what do I need for this adventure? How cold will it get in March? How challenging will it be to trek with a backpack at over 5,000m above sea level? The goal is to have a lightweight backpack but still be prepared for temperatures as low as -15°C. Once the flight is booked, I’ll begin the preparation, which means putting together my packing list. I’ve been scouring various blogs, websites, and videos, checking what I already have and what I might need to buy. It’s an intense and wonderful activity. I weigh each item on my kitchen scale, meticulously list everything on my packing list, take photos, and finally, zip up the backpack. Ready!
Gearlist Three Passes Trek, Nepal
You can find my complete list, including weight details, here:
Gearlist Three Passes Trek Nepal
The list includes everything I took for the trek, and my comments on each item can be found below. Important note: This packing list was suitable for me. My recommendation: Bring clothes and shoes you feel comfortable in, and only pack what is absolutely necessary for you. For me, it was clear that I would bring things like my Kindle, extra warm socks, or enough medication, even if it made my backpack a bit heavier. However, you should not feel overwhelmed by the weight on your back and should be confident that you can walk 20km with it (not even taking the altitude into account).
Starting Situation: Trekking in March, traveling alone as a female, without a guide or porter, and I tend to get cold quickly. In Gorak Shep, it was around -15°C to -20°C at this time.
Total weight: 12.62kg
Weight on Body: 3.09kg
Weight in backpack: 8.71kg
Consumables: 0.82kg
(Weighed at home. Excluding cash, cards, micro spikes, and water)
Note: For the trip to Kathmandu, I packed everything, including the hiking backpack, into a large duffel bag. At the hotel, I could store it along with everything I didn’t need for the trek. This way, I had fresh clothes before and after the trek and could leave other items that I only needed for Kathmandu or the arrival/departure there.
The Big Two
The two biggest items, sleeping bag and backpack. A tent is not needed since I stay in lodges.
Sleepingbag:
The teahouses and their bedrooms are not heated. Therefore, a warm, high-quality, and preferably lightweight sleeping bag is essential for the trip. Each bed typically has a light duvet. (If you’re traveling or sleeping alone in a room, you’ll have at least two blankets available.) I always used the sleeping bag (cozy, warm, and more hygienic) and sometimes added an extra blanket on top. I was very satisfied with my sleeping bag, the Western Mountaineering Versalite, on this tour. It remained fluffy, comfortable, warm, and the hood was a great feature. Weighing only 905g, it’s relatively lightweight. Nighttime temperatures dropped to around -15°C (in Gorak Shep). I stuffed the sleeping bag directly into my backpack or the garbage bag.
Backpack:
I used what I typically use for any multi-day trek: the Circuit Ultralight Backpack from ULA. I had configured this backpack for the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and imported it from the USA. I also brought the matching shoulder bag and used it to store my sunglasses. The backpack can hold up to 68 liters, has two zippered hip pockets, which I used for keeping money, sunscreen, lip balm, and a snack. It also has two side pockets where I stored the Micro Spikes, a water bottle, and hiking poles, as well as a large back pocket where I stashed my jacket and gloves. The space was absolutely sufficient, the backpack very compact, extending only to the neck (which I really like), and at 1.162kg, it’s not overly heavy.
Hiking Clothes: Missing from the picture: Basecap
Clothing for evenings and nights
Clothing
Shirts:
1x Odlo Baselayer
I wore the same Icebreaker shirt every day for hiking. One shirt is sufficient. I used the second Icebreaker shirt in the evenings and the Odlo shirt at night. In some nights, I wore both shirts. However, a total of two shirts would have been enough. One for hiking and one for the evening/night.
Tops:
For hiking: 1x Icebreaker WMNS 200 Oasis LS Half Zip (worn daily)
For evenings: 1x Patagonia Women’s R1 Air Zip Shirt (favorite piece)
All-purpose: Crosswave arm sleeves, which can be found in the cycling department. These are my secret tip for any trekking trip. They serve as additional wind protection, provide warmth, and can be quickly removed if it gets too hot in the sun. I wore them every night, allowing me to forgo an additional long-sleeved top.
Jackets:
1x Hardshell Jacket Patagonia W’s Quandary
1x Down Jacket Haglöfs L.I.M. Series.
I didn’t need the hardshell jacket every day, but I was very glad to have it for wind, snow, and rain. The Haglöfs down jacket is ultralight, has a small pack size, and provides extreme warmth. I wore it in the evenings and occasionally to sleep in. A warm jacket is an absolute must.
Pants:
For hiking: 1x Mammut Women’s Courmayeur SO Pants
For hiking: 1x Halti base layer pants
Evening/Night: 1x Icebreaker 260 Tech Leggings Women
Evening/Night: 1x McKinley base layer (thick)
I find the Mammut trekking pants to be excellent. They are extremely comfortable to wear, the pockets are well-placed, and they effectively repel wind and snow. The integrated option to adjust the waist size is very practical for such a trek because you might be shedding some weight along the way. I wore the Halti base layer under the trekking pants from Dingboche to Thame and would take them again. The Icebreaker base layer is very comfortable, and I wore it exclusively at night. I spontaneously decided to take the somewhat older and heavier McKinley pants as well. I wore them a few times at night, but I probably could have managed without them.
Miscellaneous:
1x Icebreaker Sprite Racerback Merino (sports bra)
5x Socks: 1x Icebreaker (thin), 1x Injinji toe socks (thin), 1x Smartwool (medium), 1x Icebreaker (thick), 1x Smartwool (thick)
Unbelievable, I had five pairs of socks with me. What I really needed were: 1x thin hiking socks, 1x medium or thick hiking socks, and a comfortable, warm pair for evenings and nights. Bring what your feet are used to and what you’ve already worn with your shoes. The socks for the night were almost knee-high and extra cozy. It adds a few extra grams, but I looked forward to them every evening.1x thin, long Buff neck gaiter
An absolute must for protecting yourself from the wind and sun during the day, and from the cold in the evenings and nights.1x warm Mammut headband
1x warm Patagonia beanie
I prefer a headband for hiking. In the evenings and at night, I was grateful for the beanie. It not only covered my greasy hair but also kept my head warm in the sleeping bag.1x thin merino gloves
1x fleece gloves
I mostly wore the thin merino gloves. The fleece gloves were fine, but sometimes I still felt cold with both gloves. Thick mittens might be more suitable in some situations.1x ULA Rain Kilt
Fortunately, it rained only briefly on the last afternoon just before Lukla. I had the opportunity to test the rain kilt for the first time, and it passed the test with flying colors. So small and light, I would definitely bring it again next time.
Shoes
1x La Sportiva Aequilibrium ST Woman GTX
The question of suitable footwear bothered me for a long time. I’ve been hiking in low trail runners for years and no longer wear high-cut hiking boots. Would this be sufficient for the Three Passes Trek? I no longer own regular hiking boots. In the end, I brought two pairs of shoes. The trail runners, which I usually wear for all my hikes, and the mountaineering boots. They were heavier, but I was glad I had them with me. I wore the mountaineering boots for the three passes and Kala Patthar, while the trail runners were sufficient on all other days. For me, it was an optimal setup. I packed the pair of shoes I wasn’t wearing into an ultra-light TexAid bag and stuffed them at the bottom of my backpack before placing the trash bag (see backpack above) with the rest of my gear on top. This way, nothing got dirty. I didn’t need additional shoes for accommodations; I wore the trail runners there.
Not shown in the picture: mobile phone.
Electronics
Garmin InReach Explorer+: GPS satellite device. Would definitely bring it again. I had the route stored on it, could track my location at any time, and send and receive messages without Wi-Fi.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro with case
Petzl headlamp with 3 spare batteries: the spare batteries were unnecessary.
Charging cables and devices for various gadgets
Headphones: were unnecessary. I only needed them once for a phone call — they will stay in the hotel in Kathmandu next time.
Anker PowerCore 20000mAh power bank: Perfect. I didn’t need to charge my devices from Dingboche to Thame (charging is available in every lodge). The power bank had enough juice for my phone and other devices until Thame.
Kindle Paperwhite without a case
3x SD cards: one would have been enough.
Camera: Fujifilm X-T1 with the Tamron 17–70mm lens and two batteries: Heavier than a phone, but I’m immensely pleased with the great pictures. Would bring it again. The two batteries lasted for nearly 18 days, and I didn’t need to recharge them.
Peak Design camera clip for the backpack, including a key.
Top 4: Wet Wipes, Electrolytes, Pads, and the water bottle, which also served as a hot water bottle.
Hygiene Items & Miscellaneous
Hygiene Items / Drinking System:
1x VIU glasses
1x VIU sunglasses including case
1x Victorinox pocket knife Mini
1x Lip balmUltraSun SPF50
1x Vaseline mini (I gave it to a hiker)
1x Bamboo toothbrush
1x Toothpaste 15ml (enough for exactly 18 days)
10x Wet Wipes (next time 18 pcs.)
20x Panty liners (great to be able to change every day)
1x Dental floss (a few meters without a cover)
1x Hairbrush (brush part separated)
1x Natural soap Dr. Bronner 18-in-1, 60ml (half would have been enough)
1x Roll of toilet paper (bought another roll in Gokyo)
1x Disinfectant gel, 25ml
2x Sunscreen Piz Buin SPF50, 50ml (one tube would have been enough)
1x Deodorant Borotalco, 45ml
1x Body lotion Kneipp, 75ml
1x Earplugs (Very important. The walls are extremely thin)
various blister plasters Compeed
various medications: Ibuprofen, Mefenacid, Zomig, Algifor
20x tablets Diamox (bought in Namche, not used)
various wound plasters
2x Disinfectant wipe
1x Bepanthen
1x Voltaren, bottled a few ml
1.5m Compex Tape
1x ultra-light towel, size XS (not necessary if there are enough wet wipes)
2x Epitact Gel plasters
100x Micropur Forte tablets to filter water
Water bottle: Nalgene 1l (also used as a bed bottle. Great!)
Water folding bag: Nalgene 1.5l (used once, superfluous)
20x tablets of electrolytes (give a great taste)
Varia:
1x approximately 2m Duct Tape (wrapped around the trekking poles)
Map of the region (purchased in Lukla)
1x wallet (a small plastic ziplock bag)
1x passport
Cash 50 USD (for 30 days Nepal visa; they also accepted CHF or EUR)
Cash 120,000 NPR (withdrawn in Kathmandu; maximum withdrawal per ATM was usually 30,000–40,000 NPR)
4x passport photos (not needed for permits)
2x flight tickets Kathmandu-Lukla-Kathmandu (could have been on the phone)
4x Snickers bars to start with (usually bought a Snickers as an emergency snack later)
1x Micro Spikes (bought in Namche Bazaar for 2,000 NPR; used them for Cho La and Renjo La Passes and was very glad I bought them)
Trekking poles: I like to use trekking poles while trekking, as it helps distribute weight during steep ascents and reduces stress on the knees during descents. However, from the ninth day onwards, I was only using one pole because I lent one to someone who unfortunately had a fall and bent the end of the pole. Trekking with only one pole felt unnatural to me, so at some point, I packed that one pole in my backpack and continued without them. I would still bring compact Leki-style trekking poles.