Packing Items

Post by Ed


Basic Items
Sleeping Items
Bed Roll
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping bag liner
Small Down Pillow

The main point to consider in packing your sleeping gear, is that the bag be rated to Zero degrees Fahrenheit. The silk liner adds a few degrees, and aids in movement in the bag. The bed roll a closed cell inflatable, adds about 8 degrees of warmth, but more importantly it protects the bag from the earth and it cushions somewhat as well.


Clothing – Lower body
Underwear
Long Underwear
Pants
Full Zip Rain Pants
Full Zip Cold Weather Pants


Footwear
I am taking 2 pair of hiking boots. One a lighter boot by Asolo and one a heavier boot by Vasque. On my Colorado trip this past August 2008, I was wearing my Asolo boots and we ran into snow on August 15th. After that experience I decided that for the higher altitudes we will encounter in Nepal where we may encounter bad weather, the Vasque boots have a better sole and will provide me with more confidence. I also have a pair of Down camp shoes to wear after and before our trekking, as well as a pair of Crocs. I find that the Crocs help my tired feet and I think I’ll be needing them a lot!


Clothing – Upper body
Performance Base layer shirts
Fleece- light and medium weight
Light Zippered Jackets
Rain Jacket
Down Jacket
Hats
Gloves

The main goal on your upper body is to layer your clothing. The trekking will be strenuous and you’ll be expending lots of energy. You want to be able to peel off layers to keep the amount of moisture your body expels to a minimum. You also want to make sure that when you stop and you body temperature comes back down and cools off, you immediately layer up again. Rain gear has to remain with me at all times. Although in Nepal they are coming out of their winter season as well, we could experience rain at the lower elevations as well as snow as we go higher.


Electronics

I will be carrying all camera equipment camera in my day pack. I am taking a small JVC Video Camera. That will have one battery with a rated life of about 2 hours, and one battery with a rated life of about 6.5 hours. Due to the altitude and cold temperatures, we are told to expect about half the normal battery life. I’m also bringing a small Casio Xslim 7.2 megapixel digital camera. I have a total of 3 batteries for this camera. I’ve brought with me 3 4Gig SD cards and 1 1Gig SD card. They each work in either camera.

At the Hotel in Kathmandu I will be leaving behind my computer, phone, iPod, Kindle and all their cords along with any unnecessary or extra items. We will need to keep the weight of our gear down as low as possible as the porters will need to haul our gear, as well as provisions for the group.


Other Items

Food – I have brought some granola and protein bars, some beef jerky, GU Energy Gels and a bit of candy to have when I am trekking. Some days we will be out many hours and I want to make sure I have an available energy.
Water - 2 1 liter bottles for water which I’ll need to have in my pack at all times.
Steripen – This is an ultraviolet light which purifies the water. It is endorsed by the World Health Organization to kill 99% of all water bourne pathogens. It takes 90 seconds to purify 1 Liter of water.
Medications – M Travel / Infectious Disease doctor sent me with Cipro in the event I am unfortunate enough to get any kind of intestinal illness. It kills just about everything. Diamox as I mentioned earlier is for altitude sickness. And Ambien is in case I am having trouble sleeping and/or to assist with the time zone transitions.
First Aid Kit – The items in here are too extensive to list individually, but a sampling of them are: Scissors, tape, Bandaids of all shapes and sizes, and NuSkin.