ABC Trek Packing List

When you will be out in Nepal for Annapurna Base Camp Trek or ABC Trek, a good or bad packing list can make or break your trek, specially if you are backpacking without any guide.

ABC Trekking Backpack

One of the most important questions will be in determining a suitable bag for the trek. I took the Osprey Farpoint 40 with me and was happy with it. I also used these Packing Cubes for organizing my stuff.

ABC Trek Packing List For Warmth

This is the most important question. You have to keep your body warm. It can be freezing at night at high altitude. However, while you will trek during the day, if the sun is out, you won’t feel cold. So, layering and choosing different types of clothing at different times is important.

First, wear an inner or neck T-shirt . This will be your first layer of protection. After that, wear a full sleeve shirt. On top of it, wear a fleece. You need to wear a Down Sweater Jacket in the outermost layer. If you don’t feel cold, you can take out the last one followed by the previous one.

In the bottom, with underpants, you can wear a Fleece Sweatpants. On top of it, Jeans or Trouser should be good.

You will still feel cold in the head and neck. A beanie for the head and Scarf for the neck will be necessary. A pair of hand gloves are the last thing you will need.

Drinking

You can refill your water bottle from springs and you will get plenty of them during your trek. I took a Thermos Intak 24 Ounce Hydration Bottle with me.

If you can’t trust the purity of the water, you can take a water purifying tablet with you. However, I cannot stand their smell and taste. I found a great alternate. This LifeStraw Water Filter purifies the water with no help from a battery, solar, or anything. You just need to put it inside your bottle and drink the water. It was cool!

Walking

You don’t need a super sophisticated trekking boot for this trek. You need one with a good grip. Better if it has some waterproofing facilities. You can try Merrell Men’s Moab 2 Waterproof Hiking Shoe.

I used Merrell Men’s Moab Gore-Tex Waterproof Hiking Shoe for my trip, and it was good, too. Not heavy, have a good grip.

You need to take several pairs of socks with you. I suggest taking 3 pairs with you. You can take more if you can carry. These socks are good for hiking and provide cushioning to your heel.

Go Digital

If you have a smartphone with you, you must download the Maps.me in your phone and preload the map in that region. You won’t have internet connectivity for most of the time. But this map will work. I downloaded both Google Maps and Maps.me. The Maps.me worked like a charm and was a lifesaver.

You need to charge your phone to take your photos and navigate through the maps. As electricity is scarce in the region, bring a Power Bank with you.

You can use your mobile phone to capture photos. However, if you want to use a DSLR camera without breaking your bank, you can choose Nikon 3300. I like this camera because it is lightweight compared to other DSLRs. Remember that this is an entry-level DSLR and if you want sublime output, increase your budget. Recently, I upgraded to Canon EOS R – it’s a full-frame mirrorless camera and I absolutely love it!

The camera I mentioned above comes with a basic lens. If you want to take photos of a bigger region, you need a wide-angle camera lens. This 10-20mm wide-angle lens can be used with the Nikon 3300 and will give you an option to shot the landscape better.

If you are taking the camera I mentioned above, bring two pairs of batteries with you, fully charged.

The nights can be longer as the trek for the day will be completed by 5:00 PM every day. You won’t have much to do other than to sleep. While sleeping is an impressive thing, you can take a Kindle with you to read books.

Laptop

You need to carry a lightweight laptop with a longer battery life. The nights are long in the Himalayas, so, you can use a laptop for watching a film, or taking a look at the photos you captured. My suggestion would be to buy a Dell XPS 13.

Rain Protection

What if it rains? You won’t get any shade apart from the trees. You need to protect your bag and yourself in that case.

I suggest a Backpack Rain Cover to protect your bag, a Waterproof Rain Pant to wear on top of your pant, and a Rain Jacket to protect your top.

Reading

I am a big fan of Lonely Planet. It’s not because they give me information, they work as an inspiration and starting point of my journey. You should buy a copy of Lonely Planet Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya. It will not only provide you information about this trek but many other treks in Nepal. One thing worth mentioning, if you go for the trek, don’t take the entire book, just photocopy the pages you need. It will save the weight of your bag.

Lifesaver

Annapurna Trek is not dangerous. However, there are so many things that can go wrong. The weather can turn bad, you can twist your ankles, you can suffer from altitude sickness, you can slip on those slippery stones you will cross. So, if things go wrong, you can be in trouble.

Not every insurance company covers injury during trekking and helps in the evacuation process. World Nomads cover this insurance, you can get in touch with them.

Photos

It might sound weird, but you need to bring passport-sized photos with you to apply for different permits in Nepal.

Wellbeing

Microfiber towel, Mini toothpaste, Toothbrush, Soap – These will save space in your bag and come into handy.

Flip Flops

It would be great to have a pair of flip flops in your bag. They will come handy when your day will be ended and you are gonna relax in the home lodge as well as going to the toilet.

Drone

If you wanna take some aerial shot of the mountains, take a drone with you. DJI Mini 2 is highly suggested because it is lightweight. With only 242 grams, you can afford to carry it with you.

Summary of the packing list for ABC trek

1. Osprey Farpoint 40 – 1
2. Packing Cubes – 3
3. Thermos Intak 24 Ounce Hydration Bottle – 1
4. LifeStraw Water Filter – 1
5. Merrell Men’s Moab 2 Waterproof Hiking Shoe – 1
6. Socks are good for hiking – 3 to 4 pairs
7. Inner or neck T-shirt – 4
8. Boxer Brief – 4
9. Full sleeve shirt – 3
10. Full Pant – 1
11. Fleece – 1
12. Down Sweater Jacket – 1
13. Fleece Sweatpant – 1
14. A beanie for the head – 1
15. Scarf – 1
16. Hand gloves – 1
17. Maps.me in your cellphone
18. Power Bank – 1
19. Waterproof Backpack Rain Cover – 1
20. Waterproof Rain Pant – 1
21. Rain Jacket – 1
22. Nikon 3300 camera – 1
23. 10-20mm wide-angle lens – 1
24. Battery for Camera
25. Kindle with you to read books – 1
26. Lightweight Laptop – Dell XPS 13 – 1
27. Passport-sized photos – 8
28. Insurance with Trekking Coverage
29. Microfibre towel – 1
30. Mini toothpaste – 1
31. Toothbrush – 1
32. Soap – 1
33. A lightweight drone – DJI Mini 2 – 1

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Further Reading

Annapurna Base Camp Trek Itinerary

Annapurna Base Camp Trek Tips

Annapurna Base Camp Trek Cost

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