HIMALAYAN- 2016 SUGGESTED LIST OF THINGS TO BRING 1. Sun hat: Reasonable brim to provide protection from UV to neck and face. 2. Warm hat: Ideal are fleece hats with extra material to cover ears. 3. Thermal underwear top and bottom: Polypropylene. Halley Henson-Lifa or similar type. Avoid merino and other wool based products. 4. Shirts: Open button shirts with collars and long sleeve made of quick dry fabric are ideal for temperature control and protection from the UV. I would recommend these for daily use on the hike. Pickup up a couple. Also when washed they dry quick. E.g.: Columbia/Aigle/Northface etc. 5. T-shirts: For around camp and to wear as an under shirts. Also moisture wicking running t-shirts can be
used on those cool days under your full sleeve shirts. E.g.: Nike running T-shirts 6. Fleece Jacket: This is your main layer to keep you warm. To be used as a top layer or second layer under the outer shell. Fleece should ideally have a full front zip and if possible armpit zips for temperature control. E.g.: Northface Denali. 7. Parka with hood/gore-tex outer shell/basically good rain proof & wind proof jacket: Should be from a tested breathable brand. Should be long enough at the back with ties for the hood and if possible armpit zips. 8. Comfortable trousers: Again try getting the quick dry fabric same as the shirts. Try and avoid the one that convert to shorts. Jeans are definitely not recommended. 9. Shorts-for river crossings: More for vanity to wear over your thermals and for use around camp sometimes. 10. Tracksuit pants:
Light pant for sleeping etc but thermal pants are a better alternative. 11. Rain pants/splash pants/windproof pants: If possible Gore-Tex with side zips for easy on and off over the boots. 12. Woolen gloves: Ideal are polypropylene gloves. Great for working around the camp. Especially packing equipment on those cold mornings. Bring along a couple of pairs. 13. Ski gloves/mittens/overmits: May never use these but good to have incase of change of weather and a surprise snowfall. 14. Hiking socks: These should be reasonably padded and look for the primaloft moisture wicking material socks. Avoid merino and pure wool. 15. Sports socks: Great as a backup. 16. Undergarments:
Comfortable and easy to wash and dry. (Sport bra is highly recommended for female members. Should be comfortable but not too tight especially at the bottom) 17. Good hiking boots with vibram soles: Two good models of shoes are Scarpa and Zamberlan. Both are with high function Vibram Soles. For Scarpa two models are excellent Kailash GTX which is light weight but very rugged or the the full leather SL M3. For Zamberlan try 996 VIOZ GT which is full leather or 636 Baffin GT RR WNS which is lighter. All these models have low back but full ankle support and Gore-Tex liners for moisture control. 18. A pair of sneakers with nonskid soles for around camp and for river crossings: Solomon river shoes are ideal but an old pair of sneakers also works fine and you can leave it behind for someone. For safety reasons open toe sandals are not recommended at all even around the camp. 19. Sleeping bag: If you don t have one, it can be arranged for a fee of USD 25 to cover wear and tear and pre trip
and post trip dry-cleaning fees. 20. Ground insulation mat: In the tents you will have basic insulation mat. However it is recommended you bring along a therma-rest mat or a similar product for additional sleeping comfort. 21. Toiletries: 22. Small knife: A small Swiss Army knife is ideal. 23. Medium bath towel: 24. Wash-Cloth: Recommend bringing along two dark colour wash-cloths. 25. Water bottle: At least one liter Stainless Steel. 26. Day sack:
Minimum 28 liters. For ideal style check out Deuter 28 Liter Futura at MEC. Waist strap, curved shoulder straps with load adjusters and a back frame or rigid back. 27. Dark UV protected wrap around glasses/glacier glasses are recommended: www.campmor.com is a good on line store for great outdoor gear. They carry the Julbo brand of sunglasses. The Julbo Sherpa is an excellent glacier sunglass available with the Campmor for a discounted price of only 29.99 USD. They also carry the more expensive models like the Atlas etc but they serve the same purpose. For putting prescription lenses you can order the Sherpa glasses with your prescription from Opticus Inc. My glasses (Progressive) including shipping, cost USD 358(this was with Julbo Sherpa at USD 44. The regular price.). Check them at www.opticus.com. They have an easy on line ordering form as long as you have your current prescription. 28. Personal first aid kit: Small with few absolute essentials.
29. Water purifying tablets/water filter: This will be available centrally but an aditional one is always helpful 30. Small umbrella: 31. Sun block: 45+ 32. Large Zip lock bags: 33. Gaiters: full length 34. Strong large garbage bags: At least ten. These are very useful for packing large items like sleeping bags etc. 35. Toilet paper: 9 in total. 3 for personal use and 6 rolls for central pool. 36. Small presents: Pens, picture postcards- used or new, any clothes that you would like to give away, knitting
needles, t-shirts new or used, pins, etc. 37. Large duffel bags: Suitcases cannot be loaded on horses. Large enough to hold all your things and the sleeping bag. No wheelies. 38. Personal stash of some food: This is emergency rations and can be granola bars cookies etc. 39. Camera equipment, batteries: 40. Flash light with enough batteries: Headlamp is highly recommended. Try Petzel headlamps. 41. Spare glasses (if you wear glasses) should be on a neck string. 42. Notebook, pen, reading material: 43. Multivitamins, calcium, etc.: Check with your doctor. 44. City Shoes:
Bring along a pair of city sneakers/sports shoe etc that can also be used around the camp. Note: 1. Your duffel bag should be a heavy duty one ( North Face has some excellent designs). Everything inside the duffel bags should be packed in plastic bags (zip lock, garbage bags, etc) for the trip. Remember it is going to be loaded on pack ponies who will give it a workout. Rule of thumb, it should be made of codura material (plastic/vinyal or similar material will not last), heavy webbing and with compression straps. MEC has a great design and resonably priced. 2. Thermal underwear should be made of polypropylene as this wicks the moisture away from the body and quickly dries up. (Suggest Haley Hansen s Lifa underwear or North Face, etc.). Also available in this material are gloves and skullcaps.