When you have finished your volunteering with us, it is time to discover another aspect of Nepal: its stunning mountains! Whether you will go on a 3 day or 21 day trek, it is a must for your time in Nepal. Through our partner organization Travel Society Nepal we offer discounted trekking packages to whoever joins our volunteer projects.
The question we receive on a weekly basis from our volunteers is: What should I bring when I go trekking? Here is an extensive list of general things to bring when you go on a Teahouse Trek, plus some extra advise from us that will make trekking just a little bit fun.
Sleeping on Trek
- Sleeping bag (0° bag will suffice, during the colder nights they will have extra blankets for on top)*
- A silk or cotton sleeping bag liner for the warmer nights (a cotton quilt cover also works)
Hiking
- Backpack (with VSN you will have a guide/porter who will carry a couple of kilo’s of your gear, therefore we recommend a backpack between 30 and 40 liters only).
- Hiking boots (A/B or B) (break them in beforehand)
- Light (running) shoes (your reward after a long day)
- Merino woolen socks (you can bring two pairs of varying thickness)
- Lightweight trekking pants
- Trekking shorts (over the knees for girls)
- T-Shirts (lightweight is great)
- Underwear
*You will be hiking through a wide range of terrain from mud in warm weather to snow in cold weather. The trail will be rocky throughout. The safest bet for Nepal trekking footwear is full backpacking boots, which provide good support and protection from the elements. If there is a high pass on your trek, you may be walking on snow and the conditions will be cold. A good compromise is to bring backpacking boots and light running shoes—you can use the running shoes for camp and interchange the two depending on the conditions and how you feel.
Cold Weather on Trek
- Long underwear/Wool thermals
- Sweater or longsleeve shirt
- Softshell jacket
- Waterproof jacket and pants
- Zip off leg pants
- Winter hat that covers ears
- Winter gloves
- Baseball Cap (not necessary)
- Accessories
- Water purification (pump, tablets, or SteriPen; bring from home)
- Reusable Water Bottle
- Hiking poles if you like (lessen the impact on your joints)
- Sunglasses (essential when you cross snow line)
- Head lamp with extra batteries
- Reading materials (Kindle may be best)
- Journal and pens
- Battery pack for your phone
Personal Supplies on Trek
- Sun screen
- Hand sanitizer
- Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, floss, etc.)
- Face/body wipes
- Throat lozenges, lip balm
- Medications (Ibuprofen, others if necessary)
- Extras
- Small First aid kit (with moleskin for blisters)
- Extra passport photos and photocopies of your passport
VSN’s Personal Advise
- Buff (not too warm when you do lots of exercise going up the mountain but still protects you from cold, sun etc).
- Thermos can (not necessary but nice if you like to drink more tea than a tiny cup)
- Tea bags (tea is much more expensive than hot water!)
- Lemonade powder (for sale in every supermarket in Nepal. It will make the purified water taste better and will replace your soft drinks)
- Power bars, snickers or ? (gives you energy to keep going)
Ready for a trek? Fill out the application form here and we give you FREE advise and an itinerary that suits you!