Hiking gear for nepal

Hi!

I think it would be better to take some good boots as you will find snow while going over the Thorung-La-Pass. On some parts of the trek you might find snow or mud on the way and i think it's really uncomfortable to have it in your shoes. I did the Annapurna Circuit this year in february, I had leather hiking boots and used some special spray to make them waterproof, or at least nearly waterproof. I think there won't be much rain, so they don't have to be absolutely waterproof. And if they should get wet, you can put them near the fireplace in a lodge, that should be no problem. Take some warm clothes, sometimes there are really low temperatures, I had around -15° Celsius when i was crossing Thorung La.
You can buy equipment in Kathmandu, in Thamel there are a lot of shops and they are not too expensive.

Good Luck, I think it will be a great trekking.

The issue of boots or trainers comes up quite a bit in these forums and you will get arguments for both. Personally I agree with #1 that boots are a good option when undertaking a serious trek like the Annapurna Circuit. A good leather boot will provide support for your ankles and in turn that will assist in preventing lateral movement in your legs when negotiating uneven ground, hence less tired legs than you would get with trainers and the like.

Leather boots also provide some additional protection for your toes when you stub your foot on rocks etc and they provide some good insulation in the cold.

As for protection of the boots, try something like aqueous nickwax, which provides waterproofing for boots, and can be applied when the boots are still wet. So it’s raining a lot or you have to tramp through snow fields it’s going to help keep them dry. One thing I wouldn’t recommend is drying boots in front of an open fire it can crack the leather.

As for clothing, I work on the principle of layers. I always have a base layer t-shirt or long sleeve vest with wicking properties that allows the garment to dry quickly. I have a fleece, a waterproof outer shell which is also quite warm, and for the extreme cold a down jacket. I can add or remove layers as circumstances dictate though have only used the down jacket in the evenings. For trousers I use a similar principle. The other essential is a hat of some sort, I wear a Tilly, which is great for sun protection and light rain, and have a fleece hat which I wear in the cold evenings and in my sleeping bag at night – you can loose so much heat through your head!

Hope this helps
Dave

My photography in the Himalayas

1. Trekking started from 1971 under the guidance of late tourism pioneer late Mike Cheney through his own agency Himalayan Rover Trek.
   2. 1973 joined the Survey group snowing mountaineering engineering corporation (SMEC) Australia.
   3. 1975 work for Botanical Research (University of Biology and plant) with Prof. Leonard Bear – England
   4. 1976-77 Langur (Black face white body) monkey study with PhD. Mrs. Jan Curtin, USA
   5. 1977 First Guide license holder under the management of Hotel Tourism and Training Center, Kathmandu Nepal, His Majesty’s Government of Nepal
   6. 1978 Joined with anthropologist (Tibetan Religious Book) Mrs. Judy Muller.
   7. 1986 Climbed Pisang Peak with Swiss Groups
   8. 1986 – Sir Edmund Hillary given certificate to my office on the auspicious occasion of promoting Nepal’s tourism
   9. 1989 Certificate from Natural History Museum – Kathmandu
   10. 1989 Rock and Mountain climbing Training in Switzerland under the guidance Alpinschule Todi F. Houser (certificate holder)
   11. 1989 Marcne has Oames Rock climbing with Marc Lippereld Polkin – Belgium
   12. 1996 Joined Norwegian Everest expedition with Peter Meby
   13. 1997 Study Shamanism with Italio-Novy-Terry agency Italy
   14. 1998 Study of Selokpa (living of the dead) with Italio
   15. Long time friendship with Patrick O Kellef Hokkaido Outdoor Adventure-Japan
   
   DEAR EH 123
   
   NAMASTE
   
   THANKS FOR THE INQUIRY.
   
   MY EXPERIENCE SAY NIKE TYPE SHOES ARE O.K. FOR TREKKING IN THAT AREA.
   
   YOU BUY WARM CLOTHES INCLUDING DAWN JACKET IN NEPAL SINCE THEY ARE CHEAP AND OF BEST QUALITY MADE IN CHINA
   
   NO NEED TO BE WATERPROOF SINCE OCTOBER IS SUNNY AND MILD SINCE IT IS THE BEST TREKKING SEASON IN NEPAL.
   
   WILL FORWARD EQUIPMENT CHECK LIST TOMORROW. SO WAIT UNTIL DARK
   
   SANTOS