What to pack for Nepal, season by season
The same trek needs a different bag in March and December. Four season lists, and the things people carry up for nothing.
By the Lakeshore team · 6 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
I pack and unpack other people's duffels for a living, so I can tell you that most visitors bring roughly a third more than they use and still forget two things that matter.
The porter cap is 9 kg per trekker, two trekkers per porter, so the weight limit is firm. Every kilo you leave in your suitcase is a kilo somebody doesn't carry up the Chhomrong stairs.
Some of the list changes with the season, and some never does.
The core list, every season
Boots you have already walked fifty kilometres in, including downhill. Four pairs of good socks and two pairs of trekking trousers. A base layer, a fleece and a waterproof shell.
A headtorch with spare batteries. A power bank, because charging is paid per device per hour on the trail and it's expensive high up. A sun hat, a warm hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
High-factor sun cream and lip balm with SPF. A filter bottle or purification tablets. Blister plasters, ibuprofen and rehydration salts in your own pocket, not only in the guide's kit.
Bring two passport photos and a photocopy of your passport page from home. Permits need them, and the alternative is a queue at a photo shop on the morning you wanted to be walking.
Spring, March to May
Days are warm, nights are cool, and the afternoon cloud builds as May gets closer. It's the most forgiving season to pack for.
Add a light windproof layer for the ridges, and something for afternoon rain from late April onward.
Leave out the heaviest gloves. You'll want thin liners, not expedition mitts, unless you're crossing a high pass.
Spring is hazier than autumn, so if photographs matter, bring a lens cloth and expect less clarity on the distant peaks.
Monsoon, June to August
It's warm, wet and humid. The usual mistake is packing for cold, and inside a sealed jacket you'll be soaked by your own sweat anyway.
Add a fully waterproof shell, not a showerproof one, quick-dry everything, sandals for the evening because your boots won't dry, a dry bag for electronics, and salt for leeches.
Leave the down jacket behind unless you're going high. Most monsoon walking is warm.
Two pairs of boots is a luxury nobody can carry, so accept damp feet and change your socks often.
Autumn, late September to November
Autumn is the main season and has the widest temperature range, hot in the valleys and well below freezing at altitude before dawn.
Add the full layering system, warm gloves and a warm hat, and a four-season sleeping bag if you're going above 3,500 m. Late November nights at Annapurna Base Camp are cold.
People under-pack for warmth in autumn because they judge by the afternoon in Pokhara. Rooms are unheated everywhere, and the dining-room stove goes out at nine.
Winter, December to February
Clear, quiet and cold. Low routes are close to perfect, and high routes need serious equipment.
Add a −20 °C bag, a thick down jacket, insulated gloves, thermal base layers top and bottom, and microspikes if any high viewpoint or pass is in the plan.
For a few rupees the lodge kitchen will fill you a hot water bottle. It's the best cold-night trick in Nepal and nobody tells you about it.
Batteries go flat fast in the cold, so sleep with your phone, camera batteries and power bank inside your sleeping bag.
What people bring and never use
A second pair of shoes beyond camp sandals. A towel bigger than a hand towel. Jeans. A book they never open because they're asleep by eight. Three days of spare clothes for a two-week trek, when you'll wear the same two shirts and stop caring by day four.
Large first-aid kits that duplicate what the guide carries. Ask us what's in ours and pack only the gaps, so you don't carry a second one.
Water bladders in winter, because the tube freezes. A bottle inside your jacket is more reliable.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
How heavy should my duffel be?
Under 9 kg. That's the cap per trekker, and it isn't a target to aim for. Most people come in comfortably under it once they stop packing spare clothes.
What do I carry myself?
A daypack with water, layers, camera, sun cream, snacks and anything else you need during the day. Your duffel goes ahead with the porter and you won't see it until evening, so keep your warm layer with you.
Should I buy or rent a sleeping bag?
Rent, unless you trek regularly at home. A −20 °C bag costs a couple of dollars a day to rent here and several hundred to buy.
Can I do laundry on trek?
Lower down, yes, and it dries. Above about 3,000 m it won't dry overnight in autumn or winter, so pack for that and accept it.
What about a sleeping bag liner?
It's worth its tiny weight. A liner adds a few degrees, keeps the rental bag clean and doubles as a sheet in basic lodges.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates, and we'll tell you whether Trekking Gear Rental is right for you. If it isn't, we'll say so.
Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Or call the office +977 61-457830