Nepal Xtreme Kit List

Multi Activity Tour Equipment List for our Nepal Xtreme Tour

The following checklist should help you with your packing. As a general rule, you should always try to keep the weight of your equipment to a minimum. Please check with your individual airline for baggage weight restrictions.

Bring as little as possible but bring everything you need. Travelling light is much less of a hassle; so do not bring things you can do without. If you need to wear jewellery, keep it simple and inexpensive. The general rule is that if you don’t need it, don’t bring it. Always keep your items in waterproof bags as your kit will be constantly in the elements, on porters backs and the top of the jeep etc. Bring clothes that wash and dry easily (jeans take forever to dry and should not be worn whilst cycling).

When mountain biking, each rider will need to carry their kit in a 20-25 litre backpack. It will only be at night when the temperatures will be really low, so we suggest that most important is light layers, including thermals and a quality windproof/waterproof outer layer with a fleece lining. Down Jackets are good, however, they are not waterproof and are bulky. For most of the year round, up above Jomsom you will be in long sleeves and trousers, while below you can get away with shorts a t-shirt and a windbreaker. Wind/Sun burn is a big factor between Muktinath and Kalo Pani so we do recommend long layers over shorts and t-shirts, with some kind of face covering. Sunglasses are essential.

Please note that most people from Nepal are still traditional in the way they dress. We therefore recommend that you dress conservatively – no sleeveless tops or revealing clothes. Although shorts are acceptable they should be modest and reach to just above the knee and for women skirts or trousers are preferable.

If you have any queries about this list please contact us. We recommend that you arrive in Kathmandu ready to go so you do not have to spend quality holiday time running around the shops.

You need to send us 4 passport photos of yourself before you go so that we can get your permits. You will also need 2 passport sized photos for your visa application. Please also send us one photocopy of your passport page with your photo and details.

Kit List

• 1 large rucksack or duffel bag
• 1 small rucksack 20 litres suitable for cycling and walking
• Large strong plastic bag to put clothes in to keep items dry when cycling
• Small plastic bags for dirty clothes
• Light weight, 1 season sleeping bag. Blankets are available in the lodges.
• Water purification tablets
• Water bottle or camel back
• Whistle (pea less)
• Torch, head torches are best
• Camera/film/memory card
• Spare batteries for camera/torch and any other device
• Small but sturdy padlock for lockers.
• Old trainers for rafting (they will get wet!)

Documents

(where relevant, please leave a copy at home with your next of kin)

• Passport with at least 6 months remaining from the date of return and at least 2 blank pages
• Airplane tickets
• Appropriate travel insurance documents, covering you for all the activities we will be participating in and emergency assistance telephone numbers of the insurer. A selected list of reputable insurance providers can be found on our website.
• 4 passport sized photographs of yourself
• Vaccination certificates (not needed as a condition of entry however very useful if medical attention needed in country, originals not necessary)
• Driving license – For those who wish to rent a scooter or motorbike
• Lost Earth emergency assistance numbers. You will be given a small list of telephone numbers and contact details for emergencies (if you get lost from the group etc). You must carry this about your person at all times.
Spending money – see trip dossier for amounts

• US dollars, Pounds Sterling, debit card and credit cards. We recommend using a combination of the aforementioned. Pounds sterling is easy to exchange in Nepal. You will need US dollars to pay for your visa if you choose to buy it on arrival, they will not accept their own currency as it fluctuates too much. You can buy Nepalese Rupees at the airport, as well as in larger cities. It will be a better rate than what you will be offered in the UK. There are ATMS in Pokhara and Kathmandu, however there are none outside of these cities. Be very vigilant with counting your money and use a calculator to double check the exchange. Please check the trip dossier for the amount of money you need. They do not accept travellers cheques in Nepal.

Clothes

• Underwear
• Rash vest, technical long sleeve shirt made from polypropylene or similar to keep you warm when rafting – NO cotton.
• Thermal underwear (long johns) top and bottoms
• T-shirt/cycling jersey
• Long trousers either trekking trousers with a cuff strap or fitted sports leggings
• 1-2 pairs of shorts (some for river use and some for evenings) and 1-2 pairs of trousers. Shorts or trousers with pockets that have a zipper or Velcro are good to have. Convertible trousers with zip off legs take the place of shorts and long trousers.
• Pullover or preferably Mid-weight thermal to wear between thermal underwear and fleece
• Lightweight Waterproof Jacket and trousers
• Fleece or warm Jacket
• Warm hat or balaclava that can be rolled up into a hat
• Cycling gloves (full fingers)
• Bandana /scarf (to avoid dust and sunburn)
• Tracksuit/comfortable clothes for the evening
• Swimming shorts/bathing suit. Bikinis are ok in some areas but a pair of shorts and a T-shirt should be worn over the top in some places.
• Sunglasses (neck retainers are a good idea)
• Sun hat /peaked hats/bandanas for keeping the sun off. There are not many places to hide from it.
• Closed sports shoes (trainers lighter style hiking boots) or mountain bike shoes
• Canyoning/kayaking shoes or old trainers for rafting and kayaking. Definitely no flip flops. Strap on sandals are OK but you are more likely to hurt your feet by hitting rocks.
• Sandals or flip flops for around the tea house and the hot springs for the bike trip
• Leisure wear

Toiletries

• Wash kit
• Biodegradable soap (available from good camping shop) to avoid polluting the mountains
• Antibacterial hand wash gel
• Compact travel towel
• Feminine hygiene products, for the duration of the trip
• Toilet paper, you can buy this in the lodges on the route.
• Sun block (including total bloc for lips, nose etc.)
• Insect repellant that contains DEET (DEET causes allergic reactions to some people see your GP for advice)

First Aid

You should always carry your own small, personal first aid kit. This should consist of the following:
• Throat lozenges
• Painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. We have found paracetamol to be the safest and most effective. Brufen based drugs (ibuprofen, nurofen etc) are less useful when going up high and aspirin or codeine based ones are a no-no.
• Soothing bottom cream like Sudocream or Anusol
• Blister treatment
• Antiseptic cream
• Plasters (band-aids)
• Wound closure strips
• Gauze pads
• Crepe bandage
• Tweezers & scissors (not in hand luggage on flight)
• Safety pins (not in hand luggage on flight)
• Rehydration salts
• Diarrhea treatment e.g. Imodium
• Ciprofloxacin – Anti-Biotic for Gastro infections (Please see a doctor for advice)
• Diamox-optional for Altitude sickness (Please see a doctor for advice)
• Any medication that you require
• Antihistamines

Please see your Doctor before we leave for advice on any medicines you should bring. Also it is highly recommended that you see your dentist for a checkup before the trip as we travel to remote and primitive areas where medical attention may sometimes not be available immediately.

Strongly Recommended

• Novel

Optional

• Warm Jacket especially in Nov/Dec
Other things you may wish to consider
• Though we don’t encourage it, we know that sometimes you’ll need to bring along a laptop or other expensive electrical equipment. We suggest Pelican Cases (www.pelican.com) for their durability, strength and waterproof capabilities
• Waterproof bag/Dry bag (5 or 10 litres) for protecting your personal belongings, like a camera or an Ipod whilst canoeing, rafting, etc.
• An adaptor for any electric device you may wish to bring, Ipod, phone etc.
• Ear plugs
• Money belt
• Diary
• Maps of the area. The best maps of Nepal are available from Stamford’s of Covent Garden, London. Cheaper but lower quality maps are available in Nepal
• Pack of cards
• Knee support
• Padded cycling shorts
• A sense of humour
• Please bring any equipment, clothes, sunglasses, shoes or anything else a less fortunate person would like for our Help a Porter scheme.

For Your Information…
Lost Earth Adventures will provide water proof bags for when we travel on the water but you may wish to have your own personal bag that you can keep close to hand with your valuables and your wallet in.

Leisure wear; limit yourself to one pair of jeans, sweatshirt and a few shirts or ‘T’ shirts. You are on an adventure holiday and we are limited to space on the vehicles we use. Each person should have no more luggage than one large backpack of around 60-80 litres in size and a small daypack. There are people to do your laundry for you along the way. For about 20 pence an item someone will wash it, dry it and iron it.

Pack important things such as medicine in your hand luggage and make sure you have an adequate supply. Keep extra cash, passports and house keys in your hand luggage. Sharp objects must be put in your Hold Luggage. Please remember that there are strict regulations governing the transport of liquids in hand luggage. Don’t pack valuables, cash, fragile or perishable items in your hold luggage. Airlines and insurance companies will not accept liability for them.

When leaving the UK, we recommend that you wear your trekking boots and trekking/cycling gear, and take as much as possible in your hand luggage, especially a full day’s underwear and other clothing. This is to ensure that in the unlikely event that your bags do not arrive at your final destination, you are still able to make a start on the trip while we relocate any missing baggage.

When packing, please do not strap items such as sleeping bags or boots to the outside of your bags. There is a good chance that they will be ripped off while in transit. They also make handling the bags more difficult when loading onto vehicles. It is much better to bring a larger bag that is big enough for all your kit rather than a smaller one onto which you have to strap extra equipment.

We recommend Cotswolds www.cotswoldoutdoor.com for quality products and good advice. Use code AF-LEARTH-E4 for a 15% discount online or in any Cotswold Outdoor stores.

Remember to take your batteries home with you to dispose of in the UK where there are proper places to deal with them (don’t leave them to be buried by the locals in the Himalayas).