Every trekker packs their fears. First-timers pack for blizzards in September and bring three jackets and no liner socks. Veterans bring half the weight and twice the comfort. Here is what our leaders' bags actually look like after two hundred departures.
The non-negotiables. Broken-in boots — never new, never rented. A down jacket rated honestly for the coldest night, not the average. Two-litre water capacity, because dehydration at altitude masquerades as exhaustion. A headlamp you trust with fresh batteries.
The underrated. Liner socks (blister prevention is a system, not a product). A buff — hat, scarf, dust mask, eye mask in 40 grams. Electrolytes. Earplugs, because tents have thin walls and some people snore like landslides.
What stays home. Jeans. Cotton hoodies. More than two 'nice' outfits. The heavy camera lens you'll resent by day three — the best camera at 5,000 metres is the one you actually carried.
Pack like you're carrying it yourself, even when the mules are. You'll walk lighter in every sense.
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