Death By Ladoog VI

PACKING YOUR TREKKING CLOTHING/GEAR FOR THE TREK

It is now time to start packing for the trek.

You have to be imaginative about your requirements. Too many items would mean extra load that you do not need – too less could mean insufficient gear to keep you warm and toasty during the trek. Typically, my packing list would run as follows:

TENT:

Sleeping tent with moisture proof thick plastic groundsheet – my choice is Cabela’s

Sleeping Tent for the support team

Kitchen Tent

BED/SLEEPING KOT

Collapsible, low-lying, sturdy camp kot (something like GO-KOT Camping Cot).

SLEEPTING MAT

Inflatable - light and well insulated to prevent moisture from seeping in from below the ground. Therm-A-Rest brand is a good choice.

SLEEPING BAG

Most people mistakenly prefer sleeping bags that are suited for extreme high altitudes – say for -40 Deg. days. I, on the other hand, have a different idea. I choose my bags rated for a maximum of -0 Deg. days. My logic is that we would be gaining height gradually and thus we do not need bags that are rated for extreme weather at the beginning of the journey. Thus, my bags are rated at -0. Extreme weather bags that are rated at over -40 Deg. are very expensive. I buy -0 Deg. bags which are affordable. Then, to compensate as we climb higher and face colder conditions, I carry four numbers of fleece blankets. As it gets colder as we climb higher, I keep adding layers of blankets over the sleeping bag.

Buying bags that are rated for very high altitudes has another problem – they cannot be used for low altitude camping trips. This means you have to buy additional bags for low altitude trips. This is a waste of money. My choice of bag is Marmot for the -0 and Feathered Friends – for the extreme altitudes – I have one that is rated at -60.

SLEEPING BAG LINER

You need to use bag liners – so that you do not soil the interior of the bag. Also should the duration of your trek be long, you can wash the liner. They have to be of silk material.

PILLOWS

I pack four down pillows by Feathered Friends of USA. They are highly packable and soft like the belly of a nun.

LAMPS

You need a headlamp for yourself and each of the team members, and a tent lamp and a kitchen lamp. They have to be of high lumens. Do not make the mistake of getting the solar-charged variety – go for battery-powered variety. Buy high power rechargeable batteries – and carry good number of extra batteries on the trip. You will never face a situation of darkness or lightlessness. I prefer TheSeige by StreamLight of USA, rated at 540 lumens.

CLOTHING

On a trek, you do not carry too much clothing – just the bare minimum. But what you carry has to be top class of dependable quality made by proven industry leaders with long history of producing technical clothing. My preferred brand is Patagonia of USA. I suggest the following items:

List of Clothing I carry on my treks to the extreme regions

CARE TO BE TAKEN

When beginning the trek, pack one extra Base Layer Thermal in your rucksack, including a face towel. The reason is that you do not want wet clothing against your skin – that is dangerous! As you trudge up the mountain side in the mid-day heat, you will begin to sweat profusely resulting in sweat-soaked base layer against your skin. Do not allow wet thermal to cling to your skin –immediately remove the wet thermal with that of a dry one.

TREKKING BOOTS

This is one of the most important items that deserves very, very careful consideration. Unfortunately, my experience is that there is utter misconception among the Bhutanese trekkers about what level of boots you need on your trek.

The technically sound trekking boots come in three levels – Light, Medium and Heavy. Somehow the tendency to believe is that heavy trekking boots are the best for you – WRONG!

You have to remember that the Westerners set the standards. What is to be remembered is that trekking in the West is different than in Bhutan. There they have to carry the load on their own backs. In Bhutan, we use ponies to carry our loads.

Because they have to carry the loads on their backs, they decide on their boots – based on how much load they would be carrying. Thus the theory in the West is that – heavier the load you have to carry, heavier the boot type you need.

In Bhutan that theory does not apply – because there is no load on our backs when we are trekking – other then 2-3 Kgs. in a smallish rucksack. Thus at most, Bhutanese people should opt for light to medium weight boots. But make sure that the sole is of a good quality – my choice is Vibram brand. Your boots also has to be waterproof (Gore-Tex) and ankle height – so that you can prevent ankle twist as you go down hill over pebble-ridden trail.