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Annapurna Base Camp packing list: 34 items from people who walked the trail last month

Field-tested packing list for ABC trek (4,130 m peak): layers, sleeping bag rating, glove liners, Diamox dosage, insurance with helicopter evacuation. What you actually need, what you can leave.

BY NIRAJAN GURUNG · SENIOR GUIDEPUBLISHED 21 MAY 2026READ 7 MIN

This is the list the ops team carries on ABC. Not the inflated outfitter checklist that talks you into renting a 1,000 g sleeping bag and a Goretex tundra suit for a trek where you'll never see -10 °C. Thirty-four items, organised by what they save you from.

Layers

  • Merino base layer top + bottom. Wear for the trek, wash twice if you're disciplined, smell less than synthetic. One set is enough for nine days.
  • Fleece mid-layer. Cheap and warm. Decathlon makes one for NPR 2,500 in Pokhara if you forgot yours.
  • Down jacket rated to -10 °C. You'll wear it at MBC and ABC. Both stops drop below freezing at night even in season. Don't trust an outfitter who tells you a fleece is enough.
  • Hardshell rain jacket. Spring season has surprise afternoon showers in the Chhomrong-Sinuwa stretch. Doubles as a windbreaker at MBC.
  • Trekking pants × 2. Convertibles are fine. Forget your jeans.
  • Warm beanie + a sun cap. Both. UV is brutal above 3,000 m.
  • Liner gloves + insulated outer gloves. The liner pair is what we forget most often. Without them, the headtorch sunrise push from MBC to ABC is genuinely painful.

Footwear

  • Broken-in trekking boots. Mid- or high-cut, waterproof. Broken in is the important word. New boots on day 3 = blister kit emergency by day 4.
  • Wool trekking socks × 3 pairs. One drying, one on, one spare.
  • Camp sandals or Crocs. For the lodge in the evening. Your boots will thank you.
  • Gaiters. Only if you're trekking in March-April when there's still snow in patches above Deurali.

Sleep

  • Sleeping bag rated to -5 °C. Teahouses provide blankets, but the MBC and ABC blankets are thin and damp. Your own bag is the difference between sleeping through the night and shivering at 03:00.
  • Silk liner. Adds 3-5 °C of warmth, weighs 100 g, keeps your bag clean.

Pack

  • 30-40 L pack if you're carrying everything yourself. 20 L daypack if you've hired a porter (who carries a 60-65 L kitbag with everyone's heavy stuff).
  • Pack rain cover. Pack covers cost NPR 500 in Pokhara if yours stayed home.
  • Two dry bags. One for electronics, one for the sleeping bag.

Tech

  • Headlamp + spare batteries. Mandatory for the 04:30 sunrise push from MBC.
  • 20,000 mAh power bank. Teahouse charging costs NPR 100-300 per device per session above Chhomrong, and outlets are scarce.
  • Trekking poles. Save your knees on the 1,400 m descent day. The single most-thanked item in our trip surveys.
  • Two 1 L water bottles. One in the pack, one accessible.
  • Water-purification tablets OR a Steripen / Lifestraw filter. Saves NPR 50-100 per bottled-water purchase and the plastic.

Health

  • Diamox 125 mg × 10 tablets. Talk to a doctor before. Standard altitude prophylaxis: 125 mg twice daily starting 24 hours before you go above 2,500 m. Won't replace good acclimatisation; will help with the 900 m gain day to Deurali.
  • Ibuprofen / paracetamol. For the routine altitude headache and the inevitable knee pain.
  • Blister kit + Compeed. Boots that fit perfectly in the store will sometimes betray you on day 3.
  • Sunscreen SPF 50+. UV at altitude burns through overcast.
  • Lip balm with SPF. Cracked lips at 4,000 m are a constant lesson.
  • Hand sanitiser + 2 rolls of toilet paper. Teahouses don't provide either reliably.

Documents + money

  • Passport + 4 photocopies. Used at check-posts, lost-passport recovery, and as ID at the Pokhara end.
  • ACAP permit printed. Show on phone is technically OK; printed is faster.
  • TIMS card.
  • Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover. Must cover up to 4,500 m AND specifically include heli evac. Confirm with your insurer in writing. World Nomads, Global Rescue, and IMG Sky cover it; many standard policies don't.
  • NPR cash, ~NPR 3,500/day. No ATMs after Chhomrong. Budget: lodging NPR 500-1,500 + meals NPR 1,800-2,500/day.

What you can leave behind

The marketing-driven lists pad with stuff you genuinely won't use: balaclava (a buff is enough), bear spray (no bears on this trail), 4-season tent (teahouses every night), thermos flask (lodge kitchens fill yours), satellite phone (rescue is by trekking-agency radio or a runner to the nearest signal). Skip them.

The list above weighs about 7.5 kg in a 30 L pack including the down jacket. Add another 4 kg for the sleeping bag, water, and snacks of the day. That's a manageable load even on the descent day.