So you’ve decided to take the bull by the horns and book your first multi-day trekking adventure.
As your departure date draws closer there are just so many things to think about. You’ve downloaded the recommended packing list but it just doesn’t seem to cover the myriad of questions that you want to ask.
There’s no mention of how many pairs of pants you need for a 14 day trek, surely at least one a day. May be not, the maths on that calculate to around a 1kg just for your knickers and you’ve only got 15kg to play with and limited space in your duffel bag.
Then there’s the whole nighttime scenario. OK obviously the little lace neglige is a definite no-no but what about a nice snuggly pair of pyjamas – yes or no?
Here’s a girl’s essential guide to answer all those questions you’d like to ask but are too embarrassed to.
Big Girls Pants
Numbers first. For a 14 day trek then 3 or 4 pairs of pants is plenty.
Top tip though, they have to be 100% merino, fantastic for breathable, natural material that keeps odours at bay. Another little secret is to take a supply of slimline cotton panty liners, allow a couple per day. We recommend Icebreaker Pants.
Icebreaker also do a great range of merino sports bras which are super comfortable; 2 of these would be perfect for a 14 day trip.
Merino also has the fantastic quality of being easy to wash and dry.
Keep it clean!
If you’re trekking at high altitude then chances are that it is going to be cold and so even if there is a shower available the likelihood that you will want to risk getting wet is pretty low.
The best advice is to take a small travel flannel and travel towel, get a bowl of hot water and wash all the important bits.
Also, when hot water is not available, then wet wipes can come to the rescue and are a handy alternative. They’re also good to have on hand for loo stops.
Shewee or not?
Unless you can use a shewee blindfolded without having to think twice about positioning or flow rate, our advice would be to steer clear.
Just think about a shewee accident on the trail, imagine soggy trekking trousers and worst of all your spare clean pair are in your main duffle bag that is being carried by your porter miles ahead of you by now!
Just get your head around the fact that if you’re on the trail and you’re desperate to go to the loo and there is no handy public convenience then you’re going to have to go back to nature, bare your bottom and squat. At least you’ll be getting a quad workout in the process!
Minimalist packing
Layers are the answer in a cold high altitude environment. Rather than taking clothes off and on you will spend most of your time either delayering or layering upon temperature.
The essential items you will need are varying thicknesses of 3 x merino base layers – 200 and 260, 1 x fleece, 1 x lightweight primaloft or down gillet and 1 x midweight primaloft or down jacket, and 1 x breathable, waterproof hardshell jacket.
Again, merino ticks all the boxes to keep dry, warm and odour free.
Specific packing lists
Looking for packing lists for specific treks, here are three of our most popular:
