Gear for Two

Gear for a three-week trip, most of it trekking, was a little overwhelming. We were headed for high altitude = cold weather. Living on the temperate California coast, we needed to stock up on layers for 18 days of living outdoors at 12,000+ feet elevations.

The list was long, but in the end there was very little that we brought that we didn’t use. The key was layers. Hiking uphill was sweaty work, while hiking downhill not so much. It might rain (it did), it might snow (it did).

Here are a few notes, and what we packed.

Gear recommendations

Seattle Sports Roll Top Waterproof Duffel Bag: 28″ x 14″ accommodates 4310 cubic inches of stuff. A good size that contained our sleeping bags, clothing, toiletries, books, and extra shoes. Our duffel bags were loaded into burlap sacks and transported on the horses and donkeys daily. Having something sturdy and waterproof was important, especially in rain and damp environs. (Looks like Seattle Sports is discontinuing this particular model, but there are other comparable gear out there.)

PrAna pants: Halle for women, Zion for men. The bit of stretch in these pants just makes all of uphill and downhill hiking easier. They wore well, resisted stains, and dried relatively quickly after a swishing in a glacial stream. Looked good in town, too. Hard to find on sale, but worth every penny you pay.

Rab Neutrino Endurance jacket for women. Bought greatly discounted last year’s colors for both ladies on the trip. Longer in the back, a cozy hood makes an all around toasty jacket. Comes with its own stuff sack, which helped keep it contained in our cavernous duffel bags. A key jacket for nights and mornings in camp.

Cocoon sleeping bag liner: silk. Keeps your sleeping bag cleaner, and adds a few degrees of warmth.

Gear List

Bag for trekking kit (Sierra Sports duffel)
Daypack with waterproof cover
Sleeping bag (3 or 4 season bag)Silk liner
Pillow case (stuff with fleece and down clothing for pillow)
Trekking pants (2 pairs)
Fleece lined pants (1 pair)
Fleece tights (2 pairs)
Short sleeved performance shirts (2 for base layer)
Long sleeved performance shirts (3, different weights)
Fleece shirt/jacket (heavier weights than above shirts)
Down sweater
Windproof/windstopper jacket
Waterproof jacket
Waterproof pants
Scarf/buff/neck gaiter
Gloves and mittens (yes, you need both)
Hiking boots
Camp shoes
Hiking socks (varying thicknesses – your feet may swell)
Gaiters (for rain, mud, snow)
Brimmed hat
Warm hat
Bathing suit
Polarizing sunglasses
Headlamp
Nylon line (for clothesline)
Small knife
Water bottle (refillable)
Camp towel
Biodegradable soap
Sunscreen/lip balm
Insect repellant
Small roll of toilet paper
Camera
Binoculars
Journal and pen/pencil
Small first aid kit
Regular medications you take
Glasses and spares (if you wear)
Spare batteries
Energy snacks
Earplugs
Water purification tools (Steripen, tablets, filter)
Ziplocks (helps to organize duffel contents)
All-in-one tool
Waterproof matches
Field guides
Books, playing cards, other diversions

We never used the earplugs: although most blogs complained about barking dogs, we were not bothered. We also never used the Steripen: the trekking staff always boiled water, and the hotels all offered bottled water.