Equipmentbags | money | clothes | travel | photo

The following list represents nearly all the equipment that I took to Nepal with me. As always, there are some things I never used. There's also items that I could easily live without if I had to conserve space/weight.

Each section has a small explanation where required to highlight specific items. Underneath the explanation is a list of everything taken.

Carrying it all

Three bags were used: one sturdy rucksack, one sturdy travel holdall (with wheels), and one daysack. I had a 30 kilo allowance with Qatar Airways, which seems to be quite generous in comparison with other airlines. All the rucksack straps were tied up, and safety-pins used to secure all the zips... just to make it a bit less possible for opportunistic theft. (Incidentally, I looked into using security wire mesh but at 50 quid it's a bit too expensive).

• Karrimor Jaguar 55-75 litre rucksack
• 80 litre holdall from somewhere
• LifeVenture Kibo 30 Daysack

Money & Documents

Your passport, tickets & insurance... you can't go far without these so it makes sense to check, check and check again. Student ID (especially the ISIC card, available from STA Travel) is actually quite useful for getting reduced-rate entry to the major tourist attractions - although some bargaining/negotiation is often required.

I filled the back of a notebook with email addresses, phone numbers and other contact details of important organisations in Nepal - such as the UK Embassy, STA Travel Insurance and American Express (for cancelling travellers' cheques).

As for money, try to spread it around 3 places. During my stay, I left some money, TCs and a credit card at my accommodation (which was secure and within my host family's home), kept a credit card, TCs and larger sum of money in one of those travel wallets (which I tied to my belt) and a smaller sum of money + TCs in my normal wallet. It might sound overkill but it does make sense to have contigencies in case of loss or being mugged... and if you can hand over your wallet with minimal loss (because you have the rest of it at home/in a more secure wallet) then it's not a major problem.

The letter from your medical school is important especially if you are bringing any medical equipment into the country. It is accepted as a form of proof that you are a student, and will help if there's any questions asked by customs about whether you are donating or selling the equipment.

Spare passport photos are always useful for any additional travel passes or season tickets.

airline tickets insurance documents foreign currency & dollars travellers cheques passport medical school letter to prove student status addresses for local organisations money belt

credit cards isic card matriculation card spare passport photos vaccination record driving licence e111 id badge holder

Clothes

Kanti dress code is open-neck shirt and smartish trousers. However, durable walking trousers (e.g. Craghopper Kiwis) are excellent for being smartish, cool, easy to wash, quick drying and with more pockets than is practical to remember. Wearing smart shoes isn't really practical... much better to use the trekking type shoes which are good for hopping over the occasional pavement craters, through muddy puddles and monsoon floods.

The rest is really just common sense, and will depend on when you're visiting Nepal. In January/February it can get very cold. When I was there (July/August) some days were scorching, but the monsoon helped to keep things a very comfortable 25-30degC. I didn't wear a sweater once.

If you are planning to go trekking, your equipment will obviously need to reflect this to a certain extent. Some items can be hired, but this isn't always a safe move. Thamel (the tourist area of Kathmandu) is teeming with The North Face equipment... the vast, vast majority of which is fake. It's actually quite comical how some equipment just has the words "North Face" written on, with a half-hearted attempt to copy the rest of the logo! However, it's a real shame that the only North Face shop does absolutely nothing to help the situation - TNF kit there was more expensive than the UK.

Personal Medical Kit

See health info for details of a suggested medical kit.

Travel Kit

:: connect ::Get a decent wash kit that keeps you organised for 5 weeks. An electric shaver can be a godsend where hot water (or water in general) is not available. Ear plugs can be very useful if you can't sleep with the background noise of howling dogs (there's lots of strays in KTM), traffic (this isn't too much of a problem at night in KTM) or snoring room-mates.

An umbrella is essential for during the monsoon season, and much more practical than a rain coat. The rain falls straight - as opposed to slanty in the UK! - and a lightweight umbrella is adequate. A torch is useful for the unpredictable and unpredictably-long power cuts. Postcards from home can help to break the ice, especially as Nepali people will be fascinated about where you come from. Take some photos of your family and friends too.

As for travel guides, I totally recommend the Lonely Planet series - I've used them for other travelling as well. Amazon.co.uk often sell them at cheaper prices. The LP website can be useful to review the local situation before you go out, as there are some well-used forums with good feedback from travellers who are currently in the area.

:: connect ::

wash kit ear plugs travel towels x 2 compact sleeping bag padlocks x 2 alarm clock sheet sleeping bag toilet roll umbrella torch water bottles x 2

plastic bags penknife pillow compact radio mosquito net maps & guidebooks postcards from home lonely planet nepal guidebook lonely planet nepali phrasebook compass

Photographic Kit

:: connect ::Think carefully about this too - a trip to Nepal deserves a decent photo collection at the end of it... there's no limit to incredibly photogenic people, landscapes and action. Be respectful and ask permission before taking photographs (where possible). I shyed away from thinking about digital photography, as I know too many people whose photos have been erased by errors and dodgy memory. However, it is cheaper, and photos can be shared with the people in it (this will cause much hysterics and fascination!) and can also be easily uploaded to a real-time web gallery. For this purpose, SmugMug is recommended. If you're feeling rich, you might want to take photos with both digital and film.

Film can be developed easily, so long as you use a reputable shop - there are many low-quality ones. I used one just round the corner from the Kathmandu Guest House called Thamel Photo Lab, where a roll of 36 exposures developed as 5x7 cost around 500 rupees, or 4 pounds. Developing when in Nepal gives instant results and saves on the worry of the films being wiped by x-ray scanners on your return flights. However, it can become quite heavy.

:: connect ::Equipment-wise I used the weatherproof Olympus Mju 140. It gave excellent results and has a fairly fool-proof 35mm film loading system. I also took some disposable cameras for stuffing into pockets and for when other folk offered to take my photo (sometimes useful instead of handing over your good camera). Good photos need decent equipment, but first they need to be taken at the right time - don't miss opportunities by not having your camera with you, with spare batteries and film!

Film-wise Fujifilm Superia 200 was superb - so much so that other students converted to it (including from Kodak) when they saw the results. It seems to pick up the colours really well. You can buy a pack of 10x36exp from Jessops for something like 17 pounds... a right bargain!

• camera (Olympus Mju Zoom 140)
• disposable cameras (Jessops own brand)
• film (Fujifilm 200 x 12, Fujifilm 400 x4)
• camera case
• spare camera battery

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