Trekkign GEar in Kathmandu

coldpaw

Alright,

Will be going travelling to India and Nepal at end of the summer- Does anyone know if you can pick up gear for trekking cheaper in Kathmandu ie thermal clothes good sleeping bag etc- just don't want to have to lug it all round India when it will be absolutely no use to me.

Its also mad expensive in Ireland to buy the stuff.

Al;so another question- which gear is the best, a novice at this stuff but Colombia and north face only names i recognise are they the best or just the best known? will have to get base, mid and oter layers, so it would be a fair whack of cash

Cheers for the help, sorry if this posted in the wrong place.

Ideo

yeah u can pick up EVERYTHING in nepal for trekking. now, it'll probably be fake but it will do the job no problem. maybe bring your own boots if you have them though, you dont want the hassle of getting good boots while your over there.

where are you planning on trekking to in Nepal? there has been posts in the past about nepal in this forum, try searching for them as they might answer a few of your questions. any other Qs, just ask! was there a few years ago, its a great place!!

breadmonkey

Hi coldpaw,

You can buy everything you need in KTM. The only exceptions to this would be boots and a backpack. While there is an official North Face shop in KTM, the prices are comparable to what you'd pay here and your boots need to be worn in before you go trekking. Also, the selection is very limited. As in the post above, all of the gear on sale in KTM is made in KTM but it will be of sufficient quality to last you one decent length trek (~14 days).

I rented a sleeping bag from Shona''s - it's in Thamel and is marked on the map in the Lonely Planet. It was very cheap and the people who ran it were very helpful. I also bought Iodine tablets there I think.

Many treks can be done in runners but for the sake of your feet it would be worthwhile investing in a decent pair of boots. Quick drying T-shirts would also be very beneficial imo. After that, there's no need for expensive equipment. Just make sure your backpack has a good load support system with strong waist straps (assuming you're not getting a porter)/

Since it looks like you'll be trekking in Aug/Sept, I would strongly recommend that you bring an umbrella on the trek. It can act as a parasol as well. You might think you'll look a bit silly but I guarantee it'll be useful!

Amazotheamazing

While you can get everything you need in Kathmandu, shop around. Not all counterfeit stuff is the same quality. I got some high quality counterfeit North Face gear which has lasted me through Nepal, Asia, Oz and Nz, but some of the stuff on sale is very poor.

I did the ABC trek in runners, I wouldn't think boots are must but it depends on the weather, it was dry for the most part when I was there, you can buy or rent stuff in Pokara too.

breadmonkey

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

While you can get everything you need in Kathmandu, shop around. Not all counterfeit stuff is the same quality. I got some high quality counterfeit North Face gear which has lasted me through Nepal, Asia, Oz and Nz, but some of the stuff on sale is very poor.

Agreed. I still have some stuff today while other things just fell apart.

coldpaw

thanks for the responses- i will be trekking very end of sept ealry october- will i still need an Umbrella?

Also what is the likelihood of getting AMS it just depends on the person or is there any stuff that can make it more likely does anyone know?

Cheers

breadmonkey

coldpaw wrote: »

thanks for the responses- i will be trekking very end of sept ealry october- will i still need an Umbrella? Cheers

I don't think so, September is late monsoon so I think you should be fine in October.

Also what is the likelihood of getting AMS it just depends on the person or is there any stuff that can make it more likely does anyone know?

Yes it depends on the person and even if you've had no problems before it can still hit you. Best thing to do is to only ascend about 300m (net) per day once you get above 2500m or there abouts. You should always try to sleep at an altitude lower than the maximum altitude you reached that day and lots of liquids will also help.

It's important that you take the time to read up on the condition, the symptoms and the appropriate response as it can be fatal if left unchecked. Having said that, if you're sensible about your acclimatisation and look after each other, you shouldn't have any problems!

What trek are you planning on doing?

coldpaw

still up in the air between Annapurana Circuit and Everest Base Camp. I've heard AC has better views and is up and down so it is better in terms of AMS, but have always wanted to get to base camp so defo leaning towards that. Anyone care to recommend one between these too? Prob wont make a decision for a while cause gonna sort it out myself in Kathmandu, Lukla or Pokhara rather than over here where ill get fleeced.

Cheers for all the advice, my wallet thanks you all!

breadmonkey

EBC: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055383258&highlight=nepal

AC: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055383864&highlight=nepal

RATM has done both so should be able to help you out more if he sticks his head in. More good info here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055307616&highlight=nepal

Ideo

Coldpaw I done EBC in august 2007 (rainy season) and would wholeheartedly recommend it. It was miserable enough up to namche bazaar but nice enough up from there. We had a Sherpa to guide us along the way but carried our own gear. I'm sure I still have the details of the travel agent in Nepal that I used so if u want me to send u on his details just let me know. I had rough dates organised when I landed in Nepal, just confirmed and paid for everything when I go there. Anyway, let me know if u want the details or if u need any other info. Our sherpa was a lovely guy, I wouldn't hesitate in recommending him!!

coldpaw

thanks ideo. yeah if you send this on i'll have a look out. did you find the guide was neccessary.how much did the sherpa cost? defo leaning towards everst dont have any real experince of that kind of trekking but fairly healthy, besides the ciggies! how much was a flight from kathmandu to lukla? how long did the trek take you? any AMS problems? Did you find it tough going carrying the gear? sorry for all the questions.

coldpaw

Sorry on emore questions for everyone- i have a long standing inner ear problem, it pops on flights etc. Does anyone know if AMS is more likely for someone with an ear problem? or where I could find info on this. tried the net but cant find anything on if they are linked.

cheers everyone

Ideo

coldpaw wrote: »

did you find the guide was neccessary.

Yes and no. I hadn't much trekking experience going so I personally wouldn't have done it iwthout a guide but you can get guide books (think LP have an Everest trekking book) that show you the route. It gets tricky in parts and is very useful to have the sherpa/guide. TBH he looked after us really well!

coldpaw wrote: »

how much did the sherpa cost? how much was a flight from kathmandu to lukla?

I actually booked the whole trek through a travel agent dude in kathmandu so he looked after all of the costs. Im nearly certain it was €600 for the two week trek, this included every cost - accom, lukla - ktm return flights, food (breakfast, lunch and dinner - food and hot drinks but no water or softdrinks), permits and our sherpa's wages. I think flights at the time were $150 dollars. It hindsight, it was definitely worth every penny!!!!!! we tipped our sherpa €30 each at the end of the trip also, there was just two of us.

coldpaw wrote: »

how long did the trek take you? any AMS problems? Did you find it tough going carrying the gear?

I done the 14 day trek, but we flew down on the way back so stayed in namche for two nights on the way down. Think it took us 8/9 up and 6/5 down. Re AMS yeah I suffered a bit from namche upwards. during the day I was fine but at night id get headaches. you'd wake up with a bit of a headache, take some water and a good few deep breaths and the pain would go away. You'd fall back asleep for half an hour and then wake up and do the same again. fun :rolleyes:

coldpaw wrote: »

Did you find it tough going carrying the gear?

it was ok tbh. started with about 10kg worth of stuff and left about 4kg in our teahouse in namche which I collected on teh way back. you can hire a porter for about $8/9 dollars or something. you could carry your stuff to begin with but if you found you were struggling on the way you could prob pick one up in namche, if you have a sherpa with you they can arrange this for you! one of the many benefits of having a guide.

Few other suggestions would to be get one of those steripens or something similar. i used iodine to treat the water which doesn't taste too good!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Steripen-Classic/dp/B001M17DH4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1280871011&sr=8-1-spell

I'll PM you the details of the travel agent we used. I don't know what he charges compared to the rest of the guys on the ground in KTM but you definitely get what you pay for and and if you start skimping on costs you are going to pay for it in the quality of the trek/guide and food!!

Ideo

coldpaw wrote: »

Sorry on emore questions for everyone- i have a long standing inner ear problem, it pops on flights etc. Does anyone know if AMS is more likely for someone with an ear problem? or where I could find info on this. tried the net but cant find anything on if they are linked.

cheers everyone

and you might get a good response to this over in the outdoor pursuits forum

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=430

An Capall Dubh

Hi Ideo,

I'm thinking of going to Nepal at the end of October.

I am looking to do the a trek as well and would be grateful if you could pm me the name of the travel agent that booked your trek.

Cheers.

Ideo

Just sent you a PM there An Capall Dubh

RATM

OP I've done both Annapurna and EBC. If you're worried about rain in August I'd go with EBC- once you are above Namche you move into a different micro climate and according to the locals the weather is normally okay at that time of year when you are up and above 4,000m.

If you're worried about ear trouble the EBC is probably a better bet too- there's a hospital of sorts at Periche which specialises in all things altitude related. I think its run by some doctor/mountaineers. But tbh I'd say your ear will be okay- my reasoning for this is that you are going up in altitude gradually (don't ascend more than 300m per day if you can and follow the trek high, sleep low rule). Because the altitude gain is gradual and spread out over 10-14 days your ears should adjust- going from 0m to 10,000m in an airplane is a completely different proposition.

All in all though I'd agree with others that the Annapurna has the better views (not that EBC is crap or anything, Annapurna is just more scenic) but EBC is the better physical challenge

Whichever you choose you'll likely find yourself going back to Nepal at least once- its that kind of place.

e2a- I'd advise buying all your gear in Kathmandu except the boots which need to be worn in before you leave here. The gear on sale in Kathmandu and Pokhara is fake stuff but some of it is quite good. I still have a North Face jacket from a trek to EBC 2 years ago and it still works=) Also the Nepalese economy needs your shekels far more than the Irish economy