Having the right clothing and kit is vital, it can really make or break a trek. Turn up in the wrong shoes and you might struggle with the terrain. Turn up without a thick enough down jacket and while everybody else is cosy and warm taking in the beautiful scenery you're just shivering. So, to make sure you take the right gear we asked our Operations Assistant Kerrie, with her vast experience as a Mountain Leader and work in outdoor retail, for her advice on what you should wear on a trek to the colder regions, whether it's trekking in the Himalayas along the Everest Base Camp Trek or through Patagonia.

So you have finally took the plunge and booked your bucket list trip! We’re here to help you prepare for this trek of a lifetime with our handy kit guide, where we will break down all of the jargon and set you up to enjoy this beautiful country and all it has to offer.

All of our trips have a handy index of information at the bottom of the page, one of which is equipment. Here you will find a list of items to take that are essential, and some that are optional. I am going to talk about a few of the more important items in a bit more detail as we go along.

Walking Boots

Now, I know you’re excited, and you want to go out and buy all of the new things right away, but if there’s one item you need to take your time over, it is footwear. Repeat after me, “Do not buy brand new walking boots the week before you leave”. You want to be as comfortable as possible, you want to enjoy yourself, and I can guarantee you that will not happen if you get a blister on the first days walk because your boots do not fit correctly!

Gone are the days of having to spend months breaking in new boots, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put them to good use before you travel. Get a bit of mud on them and get a few miles walked in them first (and by a few, I mean a lot), but of course I am getting ahead of myself, you actually need to buy them first!

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Water proof Jackets and Over Trousers

Possibly the most important purchase after getting your boots is a waterproof jacket and over trousers. There is nothing worse than getting wet and cold on a trek. That’s not to say it won’t happen – but with a good set of waterproofs you are reducing the chance of that happening by a significant amount!

Are all waterproof jackets made equal? Absolutely not! Do you need to rush out and buy the most expensive waterproof jacket in the shop? Also no.

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Think Layers

This can be made from either merino wool or a synthetic material. Both have pros and cons.

Merino wool base layers and t-shirts will be more expensive than synthetics, but you will buy fewer. With merino wool’s natural antibacterial properties, it is less prone to pong with continuous wear. Synthetic t-shirts sometimes come treated with an antibacterial agent but usually you can tell you have been walking for 8 hours a day quite quickly, if you know what I mean…

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Cosy Down Jackets

Often referred to as a duvet jacket, these are designed to keep you warm and cosy. As with waterproof jackets, down jackets are not created equal. There is a vast variety of fill, quality and type of down used, as well as the grams of down used. A jacket filled with duck down will not be as warm as goose down. The drawback – goose down is more expensive. Most reputable brands will use a mixture of goose and duck down which is RDS certified.

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Trekking Trousers

Primarily these need to be comfortable – you’re going to be in them for the vast majority of the trip. There is a lot of choice out there now in terms of materials, colours and styles. Some are a more fitted legging style trouser, some are lined for colder climates, and some zip off at the knee to become shorts. What is not recommended is jogger cotton style legwear or denim.

Gloves

An important but often overlooked bit of kit! The possibility of combinations that work for you could be endless. You could go for a warm liner style glove with a waterproof mitt to go over the top. You could have a full winter glove that is fleece lined with a super durable outer… or a fully synthetic glove that offers a bit more dexterity but will get wet (and who likes soggy gloves?). The options I could list will go on forever, so try as many different styles on as you can.

Top tip: Try to zip up your jacket or open and close your rucksack whilst wearing the gloves and see how easy it is, try tying your boots, opening your water bottle or changing the batteries in your headtorch. If you can do all of these things with ease with the gloves on, that is a good start!

Buff

Everyone should have a buff! If you’ve never used one before, I strongly urge you to! Like dry bags, these will magically multiply, one cannot simply own only one buff. A brief description of a buff is a multifunctional super versatile tubular piece of material. Sounds glamourous doesn’t it? You can wear is as a head band, a neck warmer, you can pull it up over your nose to keep your face warm and protected from the elements, they can be turned into a beanie…. The list is endless. You can now even buy polar buffs, which are fleece lined!

Rucksacks

Now you have your shiny new kit, you need something to carry it all in! For most of our Nepal trips, a 30ltr rucksack, or daypack, is big enough for what you need to carry.
The fit of your rucksack is just as important as the fit of your boots. You should be able to carry all your equipment with ease if your pack fits correctly. Aching shoulders or a sore back are often indications that something is wrong with the pack and it needs adjusting.

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Dry Bags

Just like buffs, you can’t have just one dry bag. However, at least there is more a practical reason behind having more than one!

Dry bags are extremely handy for kit organisation and for keeping it dry, as the name would suggest! From incredibly small to incredibly large and everything in between you are sure to find the right size and selection of bags to suit your needs. What is even better is that each size is usually a different colour! Over the years, I have settled on a system that means I know exactly what in each colour of dry bag without opening it. This is super handy when I’m on a multi-day trek, and need a clean pair of socks – I just need to pull out the red dry bag, as that has my clothes in it! If I need to charge my phone, I know my battery pack is in the orange dry bag. My maps, compass and GPS unit are in the green… and so on.

Luxury Items

Toilet paper - Yes, you read that right. Toilet paper can be in short supply, and depending on where you go some mountain huts  and lodges will charge for it. If you have the space in your kit bag, then take some. If you don’t feel like carrying it around just make sure you factor the cost into your spending money, so you can still spend a penny!

Kindle – or your book of choice. If you are waiting around for flights, transfers or just have a spare few hours to kill and want to chill out, having something to read could plug that gap. Taking electronics has it’s pros and cons. You will need to have some way to charge them, but it will weigh less than a standard book and take up less room.

Playing cards – take a pack with you to spice up the evenings in the mountain huts! You never know, your guide may teach you a new game, or you can show everyone your prowess at a game of snap.

Favourite snacks – if there is something in particular that you just can’t live without, take it with you. Days on the trail can be long and hard work and having a little treat hidden in your pack can be just the pick me up you need when you stop for a rest. Some items can be bought on route, so don’t go too nuts!

Headphones – if you have your kindle, or have downloaded some pod casts or music to listen to of an evening, your headphones will come in handy. Apparently, not everyone likes the Spice Girls so I take headphones now too…

Ready to go?

Our KE Kit List will mention more items than what I have discussed here, but some are quite straight forward and some just boil down to personal preference.

The biggest things to take away from this are:

• Have your boots and rucksack professionally fitted. Our recommended retailer is Cotswold Outdoor, who have stores nationwide.
• Wear your boots before your trip. You could even take your new rucksack out for a walk as well to get used to carrying it when full!
• Avoid cotton. This material soaks up moisture and can leave you damp and cold. Technical fabrics that most outdoor clothing items are made from is designed to do the opposite – to wick the moisture away from your skin.
• Buy all of the dry bags (ok, maybe 3 or 4).
• Having the right kit will make your trip much more comfortable and enjoyable.