Here is a guide on how to choose the perfect trek pants without losing your mind.

Buying trek pants can get confusing as they are not everyday wear. You can’t just buy them off the shelf. Why? Because not knowing what qualities to look for in a trek pants can keep you confused for hours

That’s where this guide on how to choose a trek pant comes to your aide. It’s a bit of a deep-dive, so stay on until the end. (And, bookmark it to save time later)

I also want you to know I am not a brand endorser of any of these pants. These are good pants used extensively by a group of people who mistreat them the most — our trek leaders. They put them through the ultimate test almost every day of their lives.

And for ease of navigation, here’s a quick table of contents that lists everything you will find in this guide:

Most Commonly Asked Questions Around Trekking Pants

With that structure in mind, let’s start with the first section.

It’s important to know which material works for trekking pants. The wrong one will make you really uncomfortable on a trek.

Ideally, your trek pants must be made out of Polyamide. It is a wonder material that is a combination of fibers, either polyester+elastane if it’s stretchable or 100 % polyester for regular trekking pants. This combination feels like a God-sent answer to what we wanted in trekking pants. And I will tell you why.

Polyamides are specially designed for sportswear. They are incredibly durable and strong. If you don’t get polyamides, then a high polyester blend will do.

But, how do you know if your trek pants are made of Polyamide? Look for the fabric material on the label.

Moving on, there are four other things to look for — the material of your pants must be lightweight, quick-dry, easy to clean and breathable.

1. Lightweight: The wrong kind of pants will weigh you down on a big trip, like a trek. Here, even a few grams matter. So, weigh your options (literally) while choosing clothes for a trek. Don’t let your pants weigh more than 150 grams. That’s half the weight of your typical city trouser (250-500 grams)!

And that difference comes in because of the polyamides. They make your trek pants much lighter than regular pants and make them easier to carry. In fact, this is why Sandhya UC, Co-founder and COO of Indiahikes, loves her trekking pants and takes special care of them.

I keep my trekking pants only for treks. I also use them for long-distance travels because they are so light. On my recent trip to Spain, my backpack for a 10-day trip weighed less than 7 kgs with 5 changes of clothes. That’s what lightweight clothes do to you. You can take more for less.

2. Quick-dry:Weather is unpredictable on a Himalayan trek. Dark clouds simply roll in unannounced and soak you in a surprise shower. Regardless of the season. If you’ve ever trekked in the Himalayas you will know this.

More than that, there is always mud, slush and wet patches to negotiate on a trek. In times like these, wearing trekking pants that dry quickly is important. Good news — pants made of polyamide or high polyester do that beautifully.

On the other hand, the surface of certain trek pants, like Men’s Mountain Trekking Trousers – TREK 900 are treated, so instead of getting absorbed, water droplets simply roll off.

Apart from keeping you dry, the polyamides in trek pants can also keep you dry, shares Senior Trek Leader Dushyant Sharma.

Quick-dry pants have a unique quality — they are warmer than usual trousers or track pants made of cotton. See, cotton is designed to keep you cool, and that’s not favourable in cold, Himalayan temperatures.

While I love jeans for their versatility in the cities, it’s necessary to point out that jeans are catastrophic on a trek.

They are bulky and take an obscene amount of time to dry. Typical jeans weigh around 700 grams when dry, and a mind-boggling 2 kgs when wet!

The elasticity of its fibres also gets affected and it’s difficult to comfortably trek in wet jeans because they restrict your movement.

So, if you get drenched while wearing jeans on a trek, you will end up carrying all that uncomfortable extra wet weight. To top it, you will also spend days in damp bottoms that will expose you to the risk of catching a cold (or worse, hypothermia). So please, avoid jeans.

3. Easy to clean: Treks can get messy. Think dusty trails, horse dung, rolling in the meadows or sitting under a maple tree for lunch. All these will get dirt on your pants. And it’s wise to steer off materials that stain easily or absorb dirt. Like cotton.

To address this, good trek pants are made of stain and dirt-resistant fabrics. Again, polyamides are great at this. And Vishnu Benne, Head of FinOps at Indiahikes wears the Men’s Mountain Trekking Modular Trousers – TREK 100 on treks.

I like how the material of my trek pants is so super-easy to clean. Even when there is dirt, one splash of water, even without soap, the pants are cleaned.

4. Breathable: Now, here’s something you must consider when you are buying clothes for your trek — you will sweat, and you won’t get to take a bath while on a trail.

This means you might stink if you wear clothes that don’t allow your skin to breathe or the sweat to evaporate.

While cotton is great for this purpose, it is a bad choice for treks.

The next best choice is trekking pants made of polyamide/polyesters. Contrary to the popular notion, they are breathable and let your sweat evaporate easily. That’s how they keep you cool as well.

Note: And I must state the obvious here — waterproof pants (like the ones made of raincoat material) are not breathable. You’ll suffocate and sweat in them. Do not ever wear them on treks.

The only time you can wear waterproof pants is when you slip them over your regular trekking pants on monsoon treks. Basically when there is a downpour on. But waterproof pants are extremely bulky and weigh a lot. Even on big monsoon treks, I would not recommend taking them on treks.

It is a common misconception that it’s okay to wear track pants instead of trek pants. Truth: I have done that and regretted it. For two reasons:

1. Track pants are predominantly made of cotton. I am already on the wrong foot here. They are not warm, they take forever to dry and lose shape quickly.

2. They are not snag-free (does not slide over other material and gets stuck) which makes it difficult to use for layering.

But here’s a tip — if you have well-fitting track pants that are snag-free, use them as an inner layer on cold nights/days on a Himalayan trek. Nowadays you get good synthetic track pants. They really work well as inners.

It’s a no-brainer that you will rough it out during a trek. And yet, we forget this crucial detail while choosing our trek clothes.

Remember, your trekking pants need to be 100% comfortable for a trek. There are no two ways about it.

The problem area usually is fitting at the crotch. So, do a full squat and see if it feels tight. If it does feel tight, don’t buy it.

Next, lift your knees to your chest. See how the material responds. Does it stretch easily? Are you comfortable with the stretch? Buy the pants only if the answer is a straight yes.

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU BUY TREKKING PANTS

Many will be surprised with this question — is there a right time to buy trekking pants? Well, if you want to get the fit right, then ‘yes’. Timing plays an important role.

So, what is the right time to buy a trekking pant? A straight answer: 10 days before you start on your trek, says Arjun Majumdar, Founder and CEO of Indiahikes.

Planning for your first trek? Here is all you need to know about trek pants.

How To Choose Trek Pants — The Ultimate Trekking Pants Guide 2023

THURSDAY TREK TALK

Winters in the Himalayas are brutal. Yet, it's a magical time to be on a trek.

In this season, the key to enjoying a trek is to prepare well for it. This is important because tiny slip-ups like not layering up on time, not carrying a thermos, can make you suffer. 

"I've suffered on a winter trek for little things. Like forgetting my liner gloves, or my lip balm, or -- and this is a big one -- my sunglasses!" shares Lakshmi Selvakumaran, Head of Experience at Indiahikes. 

Unfortunately, little things slip our minds easily. With our winter treks around the corner, I’m making a comprehensive guide for you on how to prepare for a Himalayan winter trek. These are the topics I’m going to cover: 

How difficult is trekking in winter going to be

Some hard realities of trekking in winter

Biggest misconceptions about trekking in winter

9 bonus tips about trekking gears in winter

Bookmark this page right away, so that you can use it and share it further any time. 

How Difficult Is Trekking In Winter Going To Be

Let’s address the biggest worry first. 

How difficult is it to trek in winter in the Himalayas? “Is it too difficult for beginners?” is something we get asked almost everyday.  

The simple answer is no, it is not too difficult for beginners. But it is more difficult than non-winter seasons. 

Trekking becomes at least one grade more difficult in winter because of two added difficulties — (1) The negative temperatures (2) The presence of snow. 

The good news is that it is easy to tackle these two problems, even for beginners.

You'll find some of the great winter treks listed in this video.

The mantra is to carry enough layers. With layers, whether you’re from a sweltering Chennai or a humid Mumbai, you’ll be able to tackle a Himalayan winter. 

Here’s the trick. Carry five warm layers — a pair of thermals for the night, two sweaters, one fleece jacket and one padded jacket. Along with these you need warm accessories — a woollen cap, gloves, woollen socks (for the night) and a neck warmer.

With these, you can deal with the coldest night with no worries. (I’m going to address all of these layers in detail further down)

The infographic depicts how to layer up for a Himalayan winter trek.

At this point, it is also important to know 'when' is the right time to layer up. 

"Many trekkers make this rookie mistake of not layering up immediately after completing their day's trek," points Suhas Saya, Head of DIY Treks at Indiahikes. After the trek your body is warmed up. You are not feeling cold. But that's precisely when you need to start putting on your layers. 

"On a trek your body is exerting, it's generating heat so you don't need the layers. But after the trek, your body starts cooling down. It starts losing heat. To prevent this, you need to layer up, get into something dry quickly after you finish your day's trek. This helps in retaining your core body heat," shares Suhas. 

In most other seasons, when you trek, you walk on bare land, footstep after footstep with no worries. 

In winter though, once you reach a certain altitude (usually above 9,000 ft), there’s no more bare land. All your footsteps are in snow. 

This becomes challenging when the snow is above ankle-deep. Your foot sinks in and it takes effort to pick it up and put your next step forward. There are a few ways to tackle this presence of snow.

The layer of snow is thin during December. But as winter progresses -- in January, February and initial March -- the layer of snow thickens. During these months, it helps to keep the following things in mind. 

1. Start your trek before the sun rises. This is an age-old trick that all mountaineers and trekkers follow. Any walking in snow should be done as early in the day as possible, much before the sun rises. This is because during the night, in the negative temperatures, snow becomes hard and packed. It’s easy to walk on hard, packed snow. Your feet don’t sink.

Note: You do need equipment like microspikes attached to your shoes that help you grip the hard snow. On your Indiahikes trek, this equipment will be issued at the camp.

But as the sun comes out, the snow begins to soften and melt. This is when your foot sinks into the snow.

So ideally, start your summit climb (where the snow is highest) by 5 am. Aim at wrapping up your day before noon.

2. Walk on a trail left behind by previous trekkers: One of the biggest dangers of walking on snow is not knowing how deep the snow is. It’s what makes more trekkers unstable and afraid of walking in snow.

But here’s a tip. Almost always, when you’re trekking in winter, there will be a discernible path ahead of you. This is where trekkers have previously walked on the trail and made a path. It’s easiest to walk on this trail.

Even when you’re trekking in a file, it’s best to step into the footsteps of the previous trekker. Every footstep creates a small niche in the snow, which you can step into knowing the depth and gradient of the slope. This ensures you never lose balance or stability while walking in snow.

Always put your foot in the previous trekker’s footstep. This way, you walk on an already laid-out path, without losing balance or stability. Picture by Vishwas Krishnamurthy

3. Use microspikes and gaiters. If you’re trekking with Indiahikes, we will be providing you with microspikes and gaiters to attach to your shoes. You will get these just before you step into snow. Microspikes give you Spiderman-like grip on snow. Gaiters cover up the opening of your shoes, not allowing snow to enter your shoes. This keeps your feet dry and comfortable.

4. Work extra hard on your fitness. It’s no secret that trekking in snow is going to be more tiring than trekking without snow. Which is why you cannot underestimate your fitness preparation. We’ll address this further down.

On any of Himalayan winter treks, be it Kedarkantha, Brahmatal, Deoriatal – Chandrashila, Dayara Bugyal, the temperatures drop to negative numbers.

They can drop as low as -10 °C after sundown. Just after a rain / snowfall, it’s coldest (although, interestingly, it isn’t as cold during a snowfall). 

But on average, on a winter trek expect daytime temperatures to be roughly between 8 °C and 15 °C. This means during the day, you can usually trek wearing just one, or a maximum of two layers. 

The nighttime temperatures are likely to be between 3°C to -5°C. Any time after sundown, you need all your layers on. That is at least five warm layers.

Here is a list of all the gear you need on a winter trek. As a thumb rule, wear a minimum of 5 layers on winter treks. What we’ve mentioned below are the layers we recommend. You could mix and match; you could also carry another extra layer if you’re more prone to feeling cold.

Apart from these prominent gears, it's wise to carry two kinds of gloves -- One water-proof glove and one thick fleece-liner glove. "Trekkers usually make the big mistake of carrying just either of these. But both serve different purposes and save you from cold at different times of the trek," says Akshay Upreti who leads the Rental Division at Indiahikes. 

"You'll need the water-proof glove during the trek, when you are on the trail, where you may encounter snow but also need your hand to be protected against the biting cold. On the other hand, you'll need the fleece-liner glove in the later half of the day, when you are at the campsite. At the campsite, when the sun is setting, the synthetic water-proof glove won't be able to protect you from the cold. That's when fleece liner gloves come to your rescue," Akshay shares. 

Similarly don't forget your warm, thick woollen socks. "They are not an absolute necessity, but they make you feel really comfortable at night on a cold winter trek," Lakshmi offers. 

In the video above, you'll find strong directions on how to go about shopping for winter layers. 

One thing to keep in mind is that trekking in winter is one grade tougher than trekking in non-winter. 

For example, a Kedarkantha trek, which is “easy-moderate” in all other seasons, becomes “moderate” in winter. 

You must start your preparation at least 1.5 – 2 months before your trek. You must start your preparation at least 1.5 – 2 months before your trek. You must start your preparation at least 1.5 – 2 months before your trek. Target running a distance of 5 km within 40 minutes. 

Having spoken to many trekkers about this, I notice they are worried about achieving this level of fitness. The worry is usually among beginners, or elderly trekkers or even those trekking with children. 

So I’m going to give you a very simple fitness routine that works. 

Start by running just 1 or 2 km everyday. Concentrate purely on the distance, trying to increase it bit by bit every day. Do this until you hit the 5 km mark. 

Once you are able to run 5 km, start paying attention to the timing. Try to reduce it just by a few seconds every day until you can bring it down to 40 minutes. 

This kind of preparation takes time, which is why you must plan your trek at least 2 months in advance. 

A question you must not ask: What will Indiahikes do if I cannot meet this target? 

Frankly speaking, it doesn’t matter what Indiahikes says about your fitness. It matters how YOU fare on the trek. This is the level of fitness the trek demands. If you’re not able to meet this mark, you’ll struggle through your trek. That will suck out all the fun of a winter trek in snow. 

There are a few other reasons why winter treks demand more fitness compared to other seasons. The section below will show you.

Some hard realities of trekking in winter 

There are two hard realities of trekking in winter that take trekkers by surprise. But these are realities you need to be prepared for and take in your stride. 

Be ready for changes in routes / campsites:

Many a time, we have to change routes and campsites on winter treks. There are quite a few reasons for this — sudden snowfall may make a campsite inaccessible, forcing us to move to another campsite; water sources may freeze up at certain campsites; some sections of trails may get buried under chest-deep snow; Under such circumstances, it is normal to change routes and campsites, moving to a more compatible route.

Possibility of bad weather is part of the sport:

Although bad weather occurs just once or twice a month, it is highly unpredictable. In case of heavy snowfall or rainfall, your Trek Leader may take the decision to stay put at a certain camp as a safety protocol. In such cases, you may skip a certain camp, or cover the extra distance the next day. These are tweaks in your itinerary that you must be prepared for.

Given that we have been running winter treks for over ten years, we have heard so many myths that we can fill a book! 

Some of these myths will take you by surprise. Some others, you may empathise with, and some could be dangerous if they are truly believed. If you believe in any of these myths, it’s time to bust them. 

9 Bonus tips about trekking gear in winter

You’ll need a good pair of trekking shoes with ankle support and good grip. Our recommendation is to rent a good pair of trekking shoes from the Indiahikes Rental store. If you wish to buy a trekking shoe, then a regular trekking shoe like the MH100 will do. Note: Sports shoes will not work on a winter trek. They neither offer the ankle support nor the grip.

2. What about sunglasses if you wear Spectacles?

You can get oversized sunglasses that you wear over your regular glasses (available at Decathlon). If that is cumbersome, photochromic lenses work equally well. Here’s a quick guide on managing sunglasses with spectacles.

Read more about using sunglasses with spectacles

If you use contact lenses, you can use them on the trek too. The lens solution will not freeze. You will also not face any problems in changing your lens in your tent. Just carry enough cleaning solution with you to clean your fingers well. Wear your sunglasses over your contact lens.

Read more about contact lenses vs spectacles

As Indians, we love cotton. Down in the plains when the heat is a blistering 40°C it makes sense to wear cotton. But it takes a long time to dry when it gets wet. In the mountains, where it is cold, wear synthetic clothes. They wick sweat rapidly when you’re trekking and keep you dry. (But they do tend to smell sometimes, so carry a roll-on deodorant with you.)

5. Down Jacket or Polyfill Padded Jacket?

We would recommend going for a polyfill padded jacket. It’s more durable, it’s less trouble maintaining it, and it usually comes with a water-resistant layer with a hood. Down jackets rarely come with hoods, and are high-maintenance jackets. Watch this video for more input on these two layers.

Go for pants with zippered pockets. They come in handy to keep your phone, handkerchief or pocket snacks, making sure none of these slip out of your pockets while climbing.

Get the ultimate guide on how to choose the right trekking pants

Stretchable track pants make a good backup and can double up as your thermal bottoms. But track pants are not trek pants — so don’t use them as your main outerwear. Keep them only as a backup.

Here, again, avoid cotton pants in winter. You’re going to be trekking in snow and perhaps sliding in snow. If your pants get wet, they need to dry quickly. So synthetic materials work best.

9. Additional Useful Accessories in Winter

A thermos flask (To keep your water warm) 

Steel and not plastic cutlery (steel is easier to wash)

Petroleum jelly to tackle dry skin and lips

That brings us to the end of this post on how to prepare for a winter trek. At the end of it all, it boils down to two basic things — your fitness and your gear. 

Follow the tips we have shared. Work on your fitness for a minimum of 45 days before your trek. On another note, carry a minimum of 5 warm layers. 

If you can take care of these two areas, you will have a good winter trek without fail.  

If you have any questions, drop in a comment below. 

Preparation plays a crucial role on a winter trek. Even a small slip-up and lead to an extremely uncomfortable experience in the extreme temperatures. This blogs lists all details that are required to help you prepare well for a winter trek

How to Prepare For a Himalayan Winter Trek - All You Need To Know

How to Prepare for a Himalayan Winter Trek - All You Need to Know

We’ve noticed that the thought of packing for a trek really harries trekkers — they don’t know what to buy, where to shop, whether to rent, how much to spend. Read this expert guide to learn about the things to take on a Himalayan trek.

Without a proper guide, I notice that trekkers end up overspending and overbuying, which is the opposite of what you should do for a minimal trek. 

What if we told you that a typical trekker spends more on his trekking gears than his flight tickets or his trek fee? It’s no surprise that ‘trekking gear’ is one of the most-searched-for topics on our website. 

So through this guide, we’ll run you through the process of procuring gear for a trek.  

Before you purchase any gear, make sure you visit the Indiahikes rental store, where you can get custom-made high quality gear at 5% of the buying cost.

Here is a list of everything you can rent for your trek.

Trekking shoes with ankle support (Available on rent)

Backpack with rain cover (Available on rent)

Padded Warm Layer Jacket (Padded jackets available on rent)

– Medicines for your personal medical kit

– Documents if you’re trekking with Indiahikes

We’ve made this list assuming you’re going with an organisation such as Indiahikes, that will take care of your stay and accommodation.  

A list of everything you need on a week-long Himalayan trek

There’s a reason we’ve used the word “need” here. 

When you trek the Himalayas, you strip down to the bare essentials that you “need” to stay comfortable and warm. 

Protip: We’ve seen many trekkers packing for what we call “if situations.” I might need extra snacks “if” there are no snacks on the trek. I might need extra pants “if” these pants get wet and so on. If it gets very cold, let me take this extra jacket. This is how a backpack becomes bulky and starts to weigh a ton. Here is the golden rule. On a trek do not pack for an “if” situation. 

So follow the list here. Don’t bring in extras. You don’t need them.

The article concludes with a seasonal infographic for all essentials for a trek. Use these infographics as a reference when packing.

The Most Essentials: Things You Must Take on a Himalayan Trek

Any high altitude trek requires trekking shoes that are sturdy, have good grip, have ankle support and can handle snow.

➤ Buying Tip: The Trek series and MH series are good options by Decathlon. They are tried and tested. There really isn’t any necessity to buy the higher priced models. Here is a list of other budget shoes that trekkers use.

➤ Sports Shoes vs Trekking Shoes: Most sports shoes are inadequate for a Himalayan trek. This is because they don’t come with ankle support, good grips or water resistance. Watch this video for a detailed comparison of the two. 

➤ Rental: We have the Trek series and the MH series by Decathlon available on rent from the Indiahikes store. They are not dirty or unhygienic. This is how they are kept clean.

For a week-long high altitude trek, all you need a 50-60 liter backpack. Make sure your backpack has good hip support, shoulder support and quick access pockets. Here is a guide on how to choose a backpack.

➤ Buying Tip: Decathlon, Adventure Worx and Wildcraft usually make good backpacks. While Wildcraft has more expensive ones, the other two brands have budget-friendly backpacks to choose from. 

➤ Rental: The 55 litre backpack by Adventure Worx is available on rent from the Indiahikes store. They are custom-made for our Himalayan treks. Rent them if you don’t have a backpack.

On a high altitude trek, the cold is what troubles you the most. And wearing layers is the best way to tackle the cold. Layers give you maximum protection and flexibility in the mountains. And when the weather changes in the mountains (as it happens every few hours), you take off or put on layers as required.

Wear one T-shirt and carry two. Carry full sleeve dry-fit T-shirts (preferably collared). Make sure one of them is slightly thickish. If you do not get full sleeves dry-fit T-shirts, you can opt to buy full sleeves of other material.

What is important is that you buy full sleeves T-shirt. These prevent your arms and neck from getting sunburnt. In the rarified air on a trek, especially at high altitudes, UV rays can burn you in no time.

Dry-fit T-shirts quickly dry your sweat, they are easy to wash and in case of a rainy day, they dry quicker. Round neck T-shirts are ok, but collared ones are better.

➤ Cotton or Synthetic? As Indians, we love cotton. Down in the plains when the heat is a blistering 40°C it makes sense to wear cotton. But it takes a long time to dry when it gets wet. In the mountains, where it is cooler, synthetic is what you wear. They wick sweat rapidly and keep you dry.

➤ Buying Tip: You can get dry-fit T-shirts from Decathlon. Also, stores like Reliance Trends, Max have dry-fit T-shirts. They don’t usually cost much.

Protip If you are extra susceptible to cold, you could get a set of thermal inners. In our experience, wearing two T-shirts over another works as a better thermal. And they save you weight and space, since you’re already carrying them. 

Keep the 3-4-5 mantra in mind. 3 insulation layers in summer, 4 in post-monsoon, 5 in winter.

The number of warm layers you carry depends on the season you’re going in. If you’re going any time:

– From March to September (summer), 3 layers

– Between September and November (post-monsoon), you will need 4 layers

– And between December and March (winter), you will need at least 5 warm layers

You need sweaters and fleece jackets that are light and can fold into compact rolls.

For your outer layer, a padded jacket serves the purpose here. You don’t really need a water resistant material. But you need an outer padded jacket that keeps the wind and cold out. Ensure your padded jacket has a hood as well.

➤ Do you need a down/feather jacket? Not really. A regular padded/shell jacket will do.

Note: Down/feather jackets are really not available these days. Many jackets masquerade as down/feather jackets. They are essentially fine polyester-filled jackets. They mimic the function of a down jacket but are usually expensive.  

➤ Rental: Padded jackets made by Fort Collins are available on rent at the Indiahikes Store. They are custom made for Indiahikes and trekkers find them terrific, even in winter. 

Two pairs of trek pants should suffice for any Himalayan trek. Wear one pair and carry one just in case it rains. Trek pants with zippered cut offs at the thighs are very suitable for treks. Also, choose quick-dry pants over cotton. They dry up soon in case of small stream crossings / rain.

➤ Buying Tip: Go for pants with zippered pockets. They come in handy to keep your phone, handkerchief or pocket snacks.

➤ Track Pants or Trek Pants? Stretchable track pants make a good backup and can double up as your thermal bottoms. But track pants are not trek pants — so don’t use them as your main outerwear. Keep them only as a backup. 

Next, Mandatory Accessories: Without Which You Cannot do a Trek

These accessories are mandatory. Don’t go on any trek without them. Trekkers generally put off purchasing / borrowing the accessories for the last minute. We suggest the opposite. Start gathering these accessories first. 

Sunglasses are to prevent snow blindness. On any Himalayan trek, especially if you’re going in a snowy season, a small overexposure to direct sunlight on snow can lead to snow blindness (even about a half hour’s exposure). That’s because fallen snow is like thousands of mirrors that reflect direct UV rays. So you need sunglasses with UV protection. 

➤ Wearing Tip: Wear sunglasses if the trekking day is bright and sunny (on open sections, meadows). On a snowy section you must absolutely never take off your sunglasses until the section has been fully crossed.

➤ Buying Tip: Try getting sunglasses that wrap around instead of those that have openings on the side. Even peripheral UV ray exposure is not a good idea.  

➤ If you wear spectacles: If you wear spectacles, you can get oversized sunglasses that you wear over your regular glasses (available at Decathlon). If that is cumbersome, photochromic lenses work equally well. Here’s a quick guide on managing sunglasses with spectacles.

➤ Contact lens users: If you use contact lenses, you can use them on a trek too. The lens solution will not freeze. You will also not face any problems in changing your lens in your tent. Just carry enough cleaning solution with you to clean your fingers well. Wear your sunglasses over your contact lens. Read this article for more guidance on managing contact lenses on treks.

A sun cap is mandatory. Trekking without a sun cap can lead to headaches, sun strokes, quick dehydration. 

➤ Tip: In the mountains, the general rule is to keep your head covered at all times. During the day a sun cap protects you from the harsh rays of the sun (it is doubly stronger with naked UV rays).

A sun cap keeps your body temperature in balance. In the evening/early morning, the reverse is true. Your head loses your body heat quickly. A woolen cap prevents heat from dissipating from your head. You feel warm and cosy.

Protip: Sun caps with flaps are a blessing for trekkers. They cut out almost all UV leaks and sun burns in every possible way. Also, they are a lot more effective than sunscreen lotion. A wide brimmed sun hat also helps to prevent sunburn in a big way.

If you are going any time when there is snow, you’ll need gloves to grip something or to steady yourself in snow. You also want the gloves to keep you warm. Get synthetic hand gloves that have waterproofing on the outside and a padded lining on the inside.

If you find the combination difficult to get (not likely), wear a tight fitting fleece hand glove inside a synthetic hand glove. Hand gloves are mandatory on any Himalayan trek.   

Ensure these cover your ears. In the cold mountains, you lose a lot of heat from your head. Which is why you need to keep your head protected, especially when the sun is down. Early mornings or late evenings. On a cold trekking day you may need to wear your woollen cap even while trekking. Pass days are known for this.

Your ears are sensitive too, so a woollen head cap that covers your ears is absolutely essential. A balaclava is a modern version of the woolen cap. It covers your ears, neck and parts of your face as well. Do not get a woollen cap that only covers your head (and not your ears).

Apart from two sports socks, take a pair of woollen socks. Sports socks give you cushioning plus warmth. Again the mantra is to wear synthetic socks or at least a synthetic blend. Cotton socks soak in water and sweat. They are very hard to dry.

As for woollen socks, they help you to keep warm and snug in the night, especially in your sleeping bag. If you cannot get woolen socks, wearing two sports socks serves the purpose as well. 

You need to get a headlamp because it leaves your hands free to do other activities. On a long trek you’ll need your hands free to wash dishes, pitch tents and hold your trek poles. 

Here's a guide and checklist with all the things to take on a Himalayan trek. Right from essential gear to all mandatory documents. Read more.

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