/ What’s in my bag?
Hydration system
My hydration system includes a 1L water bottle and a water purification system.
Water bottle
I use a 1L Nalgene, but the important thing is to get a water bottle which can hold both hot and cold water. It’s overkill to bring the insulated metal bottles. They’re too much weight and, since they’re insulated, you can’t use them as a hot water bottle to keep yourself warm at night.
Water purification system
It’s essential that you purify your water before drinking in Nepal. There are two different methods: mechanical and chemical.
Mechanical methods include hand pumps or filters which fit into your water bottle. An example of a mechanical filter is a LifeStraw.
There are two types of chemical purifiers: pills and UV filters.
Iodine or chlorine pills can be easily obtained in Nepal before you hit the trail. These pills work by raising the pH of the water and making it basic. The downsides to the pill are that it takes about a half hour to an hour to react and it makes your water taste a little like a swimming pool. To counter the taste, you can add citrus tablets, like those dissolvable Vitamin C tablets, AFTER the pill has finished reacting. This raises the acidity of the water closer to neutral.
The second type of chemical purifier is a UV filter, such as a Steripen. The UV light generally works in 1.5 minutes and kills the harmful bacteria. The drawback to UV filters is that they’re generally more expensive than the pill or a LifeStraw-like mechanical filter. However, after using both pills and a UV filter, I found the UV filter much more convenient to use.
Weather gear
You’ve got rain and snow gear for yourself, why not your bag? Depending on the type of weather I’m expecting, I’ll bring a rain cover and perhaps a dry bag.
Rain cover
Usually, your backpack comes with a rain cover when you buy it. You’ll need the rain cover for dust, rain, and snow on the trail. I always bring this with me.
40L Dry bag
In addition to the rain cover, I line my backpack with a dry bag on the inside when trekking during monsoon season. This insures that my gear and clothing will stay dry.
