Clothing & Large Packs for 6,000m Peaks

Effectively packing for expeditions requires a high level of understanding of logistics, terrain, weather, and the biology of living and performing at altitude. In this video I dig into the clothing and packs you might want for an expedition above 6,000 meters/19,685 feet. These are the items I packed to guide three back-to-back trips in Nepal on peaks from 6,156m/20,200ft to 6,576m/21,247ft. This video is one of a three-part series on packing for high altitude peaks in Nepal.
Note that the material outlined here is applicable for commonly climbed peaks in Nepal such as AmaDablam, Island Peak (Imja Tse), Labuche East, Mardi Himal, Paldor Peak, Pachermo Peak, Nayakhanga, Yala Peak, Kyajo Ri, and Mera Peak. It is also useful for expeditions in the Andes and lesser climbed peaks in the Himalayas such as Kangchung Shar. This information might also be handy for those of you headed to the Nepalese Himalayas for treks such as Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit, or Langtang. I hope it's useful!

[@carl8568]

I find beanies cause bad itching so in cold mountain weather I usually find myself hooding up and then wearing an OR Helios full brimmed hat over the hood.

[@alekseypo]

Thank you for going over your setup - helpful!

[@skillsforclimbing]

Happy it was helpful @aleksypo!

[@mottobc]

Thanks for your time and caring to share that.

[@skillsforclimbing]

My pleasure @mattobc!

[@piyushspassport]

Thanks for the info mate, probably the best video I’ve watched on this topic. Planning to do Island peak mid November. What would you recommend pants wise for summit day? Would i get away with some heavyweight thermals and heavy softshell pants? I usually get fairly hot when moving

[@skillsforclimbing]

That's a fantastic time for Island Peak in my opinion. Usually very stable weather in mid-November. Yeah, usually thermals and heavy-weight softshells will be enough for summit day once you are moving. For camp in the evening/early morning I would recommend picking-up a pair of synthetic fill puffy pants from Shona's Alpine, which is a hole-in-the-wall shop in the Thamel district of Kathmandu. The pants have full side zips and are super affordable. Really nice for the lodges as well. Here's their location: maps.app.goo.gl/bJuvMw77iMKnLJmA6

[@piyushspassport]

@@skillsforclimbing cheers mate, much appreciated. I do remember dropping into Shona’s last time I was there, neat little shop.

[@piyushspassport]

@@skillsforclimbing do you think the Gamma AR pants would be sufficient?

[@StevesDogTraining1]

How did you manage to get all that under 15kg for the flight to Lukla thanks

[@skillsforclimbing]

Hey @StevesDogTraining1! Thanks for the question. For internal flights in Nepal 15kg is free with your flight as you know (10kg checked and 5kg hand carry). For additional weight you pay 90 to 250 NPR for each additional kg, depending on your origin, destination, and the the season. I find for most expeditions I've run in Nepal I end-up paying around $80USD in additional baggage fees for the entire group (usually 3 to 6 people). 15kg is just shy of what most people need for a 30 day expedition along a route with lodges if they aren't bringing ropes, pitons, and other gear shared by the group. For trekking I've found 15kg more than sufficient if folks stick to the packing list. If you have loads of extra stuff it's fairly common for your gear to be sent on more than one flight, which can complicate things logistically, as flights can be delayed by several days, which means you could be stuck waiting in Lukla for quite a long time if there hasn't been good planning. If I know we will have lots of equipment, I usually send gear well ahead of time so it's waiting in Lukla when we arrive. For oxygen bottles, these need to be sent by heli because they are not allowed on commercial airlines. Usually I'll set this up at least a month in advance, since it's possible to get a deal for cargo transport by heli if you can make the transport coincide with a back-haul. More info than you asked for, but perhaps it's helpful!

[@StevesDogTraining1]

@@skillsforclimbing thank you so much for getting back to me I’m going to Nepal on the 11th September to do the 3 passes EBC then Island Peak I’ve got the weight down to 17kg between my ruck sack and day pack when I did my first weigh it was 21 lol thanks again 👍