Annapurna Circuit Packing List: Gear for Valley, Pass and Desert

Annapurna Circuit packing list: three climate zones in one duffel, and a pass morning at minus 15

The Circuit begins in rice fields at 30 degrees and crosses a pass at minus 15 with wind; in between lie forest, high valley and desert. That means layers, not bulk: everything for the pass morning has to be there, but not much more. Twelve of the 21 operators lend a sleeping bag or down jacket, three provide poles, one crampons – the rest comes from Thamel. Here is the list, sorted by duffel (carried by the porter, if included) and daypack, with the pass morning as a special case.

In short

Operator providesSleeping bag and down jacket: Ace, Nepal High, HSJ, Glorious, Nepal Social, Everest Holiday, Adventure Bound Short, Bold · down jacket: Nature Explore · poles: Bold, CAN, MTA · crampons: MTA · nothing: Sole, Accessible, Peregrine, Outfitter
Rent in ThamelSleeping bag to −20 °C, down jacket, poles, duffel – around USD 1 to 3 per day and item; Manang has shops for what you forgot
WeightWith porter: duffel up to 20–25 kg for two plus daypack 6–8 kg · without porter (eleven products): everything under 12 kg, then rent instead of buy
The pass morningWear everything you have: thermals, fleece, down, wind jacket, two pairs of gloves, balaclava, headtorch, thermos – and take it off again from ten

What the operator provides – and what only some do

With all 21 products: guide, lodges, permits. Beyond that, gear is the field with the biggest differences. Sleeping bag and down jacket are lent by eight operators, Nature Explore only the jacket; Sole, Accessible and Peregrine expressly exclude personal gear, seven mention nothing. Poles are provided by Bold, CAN and MTA; crampons for icy sections on the pass only by MTA. Water: Nature Explore supplies treated water, Everest Holiday Standard two litres of warm water a day, Sole expressly excludes drinking water. Oxygen, oximeter, Diamox: not a single product names them – the altitude clinic in Manang has everything, for the days after you have it yourself or not.

Three questions before booking: are sleeping bag and down jacket included, to what temperature, and when do I get them? Does a porter carry my duffel, and how much? Does anyone provide crampons if the pass is icy?

Duffel (carried by the porter, 15–20 kg per person)

What	Why	From where
Sleeping bag to −15 °C, better −20	Phedi and High Camp −10 to −15 °C at night, lodges unheated	operator (8 of 21) or rental Thamel
Down jacket	evenings from Manang, pass morning	operator (9) or rental
Sleeping-bag liner	hygiene, extra warmth	bring
Fleece or second insulation layer	layers for the pass	bring
3 base-layer tops, 2 trekking trousers, thermal underwear top and bottom	30 °C in the valley, −15 on the pass; laundry no longer dries from Manang	bring
Wool socks 5 pairs, sandals	lodge evenings, hot springs in Tatopani	bring
Rain jacket and trousers	Marsyangdi valley in spring and monsoon; wind protection in Mustang	bring
Balaclava, warm hat, sun hat, buff	pass wind, dust in the Kali Gandaki valley	bring
Gloves: liners and warm overgloves	pass morning; the hands freeze first	bring
Toiletries, wet wipes, toilet paper, earplugs	showers cost, paper is not provided, walls are thin	bring, restock in Manang
Travel pharmacy: ibuprofen, Diamox after doctor, anti-diarrhoeal, blister plasters, lip balm	headache from Manang, dry air in Mustang	bring
Power bank 20,000 mAh, cables, adapter	charging costs, power is scarce up high	bring

Without porter (Adventure Bound, Nepal High, HSJ, Glorious, Trek & Adventure, CAN, MTA, Mount Mania, Peregrine, Everest Holiday Budget, Nature Explore): drop the duffel, everything in a 45-litre rucksack under 12 kg.

Daypack and pass morning

What	Why	From where
Rucksack 30–35 l with rain cover	daily needs; on pass day everything warm	bring
Boots above the ankle, broken in	scree on the pass, snow possible, long descents	bring – never rent
Walking poles	1,600 m of descent to Muktinath, 1,620 m of ascent to Ghorepani	Bold, CAN, MTA provide them; otherwise bring or rent
Microspikes or light crampons	icy switchbacks on the pass in spring and autumn	MTA provides them; otherwise bring (300 g)
2 litres of water, thermos for the pass	3–4 l a day; bottles freeze on the pass morning	bring
Water treatment: filter, tablets or UV	water USD 1–3 per litre; only Nature Explore supplies treated	bring
Sunglasses cat. 3–4, sunscreen 50, lip balm	high-altitude sun, snow on the pass, desert light in Mustang	bring
Headtorch with spare batteries	pass departure at 3–5 am in the dark	bring
Wind jacket or softshell	wind on the pass and in the Kali Gandaki valley from noon	bring
Snacks, electrolytes	appetite drops with altitude; nothing is cooked on the pass	bring, restock in Manang
Cash in rupees, passport, proof of insurance, passport photos	ATM only in Manang and Jomsom, often out of order; ACAP checks	withdraw in Kathmandu

On the pass morning you wear everything warm and carry only water, snacks and camera in the rucksack – the duffel is with the porter, who goes ahead.

Preparation: fitness for twelve days, respect for one morning

The Circuit needs no mountain experience, but endurance for ten to sixteen days of five to seven hours and a pass day of eight to nine. If you walk six hours with 800 m of ascent at home and can do it again the next day, you have the fitness. Start twelve weeks ahead: endurance three times a week, a long hike at the weekend, in the last month two days in a row with a rucksack. The Circuit does the altitude by itself: it climbs slowly, has the rest day in Manang, and the Himalayan Rescue Association gives a talk on altitude sickness there every afternoon at three – go. Doctors discuss Diamox beforehand, not guides. Insurance: trekking to 5,500 m with helicopter rescue, USD 80 to 120; a helicopter from Phedi costs several thousand.

Questions about gear

How cold is it really on the pass?

In the morning between four and eight, minus 10 to minus 15 degrees, with wind feeling below minus 20; colder in winter. From ten the sun shines, and on the descent to Muktinath it is warm. The gear has to do both – hence layers and a rucksack with room for the down jacket.

Do I need crampons?

Usually not, but sometimes yes: after fresh snow or with ice in spring the switchbacks below the pass are slippery. Microspikes weigh 300 g and solve the problem; MTA provides crampons, nobody else does. If you go in March, April or November, take them.

What do I rent in Thamel, what in Manang?

Thamel has everything: sleeping bags, down jackets, poles, duffels, gloves, for one to three dollars per day and item. Manang has small shops for what you forgot – hats, gloves, socks, sunglasses – at mountain prices. Never rent boots anywhere.

What about luggage in Kathmandu?

Stays at the hotel or the operator's office – usual with packages from Kathmandu, ask with the short ones without hotel. The duffel for the porter ideally weighs 10 to 12 kg per person; the limit is 20 to 25 kg for two.

Sources and check status

Show 8 sources

www.viator.com/tours/Kathmandu/Annapurna-Circuit-Trek/d5109-33122P22 – Ace the Himalaya, 22 days: full itinerary via Ngawal, Lubra pass, Tatopani, Poon Hill (Viator Partner API) (accessed 25 September 2026)
www.viator.com/tours/Kathmandu/Annapurna-Circuit-Trek/d5109-179525P6 – Nepal High Trek, 12 days: jeep to Chame, High Camp, bus from Muktinath (Viator Partner API) (accessed 25 September 2026)
www.viator.com/tours/Kathmandu/Private-Annapurna-Circuit-Trek/d5109-41 – MTA Trekking, 11 days private: crampons and poles provided (Viator Partner API) (accessed 25 September 2026)
www.viator.com/tours/Kathmandu/8-Day-Annapurna-Circuit-Private-Trekkin – The Everest Holiday, 8 days in three tiers Budget/Standard/Luxury (Viator Partner API) (accessed 25 September 2026)
www.viator.com/tours/Kathmandu/Annapurna-Circuit-Trek-with-Tilicho-Lak – Sole Encounters, 16 days: itinerary with kilometres, meals excluded, German (Viator Partner API) (accessed 25 September 2026)
www.viator.com/tours/Kathmandu/Annapurna-Circuit-Trek/d5109-68949P20 – Peregrine Treks, 15 days: 4-star Pokhara, sleeping bag extra (Viator Partner API) (accessed 25 September 2026)
www.himalayanrescue.org.np/ – Himalayan Rescue Association: Manang altitude clinic, talks (accessed 25 September 2026)
ntb.gov.np/ – Nepal Tourism Board: TIMS, compulsory guide (2023) (accessed 25 September 2026)