Gokyo Lake Trek Gears and Equipment

For the Gokyo Lake Trek, packing the right gear is very important because the weather can change quickly, and you’ll be walking in the mountains for many days. You should carry clothing and items that keep you warm, dry, and comfortable.

Start with basic clothing. You will need thermal base layers, a few trekking shirts, warm fleece or down jackets, and waterproof jackets and pants. Trekking pants, warm innerwear, gloves, a woolen hat, sun hat, and a buff or scarf will help protect you from cold and wind.

Good trekking boots are a must. Make sure they are strong and already broken in to avoid blisters. Bring a few pairs of warm socks and some light shoes or slippers to wear at the tea houses in the evening.

For sleeping, carry a warm sleeping bag that can handle cold temperatures (up to -10°C or lower). You’ll also need a headlamp or flashlight, sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm with SPF, and basic toiletries. Carry your own water bottle or hydration bladder and bring water purification tablets to clean drinking water.

A small first-aid kit with your personal medicines, band-aids, and blister cream is useful. Trekking poles can help you walk better, especially on steep or rocky parts. Also, pack a power bank to charge your phone or camera, since electricity may not always be available.

All of your gear should fit in a good backpack or duffel bag, and using dry bags or plastic bags can help keep your clothes safe from rain or snow.

The Gokyo Lake Trek is a moderate to challenging level trek. However, it does not require technical climbing skills, but it does involve walking for many hours each day, often on steep and rocky trails. The trek reaches high altitudes, with Gokyo Ri standing at about 5,357 meters, so altitude sickness can be a risk if you ascend too quickly.

Most days involve 5 to 7 hours of walking, and some parts can be physically demanding, especially when crossing high passes or climbing up to viewpoints. The thin air at high elevations can make even simple walks feel harder than usual. That’s why it’s important to trek slowly and take enough rest.

If you are reasonably fit and do some physical training (like walking, jogging, or hiking) for a month or two before your trip, you should be able to complete the trek. With proper acclimatization, the right gear, and a positive mindset, most trekkers find the Gokyo Lake Trek to be a very rewarding adventure.

We provide both sleeping bags and down jackets free of cost. If you trek with Access Nepal Tours and Trekking, we provide down jackets free as a complimentary. As for sleeping bags, if you need one during the trek, we will provide it free of cost.

However, if you are trekking without an agency or in Kathmandu, you can easily rent sleeping bags and down jackets in the Thamel area. You can rent them at a cost between $1 to $5 US dollars per day. During the rental period, shops may ask you to pay a deposit amount, so prepare for that also. But rental price may vary depending on the condition and quality of the sleeping bags and down jackets. If you are renting, then we suggest that you thoroughly inspect it and make sure they clean and in good condition.

The weight of sleeping bags and down jackets depends on the brand, design, and type of insulation used. By weighing, you can know to choose the gear that will be comfortable to carry for the Gokyo Lake Trek.

• Sleeping Bags: The standard weight of sleeping bags typically weighs in between 1 to 1.5 kg (2.2 to 3.3 lbs). This is for a 3-season sleeping bag. Likewise, for 2 seasons sleeping bags are lighter, weighing around 700g to 1 kg (1.5 to 2.2 lbs), and for 4 seasons sleeping bags and down jackets that are warmer weigh 1.5 to 2 kg (3.3 to 4.4 lbs).


• Down Jackets: The standard weight of down jackets is around 300g to 800g (0.66 to 1.8 lbs). The weight of the jackets totally depends on how much warmth they provide, insulation, and fill power. The good quality jackets used in high elevation weigh more in comparison to light jackets with less insulation.

No, we provide 1 porter for two people. However, if you want a personal porter, then we can arrange the porter accordingly with additional costs. You can inform us beforehand, so that we can manage the porters for you. Likewise, the porter will be allocated according to the number of travelers. For the safety of the porter, they will carry the weight comfortably on them and not more than 20kg.