Nine kilos, excluding the water you carry and the food the operator provides. That is the target for a supported six-day trek where a mule or porter takes the offload bag. Most first-timers land at fourteen.
The layers, and only these layers
- Two quick-dry base layers. Not cotton, not three of them.
- One fleece, one light down or synthetic puffer.
- One rain shell with a hood that actually cinches. Ponchos are useless in wind.
- Two pairs of trek pants. You will wear one and it will be filthy and that is fine.
- Three pairs of wool socks, one thermal set strictly for sleeping.
Four things to leave at home
A full-size towel — carry a microfibre one the size of a hand cloth. Jeans. A second pair of boots. And the 500 ml bottle of shampoo, which will still be 470 ml when you get back.
Before you book
Whoever you go with, ask the same three questions: what is the group size, who is the lead guide on your specific departure, and what exactly happens if the weather turns. Any operator worth the walk will answer all three in one message, without hedging.
Every agency listed on TrackYourTour publishes its cancellation terms, guide-to-traveller ratio and verified reviews on the package page itself — so you can compare the answers side by side instead of chasing them over calls.
Meera has walked over 40 Himalayan routes across Uttarakhand, Himachal and Ladakh. She writes about high-altitude trekking, permits and doing it all without wrecking the trail.
