[DISCLOSURE: contains affiliate links]
Nepal's diversity compresses tropical jungle, medieval temple towns, and ice-bound passes into a country smaller than Nebraska, which means the right packing list depends entirely on where you are going. For a Kathmandu Valley circuit hitting Bhaktapur, Patan, and the main stupas, pack as you would for any subtropical city in October through March — light layers, one warm fleece for mornings, closed-toe walking shoes with grip for uneven stone pavement, and cotton or linen that covers shoulders and knees for temple entry. Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, and Boudhanath all enforce the covered-shoulders-and-knees standard, though enforcement varies by entrance and time of day. Women find a lightweight scarf solves most situations. Chitwan adds mosquito repellent with DEET, long sleeves for dawn jeep safaris when temperatures drop to 10°C even in March, and shoes you can hose down after walking through sal forest mud.
Trekking below 3500 meters on routes like the Ghorepani Poon Hill loop or the lower Annapurna Sanctuary approach requires a 30-liter pack, broken-in boots, moisture-wicking layers, one insulated jacket for evenings when tea house temperatures match outside air, a headlamp because lodges lose power, and a external battery that holds at least 20,000mAh since charging costs rise with altitude and availability drops. Above 4000 meters — Thorong La, Gokyo Ri, Everest Base Camp — the list expands: a down jacket rated to -10°C, expedition-weight base layers, UV-blocking sunglasses rated Category 4 because snowfield glare at altitude causes photokeratitis within two hours, SPF 50 sunscreen applied hourly to all exposed skin including inside nostrils and ear canals, trekking poles to redistribute knee load on descents, and water purification tablets since lodges above Dingboche sometimes run low on boiled water. Diamox for altitude sickness requires a physician consultation before departure, dosing starts in Kathmandu, and efficacy depends on proper acclimatization schedules regardless of medication.
Thamel's rental shops stock serviceable down jackets for $2 per day, sleeping bags rated to -15°C for $1.50 per day, and trekking poles for $1 per day — deposits required, condition variable, return policies enforced. The North Face and Mountain Hardwear knockoffs filling Thamel storefronts occasionally fool even experienced trekkers, but zippers fail at 4500 meters and seam tape separates in Namche Bazaar's night cold. Bring your own technical layers, rent the bulky insulation, buy wool socks and backup gloves locally. Kathmandu's altitude at 1400 meters means trial runs of rented gear actually test performance in thin air before you commit to Lukla.