How I Pack for 10 Days in the Mountains

My 10-day mountain packing list fits in a 45L backpack. Here it is.

Clothing: 3 merino wool t-shirts, 1 fleece, 1 down jacket, 1 rain shell, 2 trekking pants, 4 pairs of wool socks, 1 warm hat, 1 sun hat, 1 pair of gloves. That's it. I do laundry at homestays.

Footwear: One pair of broken-in trekking boots - not new, not fashionable, broken in over at least 50km before the trip. And a pair of lightweight camp sandals for the evenings. Two pairs total.

Sleeping: A sleeping bag rated to -10°C for high altitude camps, plus a silk liner that adds 5 degrees and keeps the bag clean between washes. If you're staying in homestays only, a lighter bag works.

Tech: Headlamp (USB rechargeable), a 20,000mAh power bank, and my phone on airplane mode for the entire trip. No laptop. No tablet. No dedicated camera - the phone is more than enough when you're actually present.

Toiletries: Biodegradable soap (one bar does everything), sunscreen SPF 50, lip balm with SPF, and a basic first aid kit - blister plasters, ibuprofen, Diamox for altitude, oral rehydration salts, and antiseptic cream.

What I deliberately leave behind: extra 'just in case' clothes (you won't need them), books (read on your phone if you must), external speakers (the mountains are the soundtrack), drones (they disturb wildlife and communities), tripods (too heavy for the value), and anything that weighs more than it contributes to the experience.

The philosophy behind packing light isn't minimalism for its own sake. It's freedom. A lighter pack means you walk faster, tire slower, and spend less time managing your stuff and more time noticing where you are. When your pack weighs 8kg instead of 15kg, the difference over 8 hours of walking is the difference between arriving exhausted and arriving curious.

One more thing: every item in your pack should serve at least two purposes. Your rain shell is also your wind layer. Your buff is also your pillowcase. Your trekking pants zip off into shorts. The moment you start thinking in dual-purpose terms, half your packing list disappears.

The rule is simple: if you haven't used it by Day 3, you packed wrong.