11 other essentials items for Mountaineering expedition: Easy to forget but super-useful in the mountains

Mountaineering expeditions are tricky and when it comes to packing our gears it never ends. Pack, unpack, repack, re-check tour list and repack again. Wait for a few days and you feel you have missed something or you are wondering how can I make my pack lighter & smaller. So begins the process of organizing it and repacking it again. Our guess is you will never be satisfied with the process.

In this post, we have listed 11 essential items that may not look handy but are super useful during your mountaineering expedition. These items are not super-must and are easy to miss but having them in your pack can make your life a little bit easier during your expedition. Consider it mountain luxury at your disposal, adding a bit of comfort to your expedition.

Lip guards (Yes, more than one) & Sunscreen cream SPF 50, 70, or 100 (Also more than one)

SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays

SPF 100 blocks 99% of UVB ray

Extra socks and gloves

We highly suggest you pack at least 1-2 pairs of expedition socks and gloves. There are days when you don’t feel like doing your laundry and having that extra socks is comfort on its own. Gloves are tricky, great if you don’t loose one, but if you do having that backup pair is key as you won’t be able to climb without your gloves. That we can guarantee and frostbite is not the ideal situation you want to experience.

Cold/warm air Mask regulator

This is one of the tools that we would consider essential for every climber. I It is amazing that many climbers are now attempting higher expeditions above 8000M+ like Everest, Makalu, Manaslu etc without supplement O2. (Kudos to the human potential and one’s motivation of pushing themselves) Or even climbing at 6000ers to 70000ers like Baruntse, Himlung, etc peaks. The air is so thin, dry, and crip cold that it takes a toll on our nose. Gross, it may sound but climbers know the issue of the clogged up nose and trying to get rid of this booger and breathing in cold air which is a struggle on its own. These air mark regulators are a godsend. It helps retain the moisture and regulate the cold air you breathe in to somewhat tolerable and a little warm. These are slowly becoming a must-have choice for many professional climbers. We can recommend two products which are listed below.

Thermos flask with a cup

Super handy when things are flexible and accessible especially when camping in high camps. That sip of warm water or tea is a god send and a booster. Imagine just having a cup when you want to drink water in your camps, the value of it is immense.

Nose/cheek Shielder

Nothing fancy here the UV rays from the sun and the cold air might be harsh on your cheeks and nose especially. So taping up can protect it from burning up.

Satellite communicator

Want to give peace of mind to your friends and families during your expeditions? Then satellite communicators are your answer. Garmin and other providers allow you to send messages to your loved ones or audience to keep track of your expeditions. (Works in most of the Himalayas Expeditions) You will have to use their subscription plans to be able to connect to the internet and use the features. The great news is you can use their FREEDOM plan when you are in the mountains and cancel it once you are back home.

Extra batteries, power banks and portable solar panels:

Solar technology keeps advancing and that’s great news for everyone. Highly recommend getting portable solar panels that you can just hang on your bag when juicing up your batteries and devices. Especially when you are in the remote corners of the Himalayas or other mountains, the sun is the only source of energy on clear days so you will want to make the best out of it and recharge all those batteries. Goal Zero makes some amazing portable solar panels and other devices that we can highly recommend for expeditions.

Extra Sunglasses

Nothing is more frustrating than losing or breaking your glasses when climbing in the mountains. Reflections from the sun are harsh and strong or even during gloomy days you must have a pair or even impossible to climb without a good visual. So always have an extra glass as a backup option. Plenty of brands out there but we are in love with JULBO pairs 😍.

Pee bottles

One can only understand the comfort of having a pee bottle when you are inside your tent and the temperature outside is freezing below -10C. Having a pee bottle at your reach is always handy when you do not have to keep getting out into the cold and dark to just your little business. That’s why we consider this, one of the musts.

Pro tip: Comes super handy when you are driving and you don’t have a place to make you wee stop 😅.

Nuts, Bars and Energy gels

You will always need that constant supply of nutrients in any form. Be it in solid-food form or liquid through the water. So having nuts, bars, or energy gels is always handy which are pocketable and easier to carry and just reach out when climbing or just resting. There’s plenty of amazing brands out there in the market. Cliff bars, High5 nutrition, SIS, etc

Wet wipes

Showers are a luxury during expeditions and it’s hard to maintain a constant flow of water at some locations or even non-existent. Wet wipes are your answers then. For the most part during the long mountain expedition, climbers understand that they may not be able to take shower for an extended period of time but we can adapt. Take a wet wipe shower (at least that’s what we call it) is a perfect alternative.

Do you have an item that you think is a must, on long expeditions that makes your life a little bit comfortable in the mountains? Please comment below.

And if you are planning mountain adventure in the Himalayas then our team is here at your service. We have yearly 6000M peak expeditions like Mera peak or Chulu West peak for beginners and experienced level climbers. 7000ers such as Baruntse 7129M Peak or Himlung Himal 7134M peak for the explorers or challenge seekers who want to climb higher peaks. 8000ers such as Manaslu 8163M or Makalu 8485M for the ones that want to get into the death zone and summit the Big E, Mt. Everest.

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Namas Adventure team