Things to Carry for Valley of Flowers Trek – A Detailed Checklist!

Things to carry for Valley of Flowers Trek 

Bags you need to carry:

1. A rucksack – 70-80 litres (10 kg max per person) (These will be given to the porter)
2. A day backpack – 20-30 Kg
3. A laundry bag – Preferably a light cloth bag to bring back all your laundry from the trek
4. A shoe bag – Preferably a light cloth bag to carry your casual shoes.

Choosing the right backpack for your trek:

Buying the right backpack is crucial as this is how you will carry all your clothes and essentials for the trek. For a longer trek of 9-10 days such as Valley of Flowers, you will ideally need a rucksack/backpack between 60-70 litres. The porter service provided in the inclusion of the Valley of Flowers trek cost will carry one rucksack of 10 kgs max. Anything beyond this will have to be borne by the trekker.

One trick to ensuring that your rucksack is protected all through the trek is to cover it up with a rain cover, which will also help when you’re trekking in the monsoons.

Clothes to carry for the Valley of Flowers trek:

Gloves:

A winter trekking guide would be incomplete without a great pair of gloves. You will be wearing gloves all through the day. You are required to carry about 4 pairs of good woolen gloves.

Clothing & Accessories:

This where you will have to be smart. When it comes to winter trekking, the trick is to not just layer up, but layering right.

Here’s a quick guide to layering up for any snow trek:

Head Gear:

1. Woolen Cap – That can cover your ears and head entirely
2. Woolen balaclava that can cover your neck, mouth and nose
3. Polaroid sunglasses – with UV protection
4. Headlamp – in case it gets dark while trekking
5. Sun cap with a back flap to protect your nape

Layering your Upper Body while at camp:

1. 1. Thermals – Layer 1
   2. T-Shirt (Dri-Fit – preferably to absorb sweat) – Layer 2
   3. Sweater – Layer 3
   4. Another layer of sweater – Layer 4
   5. Fleece jacket – Layer 5
   6. Down Jacket or polyfill padded jacket – Layer 6
   7. Gloves

Layering your Upper Body while trekking:

1. 1. Thermals – Layer 1
   2. T-Shirt (Dri-Fit – preferably to absorb sweat) – Layer 2
   3. Fleece jacket – Layer 3
   4. Down Jacket or polyfill padded jacket – Layer 4
   5. Poncho if it is raining – Layer 5
   6. Gloves

Layering up your Lower Body while at Camp:

• Basic thermals
• Trekking trouser
• Polyester trekking socks
• Woolen socks

Layering up your Lower body while trekking:

• Trekking trousers
• Polyester or active-wear socks
• Trekking shoes

What you need to carry in your day backpack:

1. Thermal Water bottle (2 x 1-liter bottles)
2. Isothermal case for your bottle so that your water does not freeze
3. Protein Bars
4. Torch/headlamp (with spare batteries)
5. Power bank
6. Lunchbox & spoon (Small & compact)
7. Hiking stick
8. Sun goggles (other than blue tint)
9. Lip balm & sunscreen with SPF 50 and above
10. Extra pair of synthetic socks

Other Essentials things to carry for Valley of Flowers trek:

1. Toiletries, wet wipes & tissue rolls (2)
2. Sunscreen – SPF 40 & above
3. Moisturizing lotion, lip balm, and Deo stick/deodorant
4. Personal medicines (The trek lead will be carrying a basic first aid kit)
5. Utility kit – Safety pins, rubber bands, clips, needles etc.
6. Plastic bags – biodegradable
7. Power bank – 2 preferably

Medicines to carry for the Valley of Flowers trek:

Please note, these are some general medicines we ask our Nomads to carry during the trek, however, it is strongly advised that you consult your doctor to prescribe the same for you.

1. Avomine: Avomin is used to control and prevent motion sickness. Since there are long hours of road travel involved, if you’re prone to motion/road sickness, you can take one before the start of the journey. Carry 3 Avomin tablets for the trek
2. Dolo: This paracetamol is effective in cases of fever, severe body pain after the trek. Carry 5-6 tablets for the trek
3. Cetirizine: Cetirizine is an anti-allergen that helps you relieve sudden cough/cold during the trek. Carry 5-6 tablets
4. Combiflam: This is a pain reliever that helps you if you feel muscle sprain/sprain in the joints. It is also paracetamol. Carry 5 tablets
5. Digene: This one is for nauseousness and bad stomach. If you do feel nauseous during the trek, please inform the trek lead, this could be a sign of AMS. Carry 5 tablets
6. Knee brace: If you feel like you need to give your knee some support especially while descending, you can wear a knee brace. This is optional.

Tablets to reduce AMS (Diamox) will be carried by our Trek Captain and given to the trekkers every morning. 

Important Documents to carry for the Valley of Flowers trek:

1. 5 Photocopies of your PAN/AADHAR/PASSPORT for various permits etc.
2. Passport Size photos – 3 – 4
3. Medical Certificate (will be shared with you post-registration)
4. Indemnity bond (will be shared with you post-registration)

Please carry these documents in a plastic cover and place them securely inside your backpack so that they do not get wet.

Essentials to pack when you’re trekking in the monsoons:

While the rest of the things to carry for Valley of Flowers trek remains the same, here are all the extra things you will need to carry if you’ve chosen to trek in the monsoons between June end – August. While the best time to trek to trek to Valley of Flowers is between August – early September, the monsoons definitely brings the Valley alive giving you a taste of what rains in the Himalayas looks like.

1. Rain poncho – This is a much-preferred option as it is lightweight and can be worn easily without much hassle. Make sure you buy the right size and height for your body
2. A waterproof phone cover/camera cover – You do not want to miss taking the pictures of the Valley just because it’s raining
3. If you wear lenses on a daily basis, we suggest you give this a skip and opt for glasses instead
4. Your boots need to be waterproof to avoid slipping on the trail and ask the folks at the store the tricks to tying the lace properly
5. Extra pairs of clothes and underwears
6. Extra socks – The Valley of Flowers trek itinerary has 5 treks on 5 consecutive days. If you’re trekking in the monsoons, your socks invariably ends up getting wet. The challenge also is that you won’t be able to dry your socks overnight. We recommend you carry 3 pairs of socks for the trek days to ensure you have enough and don’t repeat the socks if it’s still wet.