Most packing mistakes on a northern trip come from the same place: people pack for the photos, not for the walking. They carry four pairs of jeans and no rain jacket, or brand-new boots and no blister plasters. Then the weather turns at Fairy Meadows, or the jeep drops them at the start of a long uphill path, and the bag suddenly feels very different.
Quick answer: For trekking in northern Pakistan, pack three clothing layers (a quick-dry base, a warm fleece or down layer, a waterproof shell), broken-in shoes with good grip, a warm hat and gloves, sun protection, a head torch, a power bank, a small first-aid and repair kit, your original CNIC with photocopies, and enough cash for the whole trip. Keep the bag light enough to carry uphill for several hours.
First, know what kind of trip you are packing for
Hunza, Fairy Meadows and Skardu are often mentioned together, but they ask different things of your bag. Be honest about how much of your trip is on foot.
| Destination | Typical trip | What it changes in your bag |
|---|---|---|
| Hunza | Road-based stay in hotels or guest houses, with day hikes to viewpoints, glaciers and meadows | A small daypack matters more than a big rucksack. Bedding is usually provided. |
| Fairy Meadows | A jeep track from the Karakoram Highway, then a few hours of steady uphill walking to cottages and campsites at around 3,300 metres. Many people continue on a day hike towards Beyal Camp and the Nanga Parbat viewpoint. | You or a porter carry everything uphill, so weight counts. Nights are cold even in summer. |
| Skardu | A base town for lakes, the high Deosai plains and serious multi-day treks further into the Karakoram | Day trips need little. Deosai camping and long treks need proper cold-weather sleep kit, and the big treks are best done through an experienced operator. |
The main season runs roughly from late spring to early autumn. High areas open later and close earlier depending on snow, and road conditions change with landslides and weather, so check locally before you set dates.
The packing list
| Category | Pack |
|---|---|
| Clothing | 2 quick-dry T-shirts or base layers, 1 long-sleeve shirt, 1 fleece or light down jacket, 1 waterproof shell jacket, 2 trekking trousers, thermal leggings for night, 3 to 4 pairs of socks, warm hat, gloves, sun cap, buff or scarf |
| Footwear | Broken-in trekking shoes or boots, sandals or chappal for camp, spare laces |
| Bag and sleep | Rucksack with hip belt and rain cover, small daypack, sleeping bag if camping, dry bags or strong plastic bags |
| Health and hygiene | Personal medicines, basic first-aid kit, blister plasters, ORS, sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses, hand sanitiser, tissue roll, small towel, water purification tablets or a filter bottle |
| Documents and money | Original CNIC, several photocopies, booking details, cash in small notes |
| Electronics | Head torch with spare batteries, power bank, charging cables, phone with offline maps |
| Tools and repair | A few metres of cord, duct tape wrapped round a bottle, needle and thread, safety pins, lighter or matches, whistle, spare bag buckle or strap if you have one |
| Food and water | Reusable 1 litre bottle (two for long days), dry fruit, nuts, biscuits, chocolate |
Clothing: think in layers, not outfits
Mountain weather swings fast. You can be sweating in a T-shirt at midday and shivering in wind an hour later. Three layers handle this better than one thick jacket: a base layer that dries quickly, a warm middle layer, and a shell that keeps out wind and rain. Add or remove one at a time as you warm up or cool down.
Avoid cotton next to the skin on walking days, and leave the jeans for town. Wet cotton and wet denim stay wet and cold for hours. A shalwar kameez in a light fabric is perfectly good for rest days and village walks, and is often the most comfortable thing you will pack.
Footwear: the one thing not to improvise
Wear shoes you have already walked in for at least a couple of weeks. Trekking shoes with a grippy sole are enough for Fairy Meadows and most Hunza day hikes in dry weather. Ankle-high boots earn their weight on loose rock, glacier edges and multi-day routes. Pack real walking socks, change them when they get wet, and deal with a hot spot on your foot as soon as you feel it rather than at the end of the day.
Bag and sleep kit
For a trip where you carry your own bag, a 40 to 50 litre rucksack with a padded hip belt is plenty. Line it with a strong plastic bag even if it has a rain cover. If you are staying in cottages or hotels, blankets are normally provided, though a light sleeping bag liner is pleasant to have. If you are camping, especially on Deosai, a sleeping bag rated for cold nights and a sleeping mat are not optional.
Health, sun and altitude
The sun is fierce at altitude even when the air feels cool. Sunscreen, sunglasses, a cap and lip balm are daily items, not extras. Drink more water than you think you need, and treat stream water before drinking it.
Many of these places are high enough for some people to feel the altitude: headache, poor sleep, loss of appetite. Gain height gradually where you can, rest on arrival, and if symptoms get worse instead of better, go down. Carry your regular medicines in your own bag, and speak to your doctor before the trip if you have a heart, lung or blood pressure condition.
Documents, cash and phone signal
Travellers are registered at check posts along the way, so keep your original CNIC handy and carry several photocopies to hand over. Foreign visitors should check current entry and permit rules for the areas they plan to visit.
Carry enough cash for the whole trip. ATMs exist in the main towns but can be empty or offline, and jeep drivers, porters and small hotels are paid in cash. Mobile coverage is patchy outside towns and differs by network, so download offline maps and tell someone at home your route before you lose signal.
The small repair kit that saves a trip
This is where a few grams do a lot of work. A snapped boot lace, a broken rucksack strap or a tent loop that tears out can spoil a day, and each is a two-minute fix with cord and tape. Pack five to ten metres of strong cord: it becomes a clothes line at camp, a lashing for a sleeping mat, a spare lace or a guy line. We cover these jobs in detail in seven realistic uses for paracord.
How to pack the bag
- Lay everything out first. Put it all on the bed, then remove a third of the clothes. Almost everyone overpacks clothing.
- Waterproof from the inside. Line the rucksack, then pack clothes and sleeping bag in separate dry bags or plastic bags.
- Soft and bulky at the bottom. Sleeping bag and spare clothes go in first.
- Heavy items close to your back. Water, food and electronics sit in the middle, against the back panel, so the bag does not pull you backwards.
- Things you need quickly go on top. Rain shell, warm layer, snacks, first-aid kit and head torch.
- Keep pockets consistent. CNIC copies, cash and phone always live in the same pocket, so you are not searching at a check post.
- Walk with it before you leave. Carry the packed bag around your street or up some stairs for twenty minutes. If it already feels heavy, it is too heavy.
A common rule of thumb is to keep a loaded rucksack to around a fifth of your body weight or less. Lighter is better on a first trek.
What to leave at home
- Jeans for walking days, and more than one spare pair of anything
- New shoes you have never worn
- Full-size toiletries, hair dryers and heavy power strips
- Valuables and jewellery you would be upset to lose
- Glass bottles and anything that leaks
Take a spare bag for your rubbish too. Wrappers, bottles and wet wipes carried up should be carried back down.
Where a paracord bracelet or keychain fits
A bracelet will not replace the hank of cord in your repair kit, and we would not pretend it does. What it gives you is a backup that cannot be left in the jeep: a cobra-weave bracelet holds roughly 2.5 to 3 metres of 550 cord, enough for a spare lace or a lashing if your main cord is used up or out of reach. Because Giraa bracelets close with an adjustable sliding knot and have no buckle or metal clasp, they sit flat under a jacket cuff and loosen easily when your hands swell a little on a long climb.
Earth tones hide trail dust best. Akhdar in dark green and Sahra in coyote tan are Rs 1,699 each at the time of writing, and the rest are in the paracord bracelets collection. A paracord keychain such as the Naag in olive works well clipped to a rucksack zip, where it gives you something to grab with gloves on; see the full keychain collection. Not sure about fit? Check the size guide.
For an honest look at what wrist-carried cord can and cannot do, read survival bracelets in Pakistan, and for the pocket items worth carrying every day, our everyday carry essentials guide. After a dusty trip, washing a paracord bracelet takes five minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to trek in northern Pakistan?
Broadly, late spring to early autumn, with summer the busiest period. Higher areas such as Deosai open later because of snow. Conditions vary every year, so confirm with a local hotel or operator before booking.
What shoes do I need for Fairy Meadows?
Comfortable, broken-in trekking shoes with a grippy sole are enough for the main path in dry weather. Choose ankle-high boots if you plan to walk on towards the base camp area or if rain is likely.
Do I need a sleeping bag?
Not for hotels and most cottages, which provide blankets. You do need one for camping, and a warm one for high camps such as Deosai. A light liner is a good compromise if you are unsure.
How much cash should I carry?
Enough to cover transport, jeeps, porters, food and rooms for the whole trip, plus a reserve for delays. Carry small notes and split the cash between two places.
How heavy should my trekking bag be?
As a rule of thumb, around a fifth of your body weight or less when fully loaded with water. If you are new to trekking, aim lower, or hire a porter for the uphill sections.
Is paracord really useful on a trek?
Yes, in small ways: a clothes line, a spare lace, a lashing, a guy line. It is not climbing rope and should never hold a person's weight. Our guide to 550 paracord explains what the rating means.