Bhutan - Lindsay Brown [161]
Trek operators expect you to bring your own sleeping bag. There are no sleeping bags available for rent in Bhutan.
General Trekking Clothing
DOWN- OR FIBRE-FILLED JACKET
You should bring a good jacket on a trek. Most ski jackets are not warm enough and most so-called expedition parkas are too heavy and bulky.
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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TREKS IN NEPAL & BHUTAN Robert Peirce
People used to trekking in Nepal will find that conditions are generally similar in Bhutan. The differences that do exist are mostly due to geography. The hillsides in Bhutan tend toward the near-vertical. This means there are fewer farms, villages and reasonable camp sites.
Because geographical considerations make the distance between camp sites greater than the average distance between camps in Nepal, trekking days tend to be longer. Side-hill climbing on steep slopes also means that you do more up-and-down climbing to get around vertical cliffs, avalanche tracks and side canyons. The trails are generally good but, through centuries of use, in many places they have been worn down to paths of scattered rounded rocks or just plain mud.
You may not see other trekkers on the trail but, because camp sites are designated, you are likely to share your camp spot with other parties on the popular Jhomolhari and Laya–Gasa treks. On other treks you probably won’t see another group at all. Generally speaking, the trekkers are older than those trekking in Nepal. This, I assume, is because older, settled people are better able to afford the high cost of travel in Bhutan. In some camp sites there are huts that can serve as kitchens for your crew, or used as dining rooms, but most of the time meals are served in a dining tent. There are no Nepali-style teahouses or trekkers’ lodges in Bhutan.
In my experience, trekkers’ meals in Bhutan compare well with restaurant meals. If you are used to Nepal’s two-hour-plus lunch breaks, you’ll learn to adjust to a much shorter midday stop here. In Nepal, the crew takes time to cook a hot meal while the members nap. In Bhutan, they bring along a hot dish in an insulated container (with other goodies) for what amounts to a glorified trail lunch. The crew tends to be much smaller than crews in Nepal. Three or four people do the work of five to seven or more. Maybe one reason for this is that there are fewer security problems in Bhutan and thus no need for extra people to guard the camp.
In most places in Nepal, the local people have become accustomed to trekkers but in Bhutan you are still a curiosity. People stare at you with open, friendly faces or greet you warmly as you pass – even come up to you and shake your hand. You become used to kids running to greet you, shouting, ‘Bye-bye’. Some have not learnt that it is a no-no to ask for pens. Others startle you by bowing low and bidding, ‘Good morning, sir’.
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Your jacket can serve many functions on the trek. It will become a pillow at night and on long car trips and can also protect fragile items in your backpack or duffel bag. If you are extremely cold, wear your down jacket to bed inside your sleeping bag.
Artificial-fibre jackets (filled with Polargard, Thinsulate or Fibrefill) are a good substitute for down and much cheaper.
JUMPER OR PILE JACKET
Two light layers of clothing are better than a single heavy layer, and one or two light jumpers (sweaters), shirts or polypropylene layers are superior to a heavy jacket.
Pile jackets made of polyester fleece come in a variety of styles and thicknesses. They are light, warm (even when wet) and easy to clean.
HIKING SHORTS OR SKIRT
Most treks are at altitudes where it is cool, even during the day, so most people are comfortable in long pants. Pants, however, pull at the knees and are hot, so some prefer shorts. Either cut-offs or hiking shorts with big pockets are fine, but only for men. Skimpy track shorts are culturally unacceptable.
Women should consider a skirt, perhaps over a pair of shorts. Many women who have worn skirts on treks are enthusiastic about them. The most obvious reason