Tents

[Edgewood]

We are doing the AC in Oct. Would like to bring a tent to sleep in some of the time. It might be useful for privacy, a quite nights sleep, or if there's no room in the inn. Does this sound reasonable? How do we find or pay for a camp site? Thank you.

[Oli]

No. The best thing about trekking on the main trails (Everest, Annapurna, Langtang & Helambu) are the lodges. There is absolutely no need to camp. In fact a tent is a burden to carry around, you'll like as not be camping outside a lodge and it'll cost at least as much as is you have a room in the lodge and food from the menu. You get you own room in a lodge, the walls may be a bit thin but they are more sturdy than a tent, and the bed may be a bit hard but it beats sleeping on the ground. Staying in a lodge beats camping in almost every respect, leave your tent at home.

[kegarne]

As well as the tent being a burden to carry you may not have the camping grounds to yourselves a lot of the time. There are large commercial groups like World Expeditions and others who may monopolize the camping areas during the peak trekking season.

I have seen this before and was happy that I was staying in a lodge.

[yakshaver]

In terms of not having the campground to yourself, it is not just the big tourgroups. Usually these "campgrounds" are simply the yak yards of the house, to which the lodge belongs. I have often seen sleepy tourists doging yaks to go inside the lodge to have a hot cup of tea or breakfasts.

[minialan]

Hi, i trekked to Everset base camp from Jiri a few years ago and carried my tent the whole way. It was good to get pictures on Kalapatar of me outside my tent with Everset in the background but i would never take it again. I was young and fit then, but the extra weight almost prevented me completing the trek even though it was a lightweight model (3kg ish). Dont do it !

[Landfall38]

You will also pay a camping fee that is about the same price of a lodge room!

[Edgewood]

We did not take the tent. Thanks..good call. It was a bit of musical chairs near busy places like the middle of ABC (Bamboo), We sometimes stopped hiking at 1:00 to ensure we got a room.

[cyclingpaul]

I was in Nepal for 3 months one time, and bought a second-hand Mountain Quasar tent very cheaply in Thamel. I still have that tent now.

Me and my girlfriend trekked everywhere with that tent but only used it rarely. But when we did use it, it was really great. It opens up the prospect of visiting areas where there is no other accomodation.

We camped out in upper Langtang, near the ABC in the Sanctuary and also west of Marpha ( I think ) up at the Dhampus Pass on the AC. Those days were some of the best trekking days I have ever had. It was nice to occasionally be away from other trekkers and the routine of a lodge. Nice also to cook your own food. It was more like the sort of wildcountry backpacking that you can do in say Scotland or the Lake District in the UK.

I could never see the point, however, in camping in the garden of a lodge. Crazy!

[Michael Sunkist]

Nameste, miss out on the fun of the lodges and the people you meet? Not to mention the burden of extra weight at high altitude? think a tent over before you hit the trail. No need brah! Happy trails

[cyclingpaul]

Overall I agree with you. However, I have always loved reading the accounts of Himalayan explorers like Shipton and Tilman and their wandering treks through Nepal and other places. There is something very attractive about being self-sufficient and wild camping in the high mountain areas of Nepal. I too enjoy lodges and the cultural/human aspects of the trekking experience, but I think I enjoy the mountains and trails even more.

My ultimate trek in Nepal ( which I will try and do one day ) would be a mammoth 40 or 60 day trek along the northern edge of the country, staying partly in lodges but mostly camping. Just wandering about and doing small peaks and exploring dead-end valleys away from the "usual" routes. One day!

Horses for courses. There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

Sorry about the clashing beer mugs, but I like them!

[kiwigirl]

Sorry about the clashing beer mugs, but I like them! (QUOTE)

me too :D