After thinking all the backpackers lugging hiking boots and sleeping bags through sweltering Myanmar so they could trek in Nepal were silly, I’ve finally verified that this is totally unnecessary. Just buy your ticket to Kathmandu and show up with the clothes on your back. You can get everything here. Well, except good socks.

Thamel has dozens of shops selling a variety of used and new gear. Many items are locally made and decorated with “North Face” or “Gortex” labels, but they are dirt cheap and of adequate quality to survive a trek. None of the shops have a complete selection, so it’s just a matter of going from shop to shop, seeing what they have. After a day of shopping, here’s what I ended up with:

• ”Lowe Alpine” backpack, about 30 L. My goal is to make it my main pack and send my big one home - $11
• ”North Face” sleeping bag, zero degrees. Seems warm, $30
• High Tec boots, the real deal, $35
• lath (walking stick), $2.50
• rain cover, $2
• water bottle, $7.50
• inflatable pillow, $1
• gloves, $1
• hat, wooly, $1
• scarf, $1
• down booties, the trek’s luxury item for those cold nights, $6
• socks, have holes after one use, $1 for two pair